Distant or Up-close and Personal?

I recently read an excellent book by James P. Gills, M.D. called The Prayerful Spirit. It gave great clarification as to why sometimes God appears to be distant from His creation. Of course, He’s not. How you perceive Him greatly determines your path in life. Your perception becomes your reality.

In the book he talks about the two views of God. In theological terms, God is called transcendent (above us) and immanent (with us). The word transcendent means superior, excellent, unequalled, and divine. When we say that God is transcendent we are saying He is eternal, unchanging, and without limits. He’s not only independent and self-existent; He is infinitely greater than all His creation. God is Holy and His transcendence is His greatness—His Omnipotence, His Omnipresence, His Omniscience. This greatness is what stirs wonder, awe and humility in us as His creation. “Great is our Lord and mighty in power; his understanding has no limit.” Psalm 147:5 “ Can you fathom the mysteries of God? Can you probe the limits of the Almighty? They are higher than the heavens—what can you do? They are deeper than the depths of the grave—what can you know?” Job 11:7-9

To say that God is immanent means that He is near us as our Helper and Comforter. To be immanent is to be intrinsic, ingrained, and internal. The very name given Jesus—Immanuel means “God with us.” He sustains us in times of trouble, and we trust and abide in Him as our Lord and Redeemer. “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.” Psalm 46:1-3

As a believer in Christ, God is both above us and within us. Before I became a Christian I did not understand the “immanent” part. I always believed in a God who created the universe. I believed that He was out there somewhere (transcendent) doing His thing, but I did not understand the “immanent” part until I fully surrendered my life to Jesus Christ. I learned that I could have a personal relationship with the Lord, and that He would come into my life to dwell (immanent). What a difference that made! I no longer viewed God from a distance, but from an up-close, personal relationship. My prayer life took on a new meaning and I immersed myself in His Word. I wanted to know God personally.

Unfortunately, many people view God the same way I used to—from a distance. When we view God in this way we begin to believe that He is a creator who just doesn’t have much to do with His creation anymore. Our limited view of Him keeps us from pursuing a vibrant, up-close relationship. Our prayers are reduced to formal, rote prayers, and yet we wonder why we do not experience any sort of hope or healing. “I pray to God all the time yet He doesn’t seem to answer,” is a frequent response. Too often, we fall away and give up praying altogether.

Those who pursue a personal relationship with Jesus know that He is immanent. They are keenly aware that they can do nothing on their own but must stay connected to the vine. “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:5. They do not let familiarity reduce Him to some sort of “magical genie” who will grant them all their wishes. They have not lost their reverence and fear of the Holy and Almighty God. They stand in awe of Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all they could ever ask or imagine. He may be up-close and personal, yet He is also transcendent, therefore, they acknowledge His power, His Holiness, and His greatness. They worship Him out of love. They know Him as Jehovah Rapha, the God who heals, and Jehovah Jireh, the God who provides, and Jehovah Shalom , the God of peace.

My big take away from this book was that God is BOTH above us and with us. If we don’t believe in both aspects of God, we reduce Him to what we want Him to be. We either make Him out to be this distant and uncaring God, thereby limiting a powerful and personal relationship, or we become so casually familiar with Him that we lose our reverence and awe of Him. This can lead to disillusionment and complacency.

When we come to the place where we recognize that God is both greater than we are and yet is near to us, our prayer life becomes a joy and can be simple. We pray to Him as we talk to our friends and we don’t need eloquent, showy, or dramatic prayers. We come before Him with a humble and sincere heart. We can pray quietly with love, and as we confidently and expectantly come to Him, He becomes our dwelling place.

“In Him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by His Spirit.” Ephesians 2:21-22

“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” Psalm 91:1-2