Personal God

You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book. (Psalm 56:8)

I love reading stories from the Bible that demonstrate God's willingness to fight for and protect His people. Stories like that of the flood, the ten plagues, the battle of Jericho, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the fiery furnace--these all speak to me of God's love for His people and His desire to work on their behalf.

But as much as I love reading narratives like those, I find myself particularly drawn to passages that are of a much more intimate nature. Those that demonstrate God's love, not just for His people, but for ME. Those that relay His desire to work on MY behalf.

Passages like that of Psalm 56:8 blow me away. First of all, it's a great visual image to have, imaginging a gigantic bottle filled with my tears. Beyond the imagery, the idea that not only has God seen my tears, but has saved them and recorded each tearful incident, is incredibly touching to me. Of course He does not need to record our sorrows--His memory doesn't get rusty. He doesn't need reminders.

He records our tears because it's a sign that He cares about us, each of us, on a very personal level. Just think, the Creator of the universe, the Savior of the world, the King of kings and Lord of lords, the Alpha and the Omega, cares about ME. He seeks a personal relationship with ME! Wow.

Although there is a danger that we can become too casual with God and not reverence Him, I think that many times we err on the side of being too formal with Him, and not letting Him relate to us in a personal way. There are times when I feel a pull to talk to Him, but start to think that what I have to say isn't important, compared to all the other stuff going on in the world right now. Of course, that's a lie that Satan is selling. He doesn't want me to draw near to God. He wants me to keep God in a box on a shelf, bringing Him out only on special occasions--not experiencing an intimate relationship with Him every day.

When I'm hurting, I like to imagine myself crawling up into God's lap, laying my head on His shoulder and letting the tears flow. That image (which I must admit I've had to use many, many times lately) gives me such comfort. It also helps me relate to Him more personally, and when I read passages like that above I'm reminded that He cares about every little tear that falls.

Are you able to relate to God on a personal level? If so, what has helped you experience that intimacy?