From the ends of the earth I call to you, I call as my heart grows faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the foe. // Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge. (Psalm 61:2-3, Psalm 62:8 NIV)
God is alive. And He is active. And He is loving.
Consider the ramifications of those simple statements. If He is alive, then we must ask what His existence means for us. If He is active, then we would be blind, foolish, or selfish to not notice what He is doing. And if He is loving…well…what is one to think of a God like that? Is it indeed possible to both be in awe of Him and draw close to Him at the same time?
If any or all of those simple statements are false, what’s to be done except pity the people who believe them to be true. Those misguided dreamers.
If only the first is true, what real honor is now due Him? If just the first and second are true, why should we not live our lives in deepest terror of what He might allow next? But if all three are true, that changes everything.
On to another claim. We are made in the image of God. Marvelously. If one doubts it, I invite that person to kindly explain all the mysterious intricacies of a human being to me.
Take for example, the ear. Made to hear sounds that delight and warn and educate. But also made to capture words so we can listen from the heart.
There are two simple observations about the design of the ear that strike me today. One is how the outline of a single ear is very similar to half of our traditional heart shape, and if we are to put the outline of two ears together, facing each other, it forms a whole heart. I also love how when the head is tipped to the side, water and other solutions can be poured into the ear to flush it clean, the ear becoming like a tiny well.
I see a connection between these two simple observations and the verses quoted above. We are made in God’s image, and in whatever way He does it, He hears us. When we call, our cry lands upon His ear. And when we pour out our hearts to Him, our thoughts, needs, and longings trickle down into the depths of His heart.
We may be afraid to say things that we think or feel. And sometimes, when we do dare to say them, it seems like no person around us is listening.
But be encouraged, and rest assured. For we can tell God anything. And when we tell Him, we are surely, and lovingly, heard.