Think of it like Grandkids.

It is really difficult, right?

To get to know God that is.

It is difficult to know Him because we can’t see Him.

We can’t have lunch with Him.

Can’t grab a cup of coffee with Him.

Making it tough to develop a relationship with Him.

At least, that is how it seems.

A while back I was talking to my mother about this very topic. The difficulty of building a relationship with God because we aren’t in heaven with Him and we don’t walk with Him like Adam and Eve got to do in the Garden of Eden.

The distance creates a challenge to building this relationship.

And that is true.

But it doesn’t make it impossible.

Think of it like this.

In that same conversation I was having with my mom, I pointed out something to her.

To begin with, you have to understand that my mother is wonderful at building relationships with her grandkids. Whether they live in the same city with her or not.

She will call and talk to them.

She will find out what they are into.

She will research their likes and preferences.

Because she loves them.

So, I encouraged her to approach God the same way.

First, call and talk to Him.

No, we don’t have the phone number. But we can talk to Him at any time through prayer.

I am not trying to say that it is exactly the same as a phone call. I am not denying that it is different than being able to hear the person on the other end of the line respond with audible words. But, and maybe it is just me, I often find that the reason I don’t hear God speak more when I am praying is because I never spend time being quiet. I don’t give Him a chance to respond.

I am busy making my requests, whether for myself or others, and when I am done, I am quickly on to the next task.

I don’t hear Him answer because I am not listening for Him to answer.

After all, He did tell us to be still and know that He is God.

Next, find out what He is into.

He gave us an entire book dedicated to telling us what He is into.

What He likes to do.

How He interacts with people.

What He wants His people to do. What He wants us to be about.

If you wanted to learn about an historical figure, not only would you read books about the person, but you would want to make sure to read books that they wrote.

You would want to read their words from their hands.

We can do that with God.

Finally, research His likes and preferences.

Study to learn more about God.

We will never exhaust all the doctrines of God, but that doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t be diligent to learn as much as we can.

There are almost unlimited resources for growing in our knowledge of God. (Just make sure to check the author, not all of them are equally biblical.)

Building a relationship with God is just like building a relationship with a family member that doesn’t live in your house.

And I have seen many a grandparent find ways to build a relationship with their grandkids.

It takes time.

It takes effort.

It takes energy.

But it is worth it.

Because you love them.