Connecting With God

In almost every sales class I’ve been in, one of the most important things they teach is to connect. If you can’t connect with the other person, there can be no trust. Without trust, there can be no relationship. There are lots of ways to connect with someone especially when you find common ground. It’s the same way in our relationship with God. He’s looking for a way to connect with each one if us. He’s trying to build common ground because He wants to have a relationship with each of us.

When you read in the Old Testament, the priests were Levites. They were the ones who were set apart to connect with God on behalf of Israel. If you had to atone for sins, you had them sacrifice for you. If you needed an answer from God, you asked them to intercede. Only the High Priest could enter the holiest part of the temple to speak with God. The Levites were a special tribe who had the distinct honor of being priests and connecting Israelites with God.

In Genesis 29, you read the story of Jacob, Rachel and Leah. God saw that Jacob loved Rachel more than Leah, so he opened her womb so that she could bear him children. One of those children she named Levi. When you look at the meaning of the name Levi, it means “to connect”. I find it interesting that God chose the children of the tribe whose name meant connect in order to connect with His children. His plan to connect with His people was in place even before Levi was born.

Today, you and I have the ability to connect with God on our own. We don’t need a priest from Levi to offer sacrifices or to inquire with God on our behalf. Since Jesus came to this earth, He made a way for us to connect with God. I Timothy 2:5 says there is only one God and only one mediator between God and man, Jesus Christ. Jesus has taken the place of the Levites in connecting us with God. He has built the trust necessary for us to have a relationship with God. He built the common ground necessary by becoming human.

God knew that it would be difficult for people to connect with Him if He hadn’t walked in our shoes. He sacrificed all He had just so He could empathize with our struggles and build a relationship with us. Just like any relationship, it takes two parties coming together. He’s done His part to connect with us. What are we doing to connect with Him? What are we doing to grow the relationship. If you want a deeper relationship with Him, you’re going to have to do the things that build connections and trust in your relationship.