On hard days, I want a husband I can cling to. I want to bury my face in his shoulder, wrap my arms around him, and have him wrap his arms around me. I imagine that in that moment, I would feel safe and sheltered from the hardships of life.
But I do not have an earthly husband. At such moments, I must simply cry out to God, saying,
“Be thou my strong habitation, whereunto I may continually resort.” –Psalm 71:3
A habitation is an abode, or dwelling place.[1] On the hard days, we can run to God. We can turn to Him at any moment of the day, and He will be there to listen, support, and encourage us. No man, as dedicated and wonderful as he may be, has that ability. Yet God, who is omnipresent and omniscient—always everywhere and all-knowing—can meet every emotional and spiritual need.
How do we tap into that? When we cannot wrap our arms around God, how do we wrap our hearts around Him?
Jesus’s Invitation
Long before texting and other forms of instant messaging existed, God made Himself available for conversation 24/7. He promises,
“Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.” –Jeremiah 33:3
When God created us, He created us with a spirit. When we pray, we do not have to kneel at an altar. We do not need a holy middleman. We do not have to perform cleansing rituals first. We simply cry out to God from the heart, and our spirit communes with His. He is constantly available to us, and He delights in communing with us. He wants to know our thoughts, struggles, and joys, and He made sure we could know and understand Him. He gave us an entire book of His words—the Bible! He does not want to remain a mystery to us. He promises,
Ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. And I will be found of you. –Jeremiah 29:13–14
God already knows all about us. He stands before us, saying,
“I know you—every little detail about you. I know your longings and your heartaches. I know what makes you smile and laugh. I know what fulfills you. I know what drains you. I’m here to be your comfort, support, and shelter. I want to make you laugh with joy. I want to see you succeed. I want you to fulfill your purpose, and I want to be with you every step of the way.”
And yet, do we know Him? Do we understand His thoughts and motivations? Do we know His character enough to trust Him with our hearts? Do we trust Him enough to figuratively put our hand in His and say, “Lead on—I’ll go anywhere with you”? To come to that place, we have to spend time getting to know Him, and we have to continue growing in that relationship. Otherwise, like any earthly relationship, we will drift away from our beloved, and He will become unrecognizable. Not because He has changed, but because we forget who He is. We forget how much He loves us.
As important as earthly relationships are, no relationship is more important and fulfilling than our relationship with Jesus—our Creator and Redeemer. This truth leads us to ask, “Are we diligent in pursuing the most important relationship of all? What does that look like?”
Talk to God First
When I was a teenager, a woman at a youth rally told me that her husband always talked to God first thing in the morning—before he even talked to her. Ever since then, I have made it my goal to have this waking prayer:
“Good morning, Lord. Help me to love and honor and serve You today.”
Starting the day talking to the Lord is the first step in following Paul’s admonition to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17).
Study and Meditate on God’s Word
God reveals His heart to us through His Word—the Bible. Paul says,
“Whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.” –Romans 15:4
There are a variety of ways we can incorporate God’s Word and Bible study into our lives. Here are a few favorite resources:
Big Idea Bible Study (BIBS) Devotionals: This Bible study series by Ryan Rench is my favorite. Instead of telling me what the passage says, this study guides me to figure it out myself. Rench provides step-by-step guidance on using a homiletics approach to studying a passage. Since the steps are broken over several days, I get to dig for the meaning myself without becoming overwhelmed.
Christian Growth Books: Sometimes, I like to pair my Bible reading with a book on personal growth. Some of my favorites have been Speak Truth in Your Heartby Sarah Mally, You’re Made for a God-sized Dream by Holley Gerth, and The Powerful Purpose of Introvertsas well as the workbook Introvert by Designby Holley Gerth. Of course, there’s also my book Opening the Hope Chest. 😊(Hey, sometimes I need to go back and reread my own book for some important reminders.)Along with my Bible reading, I have read small sections of these books during my devotional time.
Christian Biographies: Instead of a Christian growth book, sometimes I read small portions of a Christian biography. Reading the testimonies of other faithful followers of Christ can be an encouragement and a challenge. My favorite series of biographies is YWAM’s Christian Heroes: Then and Now.
Scripture Memory Cards: This set of Scripture Memory Cards from Daughters of Decision gives you a short passage to memorize and meditate on. There are questions for digging deeper on the back of the cards, and the front has images to color as you meditate.
It is good to have times set aside when we completely focus on God for anywhere from ten minutes to an hour. But our communion with God does not have to be limited to a specified time in the morning. We can fellowship with Him throughout our whole day, every day.
We can open up a Bible app and play an audio version of God’s Word as we get ready for our day. Or, we can choose a Christian podcast or sermon to fill our minds with biblical teaching. We can play music that glorifies God and focuses our mind on His character, and we can quote Scripture to ourselves as we drive home from work. You can even combine music and Scripture memorization by playing Scripture songs. One resource I have used to memorize some of the Psalms is Sing the KJV.
Try different methods of Bible study and meditation. Find what works for you. When something gets stale, try something else. Just as earthly relationships take investment and work, so does our relationship with Jesus.
Investing in an Eternal Relationship
Earthly relationships are temporary. Even a committed relationship with a spouse is eventually severed by death, hence the phrase in weddings “’til death do you part.” The only permanent relationships are spiritual. It is our relationship with God—our true husband—that will last for eternity. Let’s spend time investing in that relationship. Let’s truly make God our habitation—the one we always resort to.
Fun Fact: This is an adapted excerpt from a new book I’ve been writing! The working title is Keeping an Open Heart. This short book explores how to maintain a balanced, biblical view of purity, how to navigate relationships with both men and women, and how to make Jesus our great love. Please pray for wisdom, guidance, and strength as I finish the first draft of this book.
Those are great resources and reminders, Carmen!
Thank you, Priscilla!
Great practical post!
Thank you!
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