How to Develop Intimacy with God
Explore the depths of Psalm 25 as we delve into David’s plea for friendship during times of distress. Discover the wisdom and guidance born from the fear of the Lord, leading to an intimate relationship with God. In this blog, we uncover the sacred connection that comes from revering God and seeking His wisdom.
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12 Who is the man who fears the Lord?
Him will he instruct in the way that he should choose.
13 His soul shall abide in well-being,
and his offspring shall inherit the land.
14 The friendship[a] of the Lord is for those who fear him,
and he makes known to them his covenant.
15 My eyes are ever toward the Lord,
for he will pluck my feet out of the net.
David Needed a Friend
Most scholars believe David wrote this Psalm later in his life, which is why he mentions the sins of his youth back in verse 7. Regardless, when David wrote this, he was in distress and needed a friend.
“To you, O LORD, I lift up my soul. O my God, in you I trust; let me not be to shame; let not my enemies exult over me.” Psalm 25:1-2
Scholars believe David wrote these words later in his life but also in a time of great distress. It is speculated that David may have written this Psalm when his son, Absalom, had mounted an armed rebellion against his father. It’s clear from the text that he was under tremendous stress with dire circumstances.
David wrote these words when he needed a friend, but not just any friend. He needed a friend who could give him guidance and direction. [READ MORE: How Do I Find Community]
You may not have a family member seeking to overthrow your position. However, we’re all navigating a situation or season. It’s undoubtedly that you also need a friend at this time.
In Matthew 12, Jesus taught, “Out of the fullness of the heart, the mouth speaks.” Because David wrote the Psalms like a journal, we see the good, the bad, and the ugly. So, out of the fullness of David’s heart, amidst great pressure, he wrote, “The friendship of the Lord is for those who fear him, and he makes known to them his covenant.”
“I have often been driven to God by the overwhelming sense that I had nowhere else to go.”
David was a man who feared the Lord, so when he wrote those words, it was from a place of reverence and awe for God. Even under duress, he was immersed in God’s faithfulness. Through that fear of the Lord, David possessed two things that many people miss, even believers.
Through the knowledge of God, he had access to:
God’s Guidance
God’s Wisdom
What Does Knowledge of God Look Like?
“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; Fools despise wisdom and instruction.” Proverbs 1:7
Let’s validate what access to God’s guidance and wisdom looks like through knowledge of Him looks like practically.
A relationship with God is not static. When the revelation of God matters to you, you will give it time and attention. Thus, your understanding of God and His nature will increase infinitely. Also, understanding yourself and the entirety of reality directly relates to your understanding of God’s Word.
I’m transliterating, but Jesus taught us that we’re not designed to live on three square meals daily. We’re called to live by every word from God’s mouth.
JESUS: “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” Matthew 4:4
“ Wisdom is the application of the knowledge of God.”
When we associate ourselves with the Word of God, we increase in the knowledge of the Lord. However, that’s not enough. In doing so, reducing a relationship with God only to head knowledge is possible. God is in pursuit of heart application.
The goal is to apply this head knowledge to our hearts, life, and circumstances. When we do, Scripture calls that wisdom, which is the application of the knowledge of God.
“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; A good understanding has all those who do His commandments; His praise endures forever.” Psalm 111:10
Job told us that the fear of the Lord is wisdom, and to depart from evil is understanding. The fear of the Lord is the foundation of what would lead us to honor the knowledge of the Lord through His Word and its application in our life.
[READ MORE: What is the Fear of the Lord?]
What Comes From A Friendship With God?
The “fear of the Lord” uniquely influences Christ’s followers’ ongoing battle against their sinful nature. Our ability to resist sin is connected to spiritual knowledge and divine wisdom available to those who fear God.
A Person Who Fears the Lord…
Won’t spend time with pornography.
Won’t spend time flirting with someone who is not their spouse if they are married.
Won’t cut ethical corners on business deals.
They will choose to get help if they are battling an addiction.
Is sensitive to all the commands in Scripture (And there are more than 10).
Fearing God is not passive; It’s life-giving.
Fearing God isn’t something you do once. Instead, it’s a nature you take on in heart and life. It’s ongoing, yet it’s hugely beneficial. The outcome of fearing God is protection and the Lord bringing His blessings into your life.
When we read Scripture, it magnifies every blemish and wrinkle in our lives. Out of love, God shines a light on the blemishes in our life. However, He doesn’t stop there! He doesn’t reveal blemishes, only to reveal them. Instead, He does it so He can heal them. Our blemishes will be redeemed so He can do great things in and through us.
This is what friendship with God look looks like. There are things that God wants to protect you from, thus bringing glory to His name. There are also ways He wants to bless you, which flow out of a friendship with God.
This is what David knows, even in a crisis. He knows God will keep His covenant and remain true to who He is and what He’ll do.
Guarding Your Heart to Protect Friendship
We see this friendship with God not just illustrated in the Old Testament but also in the New Testament.
Jesus spoke about it many times, but he described friendship with God as one way: “My sheep, hear my voice, and they follow me.”
That kind of communion with the living God reminds us that we don’t want to treat powerful things casually. When we do so, a new world is opened to us. [READ MORE: The Lord’s Supper: Understanding Jesus’ Sacrificial Love]
However, we want to guard our hearts because Scripture also offers multiple cautionary tales of those who didn’t.
One example is Solomon, who started as a friend of God. Yet, two degrees at a time, he drifted from God over the years. If it happened to two degrees at a time to King Solomon, it could happen to you the same way.
In Western culture, many people, even in the church, have symptoms of sometimes not listening to God. Similar to the Garden of Eden, we question what God really said.
When someone is teaching clear Scripture passages, and we say, “I don’t necessarily like what’s being taught,” that’s problematic. We see people assimilating with other like-minded people who dance around certain Scriptures. It’s all done to make ourselves more comfortable.
That is a symptom of a lack of reverence for the one true sovereign God of the universe. A friend of God fears God. Therefore, they will have reverential awe. We see this all through the Psalms.
“Serve the LORD with fear and rejoice with trembling.” Psalm 2:11
“The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever.” Psalm 19:9
“Let all the earth fear the LORD; let all the people of the world revere him.” Psalm 33:8
“Teach me your way, O LORD, and I will walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name.” Psalm 86:11
“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding.” Psalm 111:10
This is not a periphery theme in Scripture limited to Psalms, though. We’re talking about a reverent fear that acknowledges God as God. A fear like this is a fear that sets you free from earthly fear. It’s unique in the freedom it provides.
It’s easy to be overwhelmed by everything we see in the news and the world’s problems. At the moment, it can feel like no point in history’s ever seen issues to the degree we’re experiencing. However, examining history shows that every era has problems, including our present.
A.W. Tozer said, “A scared world needs a fearless church.”
When the Church reveres no one but God, she can give light in an hour when many people are asking questions about their fear. As we see in our passage, the friendship of the Lord is for those who fear Him.
Developing Intimacy with God
“The LORD confides in those who fear him; he makes his covenant known to them.” Psalm 25:14
This kind of friend will confide in a friend. The Lord confides in those who fear Him. He makes a convenient known to them. According to Strong’s Concordance, the Hebrew word translated as “secret” (sôd) implies intimacy. Those who fear God will seek Him and have an intimate relationship with Him.
God wants a relationship with you where He can share revelation-sensitive information, including comfort and wisdom, in your journey. As a reminder, this isn’t available only to a few people. This is available to all believers who draw nearer to God because in doing so, He will draw near to you.
In Enjoying Intimacy with God, J. O. Sanders observed,
“A desire to know only the Lord and His character must be our motive for intimacy. If all I seek are His gifts or what He can do for me, I have a self-centered relationship based on God’s “performance” in meeting my perceived needs. Instead, my desire to seek Him must be based on a longing to know Him, fellowship with Him, and enjoy His company.”
That’s life-giving because the Scriptures teach that Jesus considers those willing to do His will as part of His intimate family. In John 15, Jesus defined intimate and holy members of His family as “You are my friends if you do what I command you.”
This is why David had counsel in the midst of stress.
“Who is the man who fears the Lord?
Will will instruct in the way that he should choose.
His soul shall abide in well-being,
and his offspring shall inherit the land.
The friendship of the Lord is for those who fear him,
and he makes known to them his covenant.
My eyes are ever toward the Lord, for he will pluck my feet out of the net.”Psalm 25:12-15
Come Out of the Grave
You may be familiar with the story of Lazarus. He was dead and in the grave for four days. Martha called Jesus, and He took His time arriving. But when He finally shows up, Martha asks Jesus where He’d been.
Jesus tells Martha, “I am the resurrection and the life he who believes in me will live.” Martha looks at Jesus and gets theological, “Yes, Jesus, I know, someday there will be a resurrection.” Jesus goes to the grave and calls for Lazarus to come forth, and the dead man rises.
Lazarus was not the only one in a grave that day. You see, Lazarus was in a physical grave, but Martha was in a spiritual grave, and she didn’t even know it. The Son of God stood before her, but she dint’ have the revelation that Christ spoke to her. She also had a grave to rise from.
You can get into a grave of your own thinking when you hear Scripture’s revelation, yet the words go in one ear and out the other. However, you can rise out of that grave and believe in God. You, too, can rise out of your tomb of old thinking and begin to believe that God is actually for you.
Through the blood of Jesus Christ, you can have a brand new life to rise into. You must move into belief and faith to put behind your deadness.
Rise up, church! Rise up, families! Rise up, individuals! Believe Him and rise from your grave! Take His revelation to heart and apply it so God’s wisdom can grow your fear and reverence of the Lord in His protection and guidance.
TL;DR
Psalm 25 describes a time of distress for David and his need for guidance.
In his troubling times, David had a reverential fear of the Lord, providing a foundation of knowledge, wisdom, and understanding.
A strong connection with God through His Word leads to wisdom, which is the application of knowledge.
Fear of the Lord allows God to protect us from worldly temptations and blessings from a close relationship with Him.
Fearing God is an ongoing process, not a one-time event, and it involves actively seeking God’s guidance and applying His teachings to one’s life.
The role of seeking God’s revelation is to guard one’s heart and maintain a genuine friendship with God.
When we develop an intimate relationship with God, believers can receive God's revelation, comfort, and wisdom.
Many of us live in spiritual graves, devoid of God’s revelation. We may hear His word but not allow it to affect our hearts.
Related Reading
How to Meet With Jesus by William Merriman
What is the Fear of the Lord? by Rev. Paul Lawler
How Does God’s Word Transform Us? by Rev. Paul Lawler
