Loving God in a marriage-relationship

So many times, people tend to separate things and people into separate categories. For instance,
school teachers belong in school, family belongs at home, church friends belong at church, and you shouldn't mix the two together because it just doesn't WORK like that.

Likewise, sometimes people say, "God is RELIGION, so everything sacred goes with God. Everything ELSE does not. Therefore, I shouldn't be bringing school or work into this, because God is too sacred for this."

But sometimes, people forget that God is a PERSONAL God. He's our FATHER, and our HUSBAND.

When you trusted Jesus to be your Lord and Saviour, and became born-again, then you entered an INTIMATE relationship with Him. You became the BRIDE of Christ!

Jeremiah 3:14 says, "Return, faithless people, declares the Lord, for I am your husband" and in 3:20: "But like a woman unfaithful to her husband, so you have been unfaithful to Me."

From the very beginning, even in the OLD COVENANT, God has always been "the husband", and always refers to His people as "the wife." He uses marriage as an analogy to get people to understand what God wants from us- His FIRST love.

I think one thing in particular that amazes me, is that WE are GOD's FIRST love. I mean, that's amazing!!! :) Us evil people... who don't love Him backk as much as He loves US!

His compassion... So STRONG, lively, vivid. How INCREDIBLE is His LOVE for US!

Anyways, the Bible mentions that the Body of Christ (in which Jesus is the head of the church) is also the BRIDE of Christ, and that in time, Jesus will return for His Bride; ie., His CHURCH.

SO, we should use that as a guideline for HOW to know GOD intimately! Cus, to be COMPLETELY honest with you, I've had so much trouble trying to know God intimately.. but yeah, doing it BY MYSELF is HARDD. It's practically impossible!!!!

I asked God, on many occasions, WHY it is that I can never really feel like I'm INTIMATE with God. It's like.. no matter HOW HARD I TRY, it always flops. Like, I TRY to be motivated to read more of my Bible, I TRY to be more motivated to LOVE God, but in the end, it bellyflopped.

And WHY? because:
a) AGAIN, I'm doing it out of my own strength. (Sigh, you'd think i would apply my teachings from Ps. Nick about it NOT being about US, but i sometimes forget. :S)
b) I'm not PRAYING about it.
c) I'm not focusing on God's love for ME, but I've been focusing on MY love for GOD.

I've been taught SO many things, yet I never really fully CONNECTED the "dots"; i never really APPLIED it to my life.

It's like.. I DID for a while, but then, i guess all the distractoins of this world is like.. pulling me down again.

BUT, thank GOD He reminded me again, as us HUMANS need to be reminded a billion times!!! haha, like the Israelitessss. God showed His unfaithfulness to them HOW MANY TIMES? and they STILL had trouble putting their faith/trust in HIM. Likewise, that's the same with us. We need to be fully reminded so many times :) and i'm truly thankful that God is patient with us, always there to remind us that it's all about HIM, and its NOT about us. Yet, at the same time,

I'm having trouble grasping the fact that we NEED to work on having an intimate relationship with HIM. So, that kinda contradicts this... doesn't it?!!!

I mean, it IS all about GOD, but then if WE don't do OUR part, then what's a RELATIONSHIP if only ONE person is doing all the work! Right??

So, how do I separate LEGALISM from this relationship with God, in which it works BOTH WAYS?! i'm SO confused=S

But yeah, I guess in essence, we need to PRAY for this relationship with Him to grow. Becuase without prayer, it'll bellyflop again. NO DOUBT. Because it's all about HIM right? If HE isn't a part of this relationship, then there really IS no relationship.

My apologies for these scattered ideas. hahaa. I'm just trying to sort everything out ;) but yeahh.
Blogging like this helps me to develop intimacy wiht God, because when I do these kinds of posts, it brings the Bible to LIFE, it brings GOD to life, and yeahhh, it's an incredible feeling. :D

<3
Have a blessed week everyone!