“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you. Do not be like the horse or the mule, which have no understanding but must be controlled by bit and bridle or they will not come to you.” (Psalms 32:8-9)
Even though God is infinitely beyond us—unfathomable and incomprehensible—He makes Himself known to us. He reaches down to our level, engaging with us in conversation, and showing us care, love, and mercy. God established authority over creation, such that even the animals were made to fear (or respect) mankind. Fierce predators, when given the chance, will flee from us. This authority was granted by God, and in turn, we are to revere and fear Him.
Because God is unseen, it can be difficult for the natural, worldly person to grasp the eternal nature of His existence. Many people assume that life is merely temporal. We can look to the animals as an example: they communicate with one another through sounds and behaviors, but they remain mute to our language and actions. This, in many ways, mirrors the way we experience God. Just as we can’t fully comprehend or communicate with God using our language, He teaches, guides, and counsels us through spiritual understanding. We know His eye is upon us, and He hears and responds to our needs by faith, through personal experience, and by His Word. Above all, His Word reveals God in human form—Jesus the Messiah.
I recently watched a documentary titled Harry and Snowman, about a horseman who rescued a horse on its way to the glue factory. For just $80, he saved the horse and trained it to be a champion jumper, ultimately winning the national championship three times. The horseman, Harry DeLeyer, was an immigrant from Holland, and his horse, Snowman, brought him fame and wealth. What was remarkable about their bond is how they instinctively understood each other. This true story illustrates the kind of deep, relational connection that God desires with us, only more profound and eternal.
We were made to have a relationship with God, as we are created in His image (Gen. 1:27). There are various interpretations of what it means to be made in God’s likeness. Some point to our self-awareness, others to our triune nature—body, soul, and spirit—and some suggest it may relate to the authority we are given to rule over creation. The triune nature of God—the Father, Son (Jesus), and Holy Spirit—parallels the human constitution of body, soul, and spirit. Though our physical body will die, our soul and spirit will endure. To believe otherwise is to limit ourselves to the physical realm of space and time. God created us to seek Him and to live (Amos 5:4; Jer. 29:13).
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