Apparently I’m not the only one who has wondered how God can satisfy when all I want is a pair of strong arms to hold me close. Here’s what Rebecca wrote me.
“The biggest thing I think my crush can give me that God can’t is his strong arms wrapped around me. Although my crush has yet to hold me in his arms, his physical closeness sends shivers throughout my body. I know that God is always there for me . . . but sometimes my feelings get the better of me, and all I want to do is be wrapped up in my crush’s arms and attention.”
Grace added:
“I think what always gets me is that God isn’t physically there like a guy is. He can’t wrap his arms around me. Sometimes I just want that.”
And finally, Isabella said:
“I have often thought, I wish God could come down here and give me a big bear hug. Then I would really be in love with Him.”
But here’s the thing: He did come down. And while He was here, He picked up kids and cradled them in His arms. (You have to admit, that shows a tender heart—few guys walk around doing the same thing.)
I know He’s not physically here now. That’s the whole “we walk by faith and not by sight” deal. Like 1 Peter 1:8 says,
“Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory.”
But one day soon, we will see Him. We will be with Him.
When Christ comes again to “marry” the Church, His Bride, He will likely hold us too. I don’t know this for sure, but here’s what 1 Corinthians 13:13 does say:
“Now we see in a mirror, but then, face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.”
Now that is something to look forward to. Jesus Christ is not an idea; He is a Person. A Divine Person with arms and legs and beautiful probing eyes. He loves you. Enough to spread His arms wide in order to bleed so you might be healed. And if you have put your trust in His death and resurrection on your behalf, you will soon see and know Him fully.
So in the meantime, as you wait for Him, by all means, hug. Hug your dad. Hug your mom. Hug your brothers and sisters. Hug your friends. Hug those old ladies at church.
And as you wait on your forever Bridegroom, watch out that you don’t make the same mistake God’s people made years ago, when they rejected God for a man they could see and touch. (You can read that story in 1 Samuel 8 and 12:19.)
Now I’d love to hear from you. Are you in danger of deciding God is not enough for you because He isn’t here to hug you right this second? Tell me about it. (And more importantly, talk to Him about it.)
PS: If you enjoyed this post, check out “11 Questions to Ask Before You Hug Him.”
Paula (Hendricks) Marsteller is a compassionate, bold Christian communicator offering you gospel hope, thought-provoking questions, and practical help along the way.
This is so where I’m at in life. I want God, but at the same time I feel like He is not enough for me. I “know” He is supposed to be enough for me. I wish I could have a guy to hug and love with. I wish I had a guy I could be physically involved with, that is why I know someday when I start dating that I will have to be extremely careful to protect my purity. I don’t want to reject God, but I feel like I need people to be happy. I want to be loved and accepted. I wish God could text me like people do. I know we have His Word, but sometimes when I’m having a rough night, I want to hear something new and different from Him. I want to hear Him talking to me about the specifics of what I’m going through.
So true! Thank you for pointing me to this post, Paula! 🙂 God is good!
I’m so glad it helped, Bookworm1.