Why This Matters | Love Letters

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us… John 1:14

The song “From a Distance” by Bette Midler describes God as “watching us from a distance.” Some people picture God as a blurry cloud, somewhere out there, squinting through the universe at this mess He made. Or they imagine a stern taskmaster, frowning from the clouds, switch in hand, looking for sinners to punish. Either way, He is far removed from us and not really interested in our everyday lives. But when we look into the Bible, rather than inside our own heads, we find a surprising truth: God is not watching us from a distance. He is vitally interested in us and is always communicating with us through every part of His creation. The most important ways He communicates are through the Bible and His Son Jesus. Both are called the Word.

There are two Greek words translated “word” in English: logos and rhema. They can be used interchangeably, but most often logos is used to mean the message of God, whereas rhema more often means the actual spoken or written words of God. This is important when we look at John 1, because here Jesus is called God’s message (Logos) to humanity. In other words, God wrote His message down for us (rhema) and then He lived it for us (logos). When Jesus came, He took the rhema of God and brought it to life. God wrote, “I love you;” Jesus showed us what that looks like. God wrote, “I will forgive you;” Jesus paid the price so that could happen. The Logos of God lived by the rhema of God to reveal to humanity His desire for relationship.

Final Thought:

If God seems distant to you, start on your knees and ask Him to make His word come alive for you.

Prayer:

Father, I have felt that you are distant, and not really interested in my life. But you sent Jesus to make your word come alive and to prove how much you love me. Show me how to draw near to you through your written word. In Jesus name, Amen.