For the eyes of the Lord move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His.
— 2 Chronicles 16:9

Have you ever thought about what makes humankind different from God’s other creations? First, we have a higher consciousness and, second, we have an ability to choose that is distinct from animal instincts. But what really makes us unique is that we were made in God’s image, and He made us this way because He is looking for a partner in love. 

God loves us, and He wants us to love Him back. But it would not be real love if God forced us to love Him. To have genuine relationship, we must consciously decide to love Him. We do this by being authentic with Him, disclosing our true selves, and by talking to Him more than we communicate with anyone else. We should be talking to God all the time—at work, at play, in the morning and evening. And we shouldn’t limit our communication to what we say audibly. We can “talk” to HaShem simply by being conscious of Him. We can commune with Yeshua silently in the recesses of our soul.

Sometimes we think the problem is that God is too far away to hear us. But oftentimes the real problem is that we do not perceive how close He is. Beloved one, He is closer to us than our own heartbeat, but we must have faith to open our hearts and receive Him.

Rabbi Kirt A. Schneider, Entering His Presence (Lake Mary, FL: Charisma House, 2023), Used by permission.