RELATIONSHIP WITH YHVH

The Bible says: “Draw near to YHVH, and He will draw near to you” (James 4:8). As believers in YHVH, we all know that it’s very important to draw near to YHVH and have a normal relationship with YHVH. Then, do you know exactly how to get closer to YHVH? Let us discuss the three paths of how to get closer to YHVH, which will enable our relationship with YHVH to become closer.

1. PRAY TO YHVH WITH A CONCENTRATED HEART.

YHVH’s words say: “YHVH is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in Spirit and in Truth” (John 4:24). First, begin from the aspect of prayer. Pray with undivided attention and at fixed times. No matter how pressed you are for time, how busy your work, or what befalls you, pray every day as normal, and eat and drink YHVH’s words as normal. From YHVH’s words we can see that if we want to draw near to YHVH and build a normal relationship with YHVH, the most crucial step is to quiet ourselves before YHVH and pray to Him with a concentrated heart. This is a lesson that we are in urgent need of entering. Because we will encounter all kinds of outside people, matters and things every day that often disturb and occupy our hearts, and quite often our prayers just cling to rules and are just spoken as a formality without really meaning any of it -- such prayers are not sincere and YHVH doesn’t approve of them. So, if we wish to get closer to YHVH and have a normal relationship with YHVH, we should first let go of all rules and practices, withdraw our hearts from all people, events and things and focus on quieting ourselves before YHVH, and pray to Him with a sincere heart, speak to Him from the heart and tell Him about our true difficulties to seek His will. Only in this way can we gain the guidance and leadership of Ruach HaKodesh, and can our relationship with YHVH become more and more normal. For example, when our hearts are disturbed by some people, events and things and we thus shun YHVH, we can pray to YHVH with a concentrated heart: “YHVH, my stature is too small and my heart is disturbed by these people, matters, things and environments, and has shunned You. May You care for and protect me so that my heart may be quiet before You, not be disturbed by these external things and not grow apart from You.” When we encounter various difficulties and problems, we should be open and sincere with YHVH, speak to Him from our hearts, tell Him about our real states and difficulties, seek YHVH’s will and the path of practice…. If we always pray like this and speak from the heart, YHVH sees our hearts are honest and that we are not going through the motions, He will work on us, and no matter what situation we experience, He will enlighten, guide and move us so that our hearts don’t leave Him. This way, with YHVH’s guidance, our relationship with YHVH will become even closer.

2. PRAY, READ AND MEDITATE ON YHVH’s WORDS OFTEN.

Yeshua’s words say: “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life: no man comes to the Father, but by Me” (John 14:6). Because you are always pondering YHVH’s Words, and your heart is always drawing close to YHVH and always being occupied with the current words of YHVH, those negative things will fall away from you without you realizing it. When new and positive things occupy you, negative old things will have no place, so do not pay attention to those negative things. You need not make an effort to control them. You should focus on being at peace before YHVH, eat, drink, and enjoy YHVH’s Words as much as you can, sing hymns in praise of YHVH as much as you can, and let YHVH have a chance to work on you, because YHVH now wants to perfect humanity personally, and He wants to gain your heart; His Spirit moves your heart and if, following the guidance of Ruach HaKodesh, you come to live in YHVH’s presence, you will satisfy YHVH. Today’s fast-paced life in a cruel world, often keeps us busy for our jobs, families, and careers, so that we neglect reading YHVH’s Words, cannot quiet our hearts before YHVH, and grow further and further away from YHVH. So, if we want to get closer to YHVH and build a normal relationship with YHVH, we must read and ponder YHVH’s Words every day. The more we treasure and read YHVH’s Words and ponder His will and requirements in them, the more Ruach HaKodesh will touch our hearts and enlighten and illuminate us to understand the truth and YHVH’s will. This way, our hearts will often be occupied by YHVH’s Words and we will gain the work of Ruach HaKodesh and gain the life sustenance from YHVH. Just like Adonai Yeshua said, “It is the Spirit that vivifies; the flesh profits nothing: the Words that I speak to you, they are Spirit, and they are Life” (John 6:63). Take when we read Adonai Yeshua’ Words: “Truly I say to you, except you be converted, and become as little children, you shall not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven” (Matthew 18:3), for example. We know from these Words that YHVH has the essence of credibility and so likes honest people and requires us to be simple, honest people, and that only honest people can be saved by YHVH and enter the Kingdom of Heaven. So then, what does it actually mean to be an honest person? What are the standards for an honest person? Could it be that they merely refer to not lying? If we continue seeking YHVH with these questions, YHVH will lead us to understand that not only do the honest no longer tell a lie, but most importantly, they harbour no deceit or cheating in their hearts, can give their hearts to YHVH, can believe in and love YHVH with their hearts, and can be pure and open with YHVH. In addition, honest people deceive neither YHVH nor man, and don’t make deals, harbour motives or seek demands when they expend for YHVH. After understanding YHVH’s requirements, we reflect on our actions and behaviour, and we then see that we are still capable of involuntarily lying and deceiving to protect our own interests, and that our expending for YHVH is not out of love for YHVH or to satisfy YHVH, but to gain blessings and crowns. Once our desires are unfulfilled, we misunderstand and blame YHVH and even betray YHVH, etc. We are far from YHVH’s requirements for honest people. After we see our defects, we will have a direction and a purpose for our practice of the truth in our daily lives and will consciously forsake the flesh, practice YHVH’s Words and be honest people when things happen to us. This way, we will feel peace and assurance in our hearts and get ever closer to YHVH. So, reading and pondering YHVH’s Words often is a necessary practice for us to get closer to YHVH and have a normal relationship with YHVH.

3. SEEK THE TRUTH IN ALL THINGS.

After we were corrupted by satan, we all began to worship money, power, status, and enjoyment, and are often attracted and tempted by these things. When we see someone get a promotion or a raise, drive an expensive car or live in a luxury house, or see their children test into college, our hearts will be disturbed. We will even think that we are losing out by giving up worldly pleasures for our belief in YHVH and so will want to chase worldly trends as well. Our hearts will thus stray further and further from YHVH. So, this requires us to be quiet before YHVH and seek the truth to find a path of practice in all things. “If, ordinarily, you do not let anything slide in matters great or small, if your every thought and idea is purified, and if you are quiet in your spirit, then whenever you encounter some issue, My Words will immediately be inspired within you, like a bright mirror for you to check yourself against, and you will then have a way forward. This is called suiting the medicine to the illness! And the condition will surely be cured -- such is the Omnipotence of YHVH. I will surely illuminate and enlighten all those who hunger and thirst for righteousness and who search with sincerity. I will show to all of you the mysteries of the spiritual world and the way forward, cause you to cast off your old corrupt dispositions as soon as possible, so that you may achieve life maturity and be fit for My use.” YHVH’s Words show us that no matter whether we encounter big or small things, we should be always quiet before YHVH, seek the truth, discern right and wrong and find a path of practice. This way, we won’t be disturbed and constrained by various people, events and things or distance ourselves from YHVH. For example, when we see someone get a promotion or get rich, we’ll inevitably be tempted and disturbed by these things. However, if we draw near to YHVH and seek the Truth, we will realize that we believe in YHVH to pursue the Truth and gain Life, while pursuing wealth is for the sake of fleshly enjoyment. This involves the matter of choosing the path in life. Adonai Yeshua said, “For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Matthew 16:26). Pursuing the truth and gaining life is so precious and no amount of money is worth trading for our life. No matter what physical enjoyments we have, they are all temporary and not real happiness, much less can they enable us to gain YHVH’s approval. If we lose the opportunity to pursue the truth and be saved by YHVH in order to earn money, then we will lose the meaning of believing in YHVH. When we seek the truth through drawing near to YHVH, we will have a direction and a purpose for our practice -- we will be able to reject the temptations of money, fame and fortune, and obey YHVH’s Sovereignty and arrangements. Then we will feel a sense of release and freedom in our hearts. Clearly, it is very important to seek the Truth when things befall us. Through seeking the truth, we will understand YHVH’s will and have correct practices. Our heart will no longer be disturbed by these things, and we will gain confidence in believing in YHVH and pursuing the Truth. If we don’t draw near to YHVH and seek the Truth, we will be disturbed by all kinds of people, matters and things, and will even feel that faith in YHVH is too hard and be even in danger of shunning and betraying YHVH. As long as we practice and enter according to the above three paths of how to get closer to YHVH, our hearts will often live before YHVH, and we will build a normal relationship with YHVH and grow in life more quickly.