Community Submission | By Tim Leffler
Last month, we looked at the distance that entered the human story, a separation that explains much of our restlessness and pain. But distance does not tell us everything.
To understand the hope of the Bible, we need to understand who God actually is. Because how we see God determines everything: whether we run toward Him…or hide from Him.
Many of us have learned to keep emotional distance from God. Maybe because of:
Past church experiences
Confusion about religion
Disappointment in life
Or simply not knowing where to begin
The Bible describes God as holy, not just better than us, but entirely other. He is pure goodness, pure righteousness, pure love.
“God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all.” 1 John 1:5
But the Bible also says God is just, meaning He doesn’t ignore what is broken or wrong. If He did, He would not be good.
We know this intuitively. We know the world is not as it should be. We know we are not as we should be.
But God’s justice is not the opposite of His love. It is part of His love.
A God who didn’t care about
the harm we’ve caused,
the wounds we carry,
the ways we’ve been hurt,
and the ways we’ve hurt others
…would not be loving at all.
But here is where many misunderstand Him:
God’s response to human brokenness was not withdrawal.
“The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” Psalm 34:18
The God who is holy is also the God who comes close.
The God who judges sin is also the God who rescues sinners.
The God who sees us clearly is the same God who moves toward us gently.
He does not wait for us to fix ourselves. He knows we can’t.
So He crossed the distance Himself.
“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8
This is who God is:
Holy, yes.
Just, yes.
But also patient.
Near.
Tender.
And relentlessly committed to rescue.
The story of Scripture is not humanity searching for God. It is God searching for us.
And if you have ever felt drawn toward Him, even slightly—that is not coincidence.
It is the God who has not given up.
Next month, we’ll look at how God came near in a way no one expected.
