If you know me at all, you know I love Jesus—and I love His Word, the Bible. I’ve spent decades studying this great book, and still, every time I open it, I learn something new.
Recently, I joined a Bible study on Ezekiel called An Unexpected Revival: Experiencing God’s Goodness Through Disappointment and Doubt. Yikes. It was my first time doing a deep dive into Ezekiel, and if you’ve ever read it, you know—it’s not light reading. The book is full of wild visions, strong words, and sobering prophecies. But in the midst of it all, I discovered something unexpected: a glimpse into the tender heart of the God who wants to be known.
A Glimpse into God’s Heart
Ezekiel was a prophet to the people of Judah during a time of rebellion and exile. Much of his message is a warning of judgment, but tucked inside all those hard passages is a phrase that stopped me in my tracks.
In Ezekiel 6:9, God says,
“Then those of you who escape will remember Me among the nations to which they will be carried captive, how I have been hurt by their adulterous hearts which turned away from Me…” (emphasis added)
Did you catch that? God says He has been hurt.
The God of the universe—holy, mighty, and all-powerful—has feelings. He’s grieved when His people turn away from Him. The word “adulterous” is used intentionally—it’s about betrayal within a covenant relationship. Adultery represents deep, personal pain between two people who were meant to belong to one another.
God’s message isn’t just about punishment; it’s about relationship. His heart aches because His people have chosen something else. This glimpse into His heart reminds us that the God who wants to be known also longs to be loved in return.
A God Who Longs for Relationship
That realization left me speechless. The Creator of Heaven and Earth desires an intimate relationship with me—with us.
These days, even our earthly relationships can feel hard to maintain. We’re busy, distracted, and overcommitted. I recently talked with two missionary couples serving in different parts of Africa, and both mentioned the same thing: how relational the culture is there. One man told me that after repairing a village water system, he expected gratitude—but instead, the locals thought he was angry with them. Why? Because he didn’t take time to sit and talk afterward.
In many places around the world, people linger—over food, on porches, or just in one another’s presence. The relationship itself is the priority.
We’ve seen that same beautiful relational culture in Cuba as well. (If you missed it, I shared more about that in my post: What Cubans Taught Me About Faith, Giving, and True Connection.)
Developing a relationship takes time and intentionality. Think about when you first start dating someone—you can’t get enough of each other. You carve out time, plan your days around being together, and share your heart freely.
But what happens when you want to spend time with someone, and they don’t have time for you? It hurts. Even if they’re busy for good reasons—it still hurts. And if they’ve chosen something “more exciting,” that sting goes even deeper.
That’s the kind of hurt God describes in Ezekiel. The pain of being set aside.
The Wandering Heart
When God says He’s hurt by “adulterous hearts,” He’s naming something we all wrestle with—a divided affection.
It’s easy to say, “Nothing is more important than God.” But then we rush through our days without ever really spending time with Him. How can something—or Someone—be the most important thing in our lives if we never give Him our time or attention?
Sometimes our hearts wander toward good things—our children, our work, our goals. Ouch. It’s a good thing to love our kids or to work hard, but when those things take center stage, our relationship with God quietly slides into the background.
So how do we recognize when that’s happened?
- Where do you spend your time and money? That’s often a reflection of what’s most important to you.
- What fills your thoughts? When your mind wanders, where does it go? What do you circle back to again and again?
If the honest answer points to something other than God, maybe He’s inviting you to come back—to remember Him, like Ezekiel’s people did, and to restore the relationship.
Returning to Relationship
Repentance
Repentance simply means turning around—changing direction. It’s more than saying “I’m sorry”; it’s saying, “Lord, I don’t want to keep walking this way.” You might pray, “God, I repent for letting my career become more important than You. Help me reorder my heart.”
Make Time for God
Relationships don’t grow without time. Open His Word daily. Talk with Him through prayer. (If you need a little help getting started, here’s a post that might help: How to Actually Build a Daily Prayer Habit That Sticks).
Invite Accountability
Sometimes we need a friend to lovingly point out when our hearts are drifting. Share with someone you trust and ask them to help you notice when priorities start to shift.
The God Who Wants to Be Known
This passage from Ezekiel reveals something extraordinary: God doesn’t just want obedience; He wants closeness.
The God who wants to be known is not distant or detached. He longs to walk with us, talk with us, and share in the rhythms of our everyday lives.
So if your heart feels far from Him today, pause. Take a deep breath. And remember: He hasn’t moved. He’s right there, waiting for you to sit awhile—to linger in His presence.
Because the God who wants to be known also wants to be known by you.
Great Article honey.
Dad