(Jer) 13:11 CJB “For just as a loincloth clings to a man’s body, I made the whole house of Isra’el and the whole house of Y’hudah cling to me,’ says Adonai, ‘so that they could be my people, building me a name and becoming for me a source of praise and honor. But they would not listen.”
God’s purpose is unmistakably clear.
He did not save His people merely to follow rules.
He saved them to cling to Him.
To live in close, faithful, dependent relationship.
To walk with Him.
To know Him.
To honor Him.
God created His people for intimacy.
Jesus is not a religious system.
He is a living Savior.
Yes, Christianity has structure.
Yes, it has doctrine.
Yes, it has worship practices.
But at its heart, it is relational.
God tells us to call Him Father.
He calls us sons and daughters.
The Church is called the bride of Christ.
These are intimate words.
God desires closeness, not distance.
Devotion, not formality.
Love, not mere activity.
Sin broke our relationship with God.
We were separated.
Rebellious.
Self-directed.
Spiritually dead.
Left to ourselves, we would never cling to God.
We run from Him.
But Jesus came to bring us back.
Through His perfect life.
Through His sacrificial death.
Through His victorious resurrection.
Jesus made peace with God possible.
Through repentance and faith, we are born again.
Reconciled.
Restored.
Adopted.
Now intimacy is reopened.
Once restored, we are called to remain close.
To cling.
To depend.
To listen.
To obey.
Not out of fear—
Out of love.
We cling to God through:
Prayer.
Scripture.
Obedience.
Worship.
Submission.
Trust.
Intimacy is not emotional hype.
It is daily faithfulness.
God never saves people in isolation.
He saves them into mission.
We cling to Him.
And we help others cling to Him.
This is how we love our neighbor.
By serving them.
By sharing Christ.
By pointing them to forgiveness.
By walking with them in truth.
Our love for God overflows into love for people.
The Church is the family of reconciled children of God.
Our purpose is clear:
Reconcile the world to God through Christ.
Proclaim the gospel.
Teach obedience.
Make disciples.
Exalt Jesus.
We exist to make God known and honored.
There is only one true God.
And He has come to us in Jesus.
To know God is to know Christ.
To obey Christ is to obey God.
To proclaim Christ is to glorify God.
There is no other way.
No substitute.
No shortcut.
Jeremiah ends with tragedy.
“They would not listen.”
Israel refused intimacy.
They chose independence.
They neglected obedience.
They ignored God’s voice.
And their influence collapsed.
Which leads to a sobering question for us:
What about the Church today?
Are we clinging to God?
Or drifting from Him?
Are we pursuing Him first?
Or fitting Him in when convenient?
Do I love God first and most?
Am I growing in intimacy with Him?
Am I helping others know Him?
Am I investing my life in His mission?
Or am I living close enough to be religious…
But too far to be transformed?
Run Today’s Play:
1. Recommit to Daily Closeness
Make time with God non-negotiable.
Read Scripture.
Pray honestly.
Listen carefully.
Obey quickly.
Closeness is built daily.
2. Remove What Weakens Intimacy
Ask:
What distracts me from God?
What dulls my hunger?
What steals my attention?
Cut it out.
Cling tighter.
3. Lead Your Home Into Closeness With God
Men, set the tone.
Pray with your family.
Read Scripture together.
Talk about Jesus naturally.
Model intimacy.
4. Help Others Cling to Christ
Disciple someone.
Encourage a brother.
Share the gospel.
Walk with the weak.
Don’t walk alone—and don’t let others drift.
