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Created for Relationship

“Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.’” – Genesis 1:26 (ESV)

From the very first page of Scripture, we see it—God’s desire is not for systems or servants, but sons and daughters. Before He spoke galaxies into motion, He envisioned a people who would know Him and be known by Him. You and I were not created to merely function—we were created to belong.

God’s image in us isn’t about power or perfection—it’s about relationship. We were made to reflect His love and live in communion with Him and with one another.

All throughout the Bible, this longing pulses like a heartbeat. In Eden, He walked with Adam and Eve in the cool of the day. At Sinai, He bound Himself to Israel with a covenant—calling them His bride. And in the Gospels, Jesus weeps, heals, forgives, and ultimately lays down His life to restore the relationship sin had shattered.

This is why broken relationships grieve God so deeply.

“I hate divorce,” says the Lord… (Malachi 2:16)

Not because He hates those who’ve experienced it, but because He knows what it costs. Divorce is not just a legal term—it’s the language of loss. It mirrors what happened when humanity turned away, trading intimacy for independence, covenant for control.

But God’s response is not revenge—it’s redemption.

Through Jesus, the divine Bridegroom, God didn’t just court us—He came to rescue us. And even in the shadow of the cross, Jesus prayed:

“Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, may be with Me where I am, to see My glory…”
— John 17:24 (ESV)

Can you hear the longing in His words? This is not the voice of obligation—it’s the voice of love. He doesn’t just want to save us. He wants us with Him.

So where does that leave us?

It calls us to live differently. To treasure the relationships in our lives. To forgive as we’ve been forgiven. To love with covenant-keeping love, even when it’s costly.

And most of all, to return—again and again—to the God who still longs to walk with us.

Reflection

• Are you walking with Him?
• Are there relationships in your life in need of healing, repentance, or reconnection?
• God’s heart is not just to be near you… but with you—faithfully, intimately, forever.

Prayer

Lord,
Thank You for creating me in love and for love.
Forgive me for the times I’ve turned away from You, or from others You’ve placed in my life.
Heal what’s been broken. Strengthen what remains.
Teach me to reflect Your heart in my relationships—with steadfastness, grace, and joy.
In Jesus’ name… Amen.