Growing Closer to God

God’s greatness is vast beyond our comprehension. He knows every gift bestowed on every person throughout time, as well as every person’s thoughts and deeds, successes and failures, acts of virtue and of sin. He is tireless in his love for all creation, throughout and beyond all time, and unfailingly present at every moment of every person’s need. His love of each of us is unceasing, as is His desire for our love. And the scope of His forgiveness is not only boundless but ours for the asking.

Though it is impossible for us to understand the fullness of God’s greatness, we can in quiet, fleeting moments sense it. Such moments fill our minds with awe, our eyes with uncontrollable tears, and our souls with humility.

Such moments are among the greatest of human blessings.Though they may seem to be experienced only by believers, even the most determined unbelievers are offered them. In fact, they may be the Divine invitation that leads to belief.

The question the rest of this essay will address is “What can we do to show God our appreciation for those special moments and invite their return?” The most obvious answer is to develop the habit of reading the Bible. There we find tributes to God, including these:

“Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom.” Psalm 145:3”

“Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth.” Isaiah 40:28 

“Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, or with the breadth of his hand marked off the heavens? Who has held the dust of the earth in a basket, or weighed the mountains on the scales and the hills in a balance? Isaiah 40:12 

“Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory in the heavens.” Psalm 8:1

“As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:9 

“And they were calling to one another: ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.’” Isaiah 6;3 

“He performs wonders that cannot be fathomed, miracles that cannot be counted.” Jobe 5:9 

Scripture provides, as well, abundant testimony of God’s desire for us to seek him and the rewards for those who do so. For example, the following:

“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:13

“The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.” Psalm 145:18

“But if from there you seek the Lord your God, you will find him if you seek him with all your heart and with all your soul.” Deuteronomy 4:29

“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” Psalm 34:18

“The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him.” Lamentations 3:25

“Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” Hebrews 4:16

“If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:14

“Come near to God and he will come near to you.” James 4:8

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” Matthew 5:6

“Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.” John 15:4

“Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” Hebrews 4:16

Reading the Bible’s explanations of God’s greatness and his encouragement for us to seek him are but two ways among many of growing closer to Him. The next essay will discuss further ways, including those that provide special help in the present age,

Copyright © 2026 by Vincent Ryan Ruggiero. All rights reserved