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Introduction
 
Connecting with a God We Never See
 
When does God see us? All the time, right?

 
But when does God look at us? I mean really look.

 
In my mind, God always sees me. But it seems He’s also looking for something...in us. You may have heard this verse before: “For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him” (2 Chronicles 16:9).
 
Besides the imagery of two giant eyeballs galloping around the globe, I’m intrigued by the idea that God looks, and even takes action, in response to us.
 
Scripture is full of examples. As early as the first generation of earth-born humans, God was caught gazing upon Abel and his gift. There are times God sees a person do (or even think) something and seems to respond with “I’m going to get involved.”
 
Just as we would expect from a loving Father, God is interested in us. When I am with my kids, I always see them. But there are times when they really get my attention. That’s when my simple awareness shifts from watching...to focusing on...to gazing at them. At those times I’m often moved to action.
 
If our Father sees us at all times and in all situations, might there be circumstances that invite His special, focused attention? Could we start living in ways that capture God’s attention?
 
For those who love God, it’s a comfort to know we can never drift beyond His sight. King David relished knowing “the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love” (Psalm 33:18). Jesus reminds us that God enjoys wildflowers and cares about sparrows, but His care for us is far greater.
 
Unfortunately, these truths can lose impact over time. It’s like watching reruns on television. Even if you’re watching your favorite program, if you’ve seen the episode already, it will be less funny, less suspenseful, less captivating.
 
When we reread familiar passages of Scripture, we can take mind-blowing truth for granted: God is always and everywhere seeing us, and He is always and everywhere loving us. We know God can count the grains of sand on every beach, and He knows the number of hairs on your head and mine. We have known these truths since childhood, but sometimes we want more than what the Sunday school answers tell us.
 
We believe God sees and loves us, and we trust that He notices the details of our lives. But sometimes we want to know—and I mean really know—that He delights in us.
 
After all, what child of God wouldn’t long for more direct, more personal encounters with his or her Father?
 
It’s inspiring to read about heroes in Scripture, some of whom were called friends of God (Abraham and Moses), rewarded with a unique description such as “a man after God’s own heart” (David), or given new names (Jacob became Israel) after some direct dealings with God.
 
One thing all of these biblical figures shared in common was an audacious hunger for more. They would not settle for a silent or distant relationship with God. Later on, we will look more closely at the stories of Moses, Gideon, David, John the Baptist, Peter, and many others. (While we’re at it, we’ll even take a look at Steve, Abraham’s servant. Yes, there are some surprises ahead.)
 
What Do We Desire from Our Father?
 
We seek God’s attention and long to experience a close relationship with Him. Why do we feel, then, that He is not interested or more noticeably involved in our lives? It’s because God cannot be seen or heard, at least with our physical senses. But like any dynamic personal connection, walking with God requires two-way engagement. And because we know God to be invisible, we tend to lower our expectations. But no one should be content with a one-sided relationship. God isn’t.
 
I’ve made it my life’s ambition to walk with God, and I continue to be inspired by the story of a man named Enoch. Scriptures don’t tell us a lot about him, but one characteristic stands out: he “walked with God” (Genesis 5:24). We know that Enoch never died, in the way we think of death. It seems that he simply walked straight into heaven.
 
A page later in my Bible I find the story of another man who caught God’s attention: Noah, like Enoch, “walked with God” (Genesis 6:9). He didn’t get snatched up at the end of his life, but he did get that first-ever cargo-ship ride, which extended his life on earth, as well as his walk with God, for many more years.
 
Ever since childhood I have looked and listened for this invisible God. The search is different for each of us, but one aspect of it holds true for us all: we want to know we are seen—noticed by our Father. Wouldn’t you love to hear God’s applause?
 
Surely we can expect more from our loving Father than a vacant stare. We can walk with God in a way that draws His spotlight to our lives and gives us the close connection we’re looking for.
 
Let’s take our first step down that path.