People grapple with the God-factor, wondering whether or not He exists and if He does, how to approach Him. There is an endless array of protocol performed in various religious pursuits. The need to feel connected to God is as old as humankind. We cry out to the Creator of the universe: “God, talk to us; please come down to earth and help us; God, please favor us!”

All around the world people seek God’s favor. Trying too hard, they put a lot of effort into breaking down an unlocked door. Heaven’s door is already wide open and much to our surprise God is knocking on our door. He reaches out to us. Turns out, God Himself does all the dirty work. It is the Lord who restores a broken relationship. We may build elaborate temples and do a lot of good works, but all of these efforts do not open heaven’s door. God reaches out to us; our part is simply to respond.

In their language the birds in the air, the predators in the bush and the trees in the jungle cry out to its creator. When the feet of the Lord touch the earth all creation sings, as predicted in the book of Psalms (Psalm 96:12):

“Let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them;
    let all the trees of the forest sing for joy.”

God on earth is not a new concept. It has been advertised in many world religions that God comes down in human form and there’s a reason why: We need God to be near. The good news is that God in fact is near. His Spirit is at work everywhere. Picking up on His signals and learning to walk with Him is the secret to successfully navigating through life.

God has many names, the one I personally love the best is the Hebrew name Emmanuel – God with us. And He is with us when we listen to Him.