“Jesus replied, ‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment.” (Matthew 22:37-38 NLT)
In our harried pace we miss opportunities to grow in our relationship with the Lord, largely because we treat Him like a school project or work assignment. We disengage Him from the emotions of other relationships.
Would you listen to or read messages or letters from your spouse, but never engage in conversation? Would you content yourself to see words from them, but never desire to sit in their presence or do things together? We wrongly assume going to church, reading, even studying the Bible, and speaking to Him in prayer is enough, but it’s not. Where is the intimacy in that?
Where is the fellowship, the blending of spirits, the joining of lives? I can read someone’s biography and learn a lot about them, but if I never meet them, exchange conversation, spend time together we’ll not really “know” one another.
Our goal as a believer in and follower of the Lord Jesus isn’t simply to know about Him, but to KNOW HIM! Jesus said in John 7:28-29 in reference to His relationship with His Father: “While Jesus was teaching in the Temple, He called out, ‘Yes, you know Me, and you know where I come from. But I’m not here on My own. The one who sent Me is true, and you don’t know Him. But I know Him because I come from Him, and He sent Me to you.”
Paul expressed his strong yearnings to know God personally when he wrote in Philippians 3:10: “I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised Him from the dead. I want to suffer with Him, sharing in His death, so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead!”
Knowing, experiencing His power, suffering with Him, sharing in His death, experiencing the resurrection, what do all of these things share in common? They all shout intimacy, closeness, relationship! We can’t have intimacy with a book or an idea about someone or something. Intimacy implies closeness, companionship, friendship, the kinds of things most Jesus followers are too busy to pursue with Him.
For years I contented myself with reading, studying, preaching, teaching God’s Word, as well as my “token” hour of rehearsing my “prayer” list and telling God all the things I needed Him to do for me or others. I spent very little time in intimate conversation with the Lord where I not only spoke to Him, but genuinely listened to Him.
And yes, of course, I “listened” to Him as I read His Word, but most of my listening was for me, not Him. My goal was to get information from Him that I could use to “glorify” Him, but there was little or no intimacy in that. Now I listen to hear His heart – what He loves, what brings Him joy, what makes Him laugh, lifts His heart, and brings a smile to His holy face.
You know what it is? I believe Adam Mabry nailed it when he wrote: “The God of Scripture isn’t impressed by busyness; he’s moved by love.” What does that look like? It looks like you and me making an effort to spend alone time with Him without an agenda. Without a list of wants or needs or anything else. Just listening to His heart even more than His “voice.” I will warn you it takes time and effort.
This is too rich, let’s pick this up in tomorrow’s post.
Blessings, Ed 😊
Walking With Jesus 