Intimacy With Jesus - Pt 1
God so loved the world… - John 3:16
Do you have a problem with intimacy? Most of us do in one way or another. And then there's intimacy with Jesus. This can be tough. Of course we believe all the true things we should believe. And of course that includes Jesus loving us before we could love him. But if you're like me, there are still problems with intimacy.
One of the problems can be that we don't know exactly how to perceive Jesus because he is one with the Father, and the Father seems stern, angry, and harsh. And while Jesus doesn't seem to be this way, he is God. It can be a bit confusing, right?
Maybe we should look at this the other way around. Perhaps we should look at Jesus – he is God after all – and wonder if the Father is like him. He is. There are no split personalities in the Trinity. While God is perfectly holy and will not let sin exist forever, he is the best father ever. He loves his children so much that it's difficult to actually grasp.
Maybe you know John 3:16 – “God loved the world so much he sent Jesus to rescue us.” Or Lamentations 3:22 – "The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end." In one of the Apostle Paul's letters, he told his recipients that the Holy Spirit is prompting a very personal and intimate relationship with God, "Abba, Father" or "Daddy" (Romans 8:15).
As sons and daughters of the loving God, one of the first steps is to know that the Father loves you and will guide your paths and bring you home – he only wants the best for you. The sovereign God of the universe, the One who controls every atom, wants a personal relationship with his children.
Loving Father, you are indeed loving and kind in everything you orchestrate for my life. I know you love me. I'm sorry that I can be distant at times. Thank you for your relentless love, even though I seldom respond the way I should. Please help me to see you as the one to whom I can open my heart.
Song: How He Loves
See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!