Experiencing God's Presence #104

Experiencing God's Presence #104

I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.

John 15:15, NIV

On the same evening John leaned against Jesus, Jesus invited all of His disciples into a deeper level of knowing Him. They had been taught servanthood and would still need to practice it; He had washed their feet as an object lesson in that attitude hours earlier. But they were to be more than servants. They were His friends.

The Bible describes our relationship with God in many ways: He is the Potter, we are the clay; He is the Shepherd, we are the sheep; He is the Master, we are the servants. And all of these are true. But those who really get close to God—anyone who accepts His open invitation—can have an even deeper relationship. Father to child, Friend to friend, or even Groom to bride. Those relationships are as close as people can get to each other, and that’s how God pictures His greatest desire for us. He knows our hearts, and He wants us to know His.

It’s hard to understand that the King of the universe who holds every galaxy in His hand also invites us into an up-close-and-personal relationship, but He does. So what do we do about that? Ask for it. Pursue it. Seek it with all our heart. Act as though the intimacy is already true, because it is. Keep our focus on that relationship above all others. When we do, God responds. He actually confides in us. He shares His secrets. The Son tells His followers what the Father is doing. God shows up in amazing—and very personal—ways.

Jesus, I accept Your friendship. I want to hear Your secrets. Open my ears to hear all the ways You confide in me, and show me how to respond when You do.