“Be careful not to substitute your devotion to Jesus with your service for Jesus.”
Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today – February 2, 2024
Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip?” John 14:9
One missed opportunity of some Jesus followers is to think being familiar with Jesus is the same as being intimate with Jesus. Experiencing all the right religious routines and learning a new spiritual language are necessary but are only a means to the end of intimacy with Jesus Christ. I have to be careful and aware that I am not substituting my devotion to Jesus with my service for Jesus. Service without silence and solitude with the Lord only leads to exhaustion, even frustration and resentment that others are not as dedicated as I am. So, I have to ask myself, Am I coasting on my past experience of being a Christian, or am I looking ahead to know and follow Jesus with deep, abiding love and radical faith? Familiar faith grows intimate in knowing God.
Philip was a disciple who had not come to really know Jesus. How could this be? After all, he is there in real-time, watching and experiencing Jesus be Jesus. Philip was near to Christ but far away in his understanding of Christ. And Jesus calls out His friend with a mild rebuke and a tone of love, “Have I been with you so long?” In one sense, Philip, you have wasted time not taking the time to really know Me. Yet, Jesus patiently takes the time to remind his shallow disciple that Jesus is God; when you see Jesus, you see God. Now you can’t get any deeper…the incarnation, the Word became flesh…Emanuel, God is with us. Intimacy with Jesus begins with an accurate understanding of Jesus, the son of God. Being loved by Jesus is being loved by God, and loving Jesus is loving God. So now, we cherish our sacred opportunity to abide in Him and know Him.
Oswald Chambers captures the heart of our intimacy with Jesus,
Once we get intimate with Jesus, we are never lonely, and we never lack for understanding or compassion. We can continually pour out our hearts to Him without being perceived as overly emotional or pitiful. The Christian who is truly intimate with Jesus will never draw attention to himself but will only show the evidence of a life where Jesus is completely in control. This is the outcome of allowing Jesus to satisfy every area of life to its depth. The picture resulting from such a life is that of the strong, calm balance that our Lord gives to those who are intimate with Him.
Prayer emerges as a divine conduit of intimacy in the sacred journey of growing closer to Jesus Christ. Regular, heartfelt conversations with your Savior build a bridge between the human spirit and the divine. As Psalm 145:18 reminds us, “The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.” Additionally, immersing yourself in the Scriptures becomes a transformative act of intimacy. Through the Word, you discover the character of Christ, His teachings, and the path He walked. In John 8:31-32, Jesus emphasizes the transformative power of His words: “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” Furthermore, acts of service and love toward others mirror the selfless nature of Christ. As Matthew 25:40 illustrates, “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”
Let’s move from living a tired, familiar faith to coming alive with a fresh, intimate faith in the great adventure of love with the Lord. Wherever you are on your faith journey, there is more to learn about God in His Word and in community with His people. Love grows intimate in Jesus.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, lead me by your Spirit into silence and solitude to really know you and make you known with my words and actions through Christ’s love and in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Application
Take an inventory of your time being still with God and doing for God. Prayerfully consider doing more or less based on the Spirit’s leading.
Related Reading
Psalm 63:1-11; Isaiah 65:24; John 15:4-6; James 4:8
Worship Resource
Maverick City feat. Maryanne J. George: Sufficient for Today
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