Dear People Who Keep Company With God,
Awhile back a friend asked me a question. “How do you relate to God? How do you know God?” That is a great question and it is not that easy to answer, but there is good news; Jesus revealed how He related to and knew God. He had the ultimate relationship with the Father. And He has blessed us with the opportunity to have a relationship with the Father just as He had (John 14:6-8, John 17:20-26).
Jesus knew He was the Father’s beloved Son in whom He was well pleased (Mark 1:9-11). That was the foundation on which His life and relationship with the Father was built. This meant not only He was loved, but also He had His Father’s favor (Luke 2:52). The Father liked Him, enjoyed Him and took pleasure in Jesus regardless of what He was doing or not doing. This gave Him legitimacy and security in Himself and everything He did.
Because of this, it was not an issue that He was misunderstood, disliked or even opposed. The rejection or acceptance of men were not the motivating factors in Jesus’s life. Jesus knew what the Father wanted Him to do and He did it. There was never an issue of hearing God’s voice and knowing His will in Jesus’s life. Hearing God and knowing His will are fruits of relationship with the Father (John 5:20).
Jesus knew the Father had prepared Him for whatever life threw His way. He had gone through 30 years under the Father’s watchful eye. He experienced times of sorrow, loss, pain, pleasure, plenty, injustices, rejection, loneliness and acceptance, like we all do. And regardless of what happened Jesus experienced the Father being with Him and getting Him through the moment. We may never understand everything that happens on this earth, but we can come to a place of peace. Jesus offers us peace (John 14:27). A peaceful heart is a fruit of relationship with Him.
Jesus had a remarkable sense of timing coupled with passion. At 12 years old He was pursuing doing the Father’s business! Yet, He was also willing to wait 18 more years for the Father’s timing! Jesus knew His Father’s timing was perfect and although zeal for the Father’s House was consuming it did not overwhelm Him (John 2:17). He had grace to wait, not lose the passion or attempt to fulfill the passion on His own. Apart from closeness with the Lord we stumble all over timing and passion issues.
Jesus saw life from the Father’s eyes. He had a heavenly perspective about His life and the people around Him. Jesus kept the big picture in mind, always. How many people swore allegiance to Jesus, but in the end were part of the mob that wanted Him crucified? How many of the 12 deserted Him, yet He never deserted them and in the end look at what they did. Jesus never stumbled over people, events, the past, present or future because He saw it all from the Father’s eyes. We will be deceived over and over by everything going on in this world unless we gain heaven’s perspective. And heaven’s perspective is just another fruit of relationship with Him.
Many Blessings, BW