Do You Meet With Jesus?

Do You Meet With Jesus?

by David Brenneman 

A while ago a friend asked me when I got up each morning. Atypical is 3:15 AM.  My days off it varies.  Was asked why so early?  My only response is that's when Jesus wants to meet with me.  Now over 5 years ago and still going that's been the norm.  

"Behold, He who keeps Israel Will neither slumber nor sleep." Psalms 121:4.  No My Jesus doesn't sleep nor does He need to these days. 

I don't know if I do or don't get enough sleep but I do know that when I am faithful in showing up at that hour, my Savior shows up. 

The question for you is are you intentional on meeting with Jesus?

After all you're in a relationship with Jesus that's supposed to be an intimate relationship.  It's supposed to be personal to the very depths of your heart and soul.  But is it really?

Are you at all looking forward to when you're talking to Him?  

Are you already in the right frame of mind to be talking to the Sovereign God of the Universe? 

Is your heart right?  Are you harboring ill towards others?  

Was watching a short video of a guy talking about his experience in learning how to really forgive.  He was a Pastor of a church.  The Senior Pastor was lead elsewhere and he was nominated for the position.  There was a man in the congregation who really wasn't quiet about his not liking him. In very short order it sort of was mutual. Yet someone whom this Pastor knew told him that he needed to forgive that man.  He really wasn't wanting to. Then the Lord came to him and really let him know that he needed to pray for him. He didn't want to but the Spirit wasn't taking no for an answer. So he began muttering a prayer of forgiveness and blessing on the man.  After a few weeks he had what he called a vision of a 10 year old boy outside of a ranch. Jesus said to him that he might not know what all had happened to that man to make him like he was today but He knew.  Needless to say his prayers changed.  He really worked on real forgiveness. 

Jesus had met him and the result is always change.

So the question again is do you meet with Jesus?

He always wants your undivided attention.  He is always interested in whatever is on your mind and heart. He always is in your tomorrow before your tomorrow arrives.  

Yet so many people claiming to be Christians aren't making even a feeble attempt at meeting with Jesus after coming to Christ for salvation.  

Do you take deliberate time to be with Jesus?  Are you so wrapped up in self that He takes a back seat?

But I have this going on and that!  I don't have any time!  If I do that then I won't be able to...

My Dear Reader...think.

Stop your rambling about this or that and stop.  

When you stand before Jesus...to give an account of your life...is all that going to matter?  The ONLY thing that's going to survive the fires of that day are what we did for and with Jesus.  

When was the last time you really made doing something with Jesus a priority? 

Have you truly forgiven someone as Christ Jesus has forgiven you?  Are you embittered towards someone and are thinking more about how it made you feel rather than what Jesus sees in that person?  What if your definition of a friend is different from theirs?  If you don't forgive as God in Christ Jesus has forgiven you, you aren't going to know.

My prayers for my perceived enemies is that God destroys their plans and turns their hearts to Jesus Christ for salvation.  King David and the various authors of the book of Psalms prayed that way.  

No doubt there are dynamics in play with my enemies that I will never know or understand. But my Jesus does.

How are you going to understand the mind of Christ if you don't meet with Him to get to know Him better?

What if you do?

What if it turns into more than once a day?  I meet with my Savior each morning. I also refuse to go to bed before reading my Bible again.  In my day I am more often than not in tunnel-vision mode.  I don't have the time to spend on thinking about those around me.  In my snippets of time in between I find myself praying more often than not.  Listening and maybe understanding  something more about what's going on in the lives of those around me even if there's no time to talk to them. 

When I get out of work...my thoughts turn to my life outside of work...and I pray a prayer of thanksgiving for Jesus getting me through my day.

Sometimes it's my praying for someone at work that I don't have the time to talk to.

Meet with Jesus...deliberately.

Meet with Him...forgive others as Christ Jesus has forgiven you.  Don't let a wall go up between you and Jesus.  

All NASB 1995 and NASB Scripture Excerpts used by permission. (C) Lockman Foundation.