With Me
I do enjoy being with people. My wife went on a trip recently to help with our grands out in California and I was home for a few days without her. It was different. I do know how to cook and clean, but it just wasn’t the same without her with me. We mostly do life together. She doesn’t work at the same location as I do, but we are always working to be together at the end of the day and most every weekend. I didn’t mention that we connect for lunch at least three out of five workdays. As we spend time together, we grow together. It takes intentionality and even discipline.
As I study the life and ministry of Jesus, He is with His followers, and they are with Him. They learn from Him as they go. There was a small four-line sentence that jumped off the page and moved my heart this morning. It happened on the same day that Jesus had healed the demon possessed man from Gerasene. Check this out…
21 Jesus got into the boat again and went back to the other side of the lake, where a large crowd gathered around him on the shore. 22 Then a leader of the local synagogue, whose name was Jairus, arrived. When he saw Jesus, he fell at his feet, 23 pleading fervently with him. “My little daughter is dying,” he said. “Please come and lay your hands on her; heal her so she can live.”
24 Jesus went with him, and all the people followed, crowding around him. (Mark 5:21-24 NLT)
This man was desperate, and Jesus responded. The crowd wanted to see and hear from Jesus, but this man wanted his daughter to be well. I know the desperation of this parent. He would have done anything to save his daughter and Jesus was likely his last hope. I can imagine that talk of Jesus around the synagogue was interesting. Some of the leaders at the synagogue talking about this “False Rabbi” and others trying to balance what they’ve seen and heard about Jesus.
I love Jesus’ response to this invitation… “Please come…”
“Jesus went with him…”
Jesus goes with me. I invite Him and He comes. He walks with me. He and I discuss everything that I face, including but not limited to contracts and crazy situations. He is so patient with me. I often don’t talk with Him until things are a mess. I’m really trying to get to the place where I talk with Him about EVERYTHING first. His wisdom and insight can help me avoid lots of pain and heartache.
When Jesus is with me, my perspective changes.
When Jesus is with me, my faith deepens.
When Jesus is with me, my capacity to love expands.
When Jesus is with me, I am confident.
When Jesus is with me, my awareness of others and their needs is heightened.
I want Him to be with me every hour of every day of the rest of my life. I want His Presence in me to be obvious to others. I want others to want Him because of who I am with Him.
Pressing On!
Dwayne