What is true closeness to Jesus?
Does it come from time with Him?
Does it come from trusting Him more?
Listen to this article here:
Does it come from walking and talking with Him?
Is it a one-time burst that once you have it, you are closer?
Consider this:
Over the years I have spent many many hours in His Presence, praying and talking.
In the last 2 years I have spent many many hours in HIs Presence, praying and talking and worshiping.
I have grown exponentially closer to Jesus over the last 2 years.
Why?
I think that initially it’s easy to correlate the raw time with Him and the nature of it (more praise and worship) as the reason.
But I think it’s deeper/different than that.
You see, I can emerge from an hour of worship and “feel” really close to Jesus . . . but as soon as I read that text, remember the drama, recall that battle . . .
I don’t “feel” so close anymore.
It’s as if I equate “calm” with Jesus.
It’s as if I equate “calm” with peace.
So I spend an hour with Him, worshiping or praying and I feel . . . calm.
I call it peace.
But then something interrupts my calm . . and I am no longer peaceful.
How close am I really, then?
Stick with me . . .
However, if in a moment I recall the battle, the fight, the drama, the pain . . .
And I make a conscious decision to simply give it to Him.
Not to say I’m giving it to Him, hoping He takes it.
But literally dumping it in HIs lap . . and walking away.
All of that is mental, of course.
But once I walk away, knowing in my mind that I gave it to HIm - whether He took it or not!!!
I gave it to Him . . .
The battle is not mine, it’s the Lord’s.
Do I really believe that?
I can pray, worship, recite . . . but if I don’t really believe that, it’s just a feeling, it’s just a calm.
But when I take the worry, the pain, the attack, the misunderstood words . . . and I give them to Him, and I completely submit to His will, to His power, to knowing He will take care of it . . .
I feel so close to Him.
Not just calm.
But true peace.
You see, calm can come from behaviors we do.
Praying, worshiping, tapping, visualizing.
Calm can come from those things.
But we know Jesus lives in us if we follow Him, if we are born again.
So how much closer can Jesus be than to live in us?
And He is Spirit, and spirit is pervasive.
He doesn’t just live in a corner of my heart . . . He Being, His Essence, His Presence . . . it completely engulfs me, it’s all the way through me.
It’s complete.
And no matter how much I pray or worship, I am not going to get more of His Presence.
Yes, I might feel more.
I might connect more.
I might communicate more.
But true, close relationship - trust - trust-based relationship -
I now believe that comes from the lived experience of trusting HIm moment to moment.
That’s real trust, real closeness.
Connection WITH the Spirit, Connection WITH the Essence, Connection WITH the Presence.
Not just Him actually being there in me, living in me.
Not just His physical Presence.
But connecting WITH His Presence.
Connecting.
Trust.
Walking with HIm.
Trusting Him.
That’s true closeness.
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