JOHN 17:24 – Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world.
THEME OF THE DAY. JESUS’S GREAT DESIRE. Today’s scripture is part of a larger portion which may be likened to the “Burning Bush” of the Old Testament for it is holy ground on which we stand. Jesus praying. Holy ground. And God so loved us that He allows us to observe His Son in close and intimate communion with Him in prayer. What a sacred privilege. What a scene never to be taken for granted. As one works through the prayer, slowly and reverently, we come towards the end and the profound words in today’s scripture. Please. Stop and ponder what Jesus is saying. Even take time today and get alone with Him, asking Him to show us His heart in this portion of His prayer.
Our Lord offers to His Father one petition. It is one of the deepest longings in His heart. And it focuses on us. Yes, us. What about us? To put it in the simplest terms, it isn’t about what He can do for us or what we can do for Him. It is about oneness. It is about fellowship. It is about relationship. It is about the most satisfying experience we will ever know – being forever in the Presence of Jesus to enjoy, adore, worship, love and serve Him without one trace of selfishness, sin, or the warfare of Satan. This is what the Lord wants. Us. Our presence. And we must honestly ask ourselves. Do we pray like Him? Do we have the same longing for Him as He does for us? Does this type of prayer daily make itself into our prayer closet – “Father, I long to be with You, Your Son, and bask in the glories of my Redeemer. Oh, hasten the day when my feeble faith gives way to glorious sight. But until that day, grant me the self-control and discipline to seek Your Son, in His Word, through prayer, and with His people, with a passion and fervency that dominates my life”? Seriously evaluate how we pray. This is how and what the mature Christian longs for and prays for. Was it not so with the Apostle Paul? Look at his heart – For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better (Philippians 1:21-23).
In the midst of busy lives, frantic schedules, and endless demands upon us, we need a strong motivator to ensure we keep the main thing, the main thing – our close walk with Jesus Christ. There is no greater motivation to stay close to Him in Word, prayer, and church; to say “no” to the world, and safeguard time with Him than His desire for our presence. Meditate long on this truth and watch how our lives will reflect a Christ-centeredness we did not have before.
PRAYER: “Father, deepen my desire to be in heaven to behold the glory of Your Son.”
QUOTE: “The greatest motivator to live a disciplined life of pursuing Christ is to fix one’s heart on His desire for our presence.”