If there's a person who history recorded as the most intimate with God the Father, He's the Son Himself, Jesus Christ. God the Father wants all of His children (that's us) to be fashioned into the likeness of His Son so that all of us would be like Him – intimate with God and totally obedient to His will.
Getting Intimate With God
God, being the loving Father who desires to be close to His children, longs to have intimate relationships with all of us. Many of us fail to realise that God Himself wants to be close to us the same way He was with Christ while our Lord and Saviour was walking here on earth.
Let's all desire to be intimate with the Father, learning from Jesus. Don't worry, it won't be that hard or impossible. Jesus promised,
"Come to Me, all you who labour and are heavily burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me. For I am meek and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light." (Matthew 11:28-30 MEV)
Learning Intimacy with God the Jesus Way
Friends, I won't say that I'm already there, because I'm not yet there, but I'd like to invite you to a journey of getting close to the Father. Let's learn from Christ Jesus with these few steps.
1. God Is Always First
"He said to them, 'How is it that you searched for Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father's business?'" (Luke 2:49)
At age 12, Jesus spoke these words, prioritising nothing more than what God wants. Then we read in other parts of the Gospels that He would spend quality time with God before and after doing anything. The Father was His delight!
"In these days He went out to the mountain to pray and continued all night in prayer to God." (Luke 6:12)
"When He sent the crowds away, He went up into a mountain by Himself to pray." (see Matthew 14:23)
2. Read the Scriptures
"After three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. All who heard Him were astonished at His understanding and His answers." (Luke 2:46-47)
Here we see an astonishing sight: a 12-year-old boy surprising every Bible teacher and spectator. He must have had a great love for Scripture, no doubt.
Then in Luke 4:1-13, we find Him silencing the devil simply by standing on the Word of God. He lived by the Word of God; The Word made flesh, faithfully adhering to the Word of God.
3. Obey the Word of God
"Jesus answered him, 'If a man loves Me, he will keep My word. My Father will love him, and We will come to him, and make Our home with him. He who does not love Me does not keep My words. The word which you hear is not Mine, but the Father's who sent Me.'" (John 14:23-24)
Now Jesus Himself made a promise that those who keep His Word will be welcomed in His and the Father's home. The Word made flesh, who was totally obedient to Scripture, made a declaration that those who obey the Word will have God dwell in Him. Wow.
Indwelling Presence
Friends, it's not that hard to find God if you're in Christ, because His Spirit dwells in you. You don't have to look far (see 1 Corinthians 3:16). Only decide to put everything aside and prioritise your time with God, reading and loving the Scriptures, and then obeying them. He is with you, and has promised never to leave you.
