It's an amazing thing that the God of the universe not only created us but also desires for us to be in a close relationship with him as his children. We can know him and even be his friend. I receive Facebook new friend requests every day. It's always nice to accept people and it's nice when others accept you.
God asks to be our friend and offers his friendship to us. It's an easy thing to accept … but how often we can forget to keep the friendship going and growing. Like any friendship, our relationship with God needs time … conversation … and the open sharing of feelings.
If you are anything like me, you know that there are so many things to distract us and pull us away from quality time with God. There's the unending avalanche of incoming email, phone calls, text messages, Facebook comments … and BLOG comments for some of us … that can quickly swamp our mind. We jump into action mode and it can be hard to pull away. Productivity can almost become addictive. Like Martha, who was busy preparing a meal for Jesus and her guests, we can become stressed and little on the grumpy side … working so hard to keep the world running and to serve the God we love.
Somewhere along the way, the emptiness of it all sinks in … and we feel the call … again … to come aside … and sit at Jesus' feet as Mary did … hungering for his voice. Needing his touching. Longing to know the warmth of his love once again.
The words of a song by Steve Fry called "Oh, I Want to Know You More" sum it all up …
Just the time I feel that I've been caught in the mire of self
Just the time I feel my mind's been bought by worldly wealth
That's when the breeze begins to blow, I know the Spirit's call
And all my worldly wanderings just melt into His love
Oh I want to know You more
Deep within my soul I want to know You
Oh I want to know You
To feel Your heart and know Your mind
Looking in Your eyes stirs up within me
Cries that say I want to know You
Oh I want to know You more
Oh I want to know You more
When my daily deeds ordinarily lose life and song
My heart begins to bleed sensitivity to Him is gone
I've run the race but set my pace and face a shattered soul
But the gentle arms of Jesus warm my hunger to be whole
Oh I want to know You more
Deep within my soul I want to know You
Oh I want to know You
And I would give my final breath to know you in your death and resurrection
Oh I want to know You more
Oh I want to know You more
(Copyright 1983 by Steve Fry)
Totally agree, Mark. The messages at CityLife Church – A Simple Life – keep coming back to me. It’s really not that simple to lead a simple life in this very ‘noisy’ world. Can be done but with plenty of discipline and sacrifices. Can it be as simple as removing those things that obstruct us? When a cataract is removed from an eye, the person can see again, even 20/20 vision. Why then would that person opt not to have that cataract removed? Lack of confidence in the medical person involved? If Jesus were the surgeon, how many of us would line up willingly to have the obstacle removed, I wonder? Perhaps not as many as Jesus would like. I think I need to see my surgeon, Jesus and have my obstacles removed so I can see him with 20/20 vision.
Bless you, Mark.
Beautiful song, Mark…thanks for the link.