The Cost Of Intimacy

 I was reading through Daniel this morning. It's always a great time in Daniel. Many people look at his life in amazement and consider key moments like the lion's den for life lessons. But the lion's den was only the fruit of something more incredible.

I am always amazed at his visions and how he moved about and interacted in these key spiritual moments. His visions/dreams were astounding and much was shown to him. His fame was because he was a dream interpreter, but it was the Lord who explained to him the dreams. But this too is only a fruit of something even more incredible.

There are people who wish they had the same ability to interpret dreams and receive such incredible visions. There are others who wish they could have the strength of faith that Daniel demonstrated. People wish for it but are not willing to pay the price.

"Pay the price" isn't really the best way to say this but there is a cost involved with having the intimacy with Yahweh that Daniel had. The cost is time. Friendship requires an investment of time. Daniel spent a lot of time with Yahweh in prayer and this relationship created sensitivity toward Yahweh.

Daniel's experiences were the fruit of his intimacy and intimacy developed with the time he spent "hanging out" with Yahweh. If we want intimacy, sensitivity, openness with Father it will require one of the greatest sacrifices in this age : time.

This is our great challenge because our society has been very good at developing distractions. There are many "minute robbers" throughout the day. Little things of little value that eat up our time so we have the sense of being busy, convincing ourselves us that we do not have time for Father's priorities. These priorities are simple to understand : love him and love each other. It is hard to love the things we do not value enough to give priority to.

I'm talking to the man in the mirror here. It is so easy to give priority to the distractions without knowing we are doing it. If we kept track of a day in our life and figured out where we were using our time, we may discover that what we value does not match up with what Father values. It may match in our thinking but not in our actions and it requires actions to move into the intimacy we desire.

If we really desire the awareness of the "oneness" that Jesus spoke about, we would start with a simple change of blocking out more time to "hang out" with Dad. Start there and see what it leads to.

The Weight Of The Cross

Pilate has questioned him. Herod has dismissed him. The crowd has rejected him. The soldiers have beaten him. Now he carries the cross.

Perhaps at the darkest moments of our lives we have imagined such cruelty on our worse enemies, but on the innocent?

Jesus never got involved in politics. He didn't seem to care who held power in Israel. He didn't try to become king. In fact, he avoided it, leaving when he thought the crowd was going to force it on him. He didn't fault the Pharisees for trying to keep the traditions from being diluted by the powerful Greek culture. His problem with them was only that they allowed such traditions to take priority over people's relationship with God.

Jesus was an innocent. A man feared by the powerful because of his innocence and purity. And here he walked, beaten, almost to death, exhausted, no strength left, forced to carry this cruel instrument of death. He was a dead man walking.

But even in this there was no peace.

Even in this he was taunted, spat on, despised. No rest for the wicked. But he was the opposite of wicked. He was the essence of goodness and love.

Here he was an innocent. A victim of Rome? A victim of the Jews? Hardly! They had no authority over him, except for what his Father gave them.

Yes, Jesus chose the Father's will over his own. This was his Father's doing. This was the way of redemption for all of creation. The only way.

So on he went. To do his Father's will. Because he loved his Father and obedience, even in death, was never a second thought.

How much did you say you love Jesus? Enough to bey him?

Thank you for the cross. May I have as much determination, love and selflessness to carry my own.

What Will This Day Be To You?

The betrayal has happened. The arrest took place. His disciples have all scattered. He stands alone. He has been questioned by the high priest. He has already been beaten. And now Peter has disowned him. He stands alone.

There is still a long day ahead for him. There is still Pilot.There is still Herod. There is still the beatings, the whips, the mocking, the condemnation. And at the end of it there is the cross. There is death.

Every step he takes is one step closer. Every breath he takes is a breath closer.

"Not my will but yours be done."

It was about his Father's will. It was always about his Father's will. He would do anything for his Father, who he loved and trusted. Jesus set the example for us.

He prayed it. He lived it. He walked in it. And now he stands alone. He stands alone to face what we should have and he did it because his Father willed it. He willed it for us, so we would never have to face it.

Will today be just another day for you? A holiday? A day to sleep in? Maybe just another day of work? Nothing special?

This is Crucifixion Day. This is the day that marks the moment the Creator went to bat for the creation. This is the day we mark, the day Jesus gave his all so we could receive God's all. Walk with him through it today.

At this moment Jesus stood alone but he stands alone no longer. Today he sits at the right hand of the Father and we are seated there with him; his Bride; the Church he redeemed by his blood. But it didn't come cheap. It came with the price of the cross. Let it be a day of praise as we rejoice in the goodness of our God.