Intimacy with the Father
by Jilly Lyon-Taylor
If someone were to ask you what you were devoting your life to, I wonder what your answer would be – career or family, the Church, service for God or a particular ministry? Valid though all these things may be, this verse shows that above all God wants us to devote ourselves to being close to Him.
God chose us before the creation of the world for relationship with Him and He predestined us to be adopted into His family (Ephesians 1:4-5). When we receive Jesus as Saviour and believe in His name, the adoption happens and we become children of God (John 1:12). While many human fathers are absent, distant, or do not make time to be with their children, God is the perfect Father who wants to be with His children, loving us, protecting us, providing for us, comforting us, healing us and bringing the discipline we need. He is always there for us, but we don’t always choose to come close to Him. We know that sin separates us from God, but sometimes it is our busy-ness, our preoccupation with self, with our problems, even with our work for Him, that keeps us from intimacy with Him. Relationships need time and effort. Are we going to devote ourselves as a first priority to being close to Him?
To do this, we need to make time for Him – time just to be in His presence with no agenda, to sit at His feet, to listen to Him, to hear His heart. This will bring pleasure to Him as our Father. It will also result in us changing more into His likeness and being more effective for Him. Moses’ face was radiant after He had spoken with the Lord (Exodus 34:29). What about us?
Prayer: Lord, I am sorry that I have not made it my first priority to be close to You and that I have allowed busy-ness, distractions, and even my work for You to crowd out my intimacy with You. Please forgive me, and help me to get my priorities right in future. In Jesus, Amen
Jilly Lyon-Taylor is part of the Leadership Team at Ellel Pierrepont. She worked in publishing and then with children in Hong Kong before concentrating on being a full-time mother and serving in the local church. Her desire to see people healed led her to the Luke Nine Eleven Training Scheme(NETS) at Pierrepont, and now she teaches and ministers there.
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