Intimacy
with the Father
The life and ministry of the American
pastor, John Wimber, has had a great influence on my own life, our church and
many other churches around the world.
He said, ‘The ability to hear what God is
saying, to see what God is doing, and to move in the realm of the miraculous
comes as an individual develops
the same intimacy with and dependence
upon the Father [as Jesus had]. How did Jesus do what he did? The answer
is found in his relationship with the Father. How will we do the “greater
things than these” which Jesus promised (John 14:12)? By discovering the same
relationship of intimacy,
simplicity and obedience.’
God loves you with an intimacy that
surpasses all your dreams. He wants you to have a close, personal relationship
with him of intimacy, simplicity and obedience. This is an extraordinary honour
and privilege. Moses, David and, of course, Jesus had an intimate relationship
with God. In the passages for today we see what this kind of intimacy
means.
Psalm
35:11-18
1. Develop intimacy with God through openness,
vulnerability and honesty
There were times when David was down; his
soul was empty (v.12, MSG). He was honest and open enough to talk about the
challenges:
·
Opposition
David faced great opposition from those who repaid evil for good and attacked him. You, like David, may face great opposition from those who repay evil for good and attack you (vv.12,15b). They may slander (v.15c). Or maliciously mock (v.16a). Opposition does not only come through the world – it can even come from God’s people (v.16).
David faced great opposition from those who repaid evil for good and attacked him. You, like David, may face great opposition from those who repay evil for good and attack you (vv.12,15b). They may slander (v.15c). Or maliciously mock (v.16a). Opposition does not only come through the world – it can even come from God’s people (v.16).
·
‘Unanswered’
prayer
There may be times when your prayers do not seem to be heard. ‘My prayers returned to me unanswered’ (v.13). He says to God, ‘How long are you going to stand there doing nothing?’ (v.17, MSG).
There may be times when your prayers do not seem to be heard. ‘My prayers returned to me unanswered’ (v.13). He says to God, ‘How long are you going to stand there doing nothing?’ (v.17, MSG).
·
Failure
We all stumble (v.15a). We can feel we are walking with the Lord quite happily, and then suddenly we stumble. Being a Christian does not mean that we never stumble. There may be times when we fail to meet our own standards, let alone God’s.
We all stumble (v.15a). We can feel we are walking with the Lord quite happily, and then suddenly we stumble. Being a Christian does not mean that we never stumble. There may be times when we fail to meet our own standards, let alone God’s.
Like David, speak to God about all these
challenges. Do not pretend that all was well. Speak from the depth of your
heart. It is this openness, vulnerability and honesty that draws you into an
intimate relationship with God.
Lord, thank you that I can come to you and
speak from my heart. Thank you that you listen to the cries of my heart. Thank
you that you rescue me and enable me to say, ‘I will give you thanks in the
great assembly; among the throngs I will praise you’ (v.18).
Luke
2:41-52
2. Grow in wisdom through intimacy with the Father
Even as a child Jesus had astonishing
wisdom: ‘And all who heard him were astonished and overwhelmed
with bewildered wonder at his intelligence and understanding and his
replies’ (v.47, AMP).
As has often been said, ‘Knowledge is
knowing that a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.’
Knowledge is horizontal. Wisdom is vertical. It comes down from above. It is
far more important to grow in wisdom than to grow in wealth. Wisdom outweighs
wealth. Intimacy with the Father leads to growth in wisdom.
After Jesus’ parents find him in the temple
courts he says to them, ‘Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?’
(v.49b). Or as The Message
translation puts it, ‘Dealing with the things of my Father’ (v.49b, MSG).
On the one hand, Jesus’ relationship with
his ‘Father’ was unique. On the other hand, he also enables us to call God
‘Father’ too. He prayed to God as ‘Abba’
(the Aramaic word used by children on intimate terms with their father), and he
taught his disciples to do the same (11:2). St Paul, writing about the Holy
Spirit, says, ‘For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to
fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father” ’ (Romans
8:15).
We can learn four things about the wisdom
that comes from intimacy with the Father by examining Jesus’ example in these
verses.
·
Wisdom
comes from listening
Wisdom is willingness to listen to and learn from others. Jesus was ‘sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions’ (Luke 2:46).
Wisdom is willingness to listen to and learn from others. Jesus was ‘sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions’ (Luke 2:46).
Often, those who know most speak least. When
we are talking, we are usually merely repeating what we already know. When we
are listening, we may learn something new.
Asking good questions is the key to being a
good conversationalist. It was said of President JF Kennedy that he made you
think he had nothing else to do except ask
you questions and listen, with extraordinary concentration, to your
answer. You knew that, for the time being, he had blotted out both the past and
the future for you.
Sir Isaac Newton said, ‘I find intelligence
is better spotted when analysing the questions asked rather than the answers
given.’
·
Wisdom
leads to simplicity
Wisdom brings clarity. Jesus knew where he should be and what he should do. He declared, ‘Didn't you know I had to be in my Father’s house?’ (v.49). Knowledge leads us from the simple to the complex; wisdom leads us from the complex to the simple.
Wisdom brings clarity. Jesus knew where he should be and what he should do. He declared, ‘Didn't you know I had to be in my Father’s house?’ (v.49). Knowledge leads us from the simple to the complex; wisdom leads us from the complex to the simple.
·
Wisdom
is holistic
Wisdom is shown not only in what we say, but also in how we live. ‘Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them’ (v.51). Wisdom is about the whole of life, rather than just our intellect or our words.
Wisdom is shown not only in what we say, but also in how we live. ‘Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them’ (v.51). Wisdom is about the whole of life, rather than just our intellect or our words.
·
Wisdom
should grow
Through his intimate relationship with God, ‘Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and people’ (v.52) – a very similar description to that used of Samuel (1 Samuel 2:26).
Through his intimate relationship with God, ‘Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and people’ (v.52) – a very similar description to that used of Samuel (1 Samuel 2:26).
Wisdom should grow as we get older. Not that
Jesus’ wisdom was flawed or imperfect, but it grew as he matured, as it should
with us.
This is a prayer often prayed for our
children – that they would grow in wisdom and stature and in favour with God
and people.
Above all, Jesus’ wisdom came from his
intimate relationship with God. God was his Father. He knew he had to be in his
Father’s house, and his intimacy with his Father was the foundation of his
wisdom.
Father, thank you that you have given me the
Spirit of adoption by which I can cry, ‘Abba,
Father’. Thank you that you call me into the same relationship of intimacy that
Jesus had with you. Help me to grow in this relationship of intimacy,
simplicity and obedience. And to grow in wisdom and stature and in favour with
God and people.
Numbers
7:66-9:14
3. Stand still and listen to the intimate voice of the Lord
You cannot develop an intimate relationship
with God without setting aside time to communicate with him. ‘When Moses
entered the Tent of Meeting to speak with the Lord, he heard the voice speaking
to him … and he spoke with him. The Lord said to Moses …’ (7:89–8:1).
God spoke to Moses (8:1;9:1). Moses spoke
with God (7:89). It was a two-way conversation. God spoke to Moses
face-to-face, as a person speaks with a friend (12:8) – talking and listening
at the same time, watching for each other’s reaction.
In the age of the Holy Spirit you are in an
even better position than Moses. You no longer have to go to a particular
place, like Moses did, but can be with God wherever you are. By the Spirit of
adoption you are brought into an intimate and eternal conversation with God the
Father (Romans 8:15–17,26–27).
This was the pattern. ‘The Lord spoke to
Moses … So Moses told the Israelites … The Israelites did everything just as
the Lord commanded Moses’ (Numbers 9:1–5). The Israelites’ whole way of life
was built upon obedience to what God had said to Moses in the place of
intimacy. Your intimacy with God needs to overflow into the way in which you
live your life. You need to put into practice the things that God shows you in
the place of intimacy.
There are times when it is not always clear
how God is guiding us. Again, Moses’ example is a good one. When the people
asked Moses a difficult question to which he did not know the answer, he
replied, ‘Wait until I find out what the Lord commands concerning you’ (v.8).
If you don’t know the right answer it is wise to ask people to ‘wait’. This
gives you time to pray and to find out from God the right way forward.
Eugene Peterson translates, ‘Give me some
time; I’ll find out what God says in your circumstances’ (v.8, MSG). The Amplified Bible says, ‘Stand still and I will
hear what the Lord will command concerning you.’ In the busyness of life stand
still and listen to what God wants you to do.
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