A Familiar Experience With Jesus
You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.” (Jeremiah 29:13-14)
As you read the account of the events that happened after the resurrection, you’ll first find that Peter and John ran into the tomb. They saw that Jesus wasn't there. They looked around, and then they left. They saw what they needed to see and moved on down the line. But Mary Magdalene didn’t leave. She stayed there. And because she stayed there, she had an angel encounter. She saw two angels, one at the foot and one at the head of where the body of Jesus was laid.
Initially, she wasn't focused on the angels. At the time, she was probably so emotionally distraught that she had no idea who they were. She was asking what they did with the body. She was crying and very emotional. Finally, Jesus stepped forward and asked her what was happening. She gave Him the story. Her eyes were opened when she heard Him say her name, “Mary.” This is a very powerful thing. And the reason this new familiarity happened with Mary was because she stayed a little longer.
Sadly, many of us treat Christianity like a drive-through experience. “Give me a little faith, give me some Jesus fries and I'm out of here.” Many of us miss the familiarity that God wants to have with us. If you will just stay a little longer and wait on Him, you will have an encounter with the Risen Lord. He wants to know you. I love Jeremiah 29 where we read these words,
You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.” (Jeremiah 29:13-14)
Although this is specifically written for Israel, it can be applied to you and to me. This passage speaks to a lot of us because we have been in captivity. Maybe, we are in captivity right now, whether it is an issue of addiction, a physical problem, or an emotional problem. It seems like we can't tunnel out of them. We can't get out, as much as we have tried. We are still stuck in captivity. But until we stop trying to find freedom ourselves and start looking to the Lord, we will never be set free.
If you really want intimacy with God, you must look for Him with all of your heart! No more drive-through Christianity. No more going through the motions. No more sitting in a church. Don't think baptism will do it. Don't think communion will do it. Don't think money will do it. You need to long for a personal encounter with Jesus so that you can experience freedom in Christ!
As you read the account of the events that happened after the resurrection, you’ll first find that Peter and John ran into the tomb. They saw that Jesus wasn't there. They looked around, and then they left. They saw what they needed to see and moved on down the line. But Mary Magdalene didn’t leave. She stayed there. And because she stayed there, she had an angel encounter. She saw two angels, one at the foot and one at the head of where the body of Jesus was laid.
Initially, she wasn't focused on the angels. At the time, she was probably so emotionally distraught that she had no idea who they were. She was asking what they did with the body. She was crying and very emotional. Finally, Jesus stepped forward and asked her what was happening. She gave Him the story. Her eyes were opened when she heard Him say her name, “Mary.” This is a very powerful thing. And the reason this new familiarity happened with Mary was because she stayed a little longer.
Sadly, many of us treat Christianity like a drive-through experience. “Give me a little faith, give me some Jesus fries and I'm out of here.” Many of us miss the familiarity that God wants to have with us. If you will just stay a little longer and wait on Him, you will have an encounter with the Risen Lord. He wants to know you. I love Jeremiah 29 where we read these words,
You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.” (Jeremiah 29:13-14)
Although this is specifically written for Israel, it can be applied to you and to me. This passage speaks to a lot of us because we have been in captivity. Maybe, we are in captivity right now, whether it is an issue of addiction, a physical problem, or an emotional problem. It seems like we can't tunnel out of them. We can't get out, as much as we have tried. We are still stuck in captivity. But until we stop trying to find freedom ourselves and start looking to the Lord, we will never be set free.
If you really want intimacy with God, you must look for Him with all of your heart! No more drive-through Christianity. No more going through the motions. No more sitting in a church. Don't think baptism will do it. Don't think communion will do it. Don't think money will do it. You need to long for a personal encounter with Jesus so that you can experience freedom in Christ!
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3 Comments
I am having a huge problem with one of my adult sons who has been verbally abusive to me. I have truly prayed about this and am awaiting his answer on how I can cope and solve this problem. I am truly traumatized and depending on Christ to answer my pleas.
Thank you for the timely message. I so needed the encouragement to keep looking to Jesus. I Vicki, I will be praying for God's clear direction for you and your son.
Dear Lord Jesus, help us to wait on You and to listen to Your still small voice. We lift up Vickie and her children along with all of our children and all of our burdens to You today and ask that You perfect all that concerns us Today and we rejoice and are glad in it. Give us Lord Jesus and our children and grandchildren eyes to see and ears to hear what You would say and a willing spirit to obey. Be merciful in ours and our children’s weaknesses and meet us and them where we are to save us from ourselves. Let us all see the error of our ways so that we might repent and find forgiveness. Cleanse us from all unrighteousness today, Lord and our children too.We thank You that Your mercies are new every morning, LORD. Bring us out of our captivity to live in Your freedom and mercy as we trust in You.. We love You and praise You for Your loving kindness and thank You for all these things in Jesus name and for Your glory and namesake. Amen. 🙏
Psalm 107 has been a blessing to me recently and a reminder of the Lord’s loving kindness.