Thursday, October 20, 2005
He invited Jesus Christ into his house, and things were never the same again. That's the picture actually portrayed in a classic old Christian booklet called "My Heart, Christ's Home." As the story unfolds, the man whose life is symbolized by a house, begins to let Jesus move beyond the front parlor and into the various rooms. In each room, Jesus changes things. Like some of what's in the library that doesn't belong in a house where Jesus lives. Some of what's done in the recreation area. Ultimately, he even lets Jesus clean out the garbage in this closet that's been sealed shut with several locks. But the picture I remember most is the one that portrays the man having personal time with Jesus in his study every morning - until one day when he's running late. He races out the door thinking he'd be there as usual the next morning. Didn't happen. For some time, he just ran out the door in the morning without ever stopping in his study. Until one morning when he hurried in there to find something, and there to his shock and surprise, was Jesus, sitting in a high-backed chair. Awkwardly, the man asked, "Jesus, what are you doing here?" Jesus' reply goes straight to the heart: "I've been here every morning - waiting for you."
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "The Most Important Appointment You Have Today."
How many times have we left Jesus sitting there, waiting for us? He gave His life so we could be together. In Revelation 3:20, Jesus talks to people who belong to Him and He says, "Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him and he with Me." It's a picture of Jesus not being able to get into a life that He died for - to spend one-on-one time with Him. Maybe it's a picture of your life right now.
In Matthew 23:37, our word for today from the Word of God, Jesus says: "How often I have longed to gather your children together ... but you were not willing." I can almost hear Jesus saying to people like us, "How often I have longed to get together with you, but you weren't willing." Or "you were too busy." It's utterly amazing that the Son of God wants to spend time with you or me. It's not because He needs us. We need Him! It's because He loves us; He values us. The question is, "Do we love and value Him?" The answer is in whether or not we have time with Him.
So many believers think this business of daily devotions or a daily quiet time is mainly about reading the Bible. It's not. It's about being with Jesus. The Bible doesn't care if you show up. Jesus does. It's Him you're standing up. The Bible is like His love letter to us. And like a love letter, when you read the writer's words, it's your way to be with that person until you can be "with" with them. Until the day you're with Jesus in person, the way to be with Him is by reading what He's written to you. Jeremiah put it this way: "When Your words came, I ate them; they were my joy and my heart's delight, for I bear Your name, O Lord God Almighty" ( Jeremiah 15:16). Because you belong to Him, you love what He says to you.
Maybe your time with Jesus has been on a "whenever I can fit it in" basis. That's Jesus you're talking about! He deserves better and you and I are a mess when we neglect our time with Him. He brings out the best in you. Neglect being with Him and the worst of you starts coming out again. It's time to make your daily meeting with Jesus the number one non-negotiable of your personal schedule. If you can only do one thing today, let it be His thing. Your time with Jesus will be the sun around which all the other planets in your life have to revolve.
The Bible tells us that even some of the early Christians' most hostile enemies "took note that these men had been with Jesus" ( Acts 4:13). That's what the people around you need to see - that's the person you need to be - someone who has just been with Jesus.