divine union

Opening Prayer:  Lord Jesus, our good shepherd, help us to listen to your voice this day, so that we might know you the way you long to be known.  Amen.

Scripture: John 10:14-15

Journal:  How would you describe your knowing of God these days?  How do you think God wants to be known by you?  What would it look like to move that direction?

Reflection:  “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me—just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay my life down for the sheep.” (John 10:14-15)

Wait, what?  Jesus wants us to know him the way the Father knows him and he knows the Father?  How is that even possible?  It simply sounds too good to be true.  Well, it is too good and it is also too true.

We were created out of the overflow of Divine love; made in the image of indescribable intimacy, in order to be invited into the joy and life and love of that intimate union.  Anything short of that is far less than God desires for us, and created us for.  We were made for Divine union.  We were made to enter into the life and love of the Trinity.  That’s how Jesus can say that he knows us as the Father knows him and he knows the Father.  And he longs for us to know him in the same way.  It is the most intimate type of knowing imaginable.  The knowing that Paul talks about when he prays that the church in Ephesus would “know the love that surpasses knowledge.” (Ephesians 3:19)

What an invitation!  But will we accept it?  Will we turn our hearts and souls and minds to the Lord and enter into this Divine union?  Will we make time and space to be with him and pay attention to him and listen to his voice?  Will we stop all of our frenzied activity for a minute or two and climb into his loving embrace?  If not, we will never know the beauty and intimacy and life and love that he offers us.

Prayer

Closing Prayer:  Thank you, Lord Jesus, that you even want to know us, and that you want us to know you.  Thank you that you wanted that so badly that you laid down your life so it could be a possibility.  The next step is up to us.  Help us to turn our hearts and our souls and our minds to you.  Help us to stop running around, to shut our mouths, and to climb up into your great arms of love.  Help us to live every minute of every day in that loving embrace, so that we will know you the way the Father knows you and you know the Father.  Amen.