Let’s pretend for a moment that you’ve been invited to a feast. Not just any feast, THE FEAST of the year, like fun-Thanksgiving-celebration level. You’re asked to dress up, get excited, and come hungry……I mean, you’re going to a feast, right?!?! When you arrive your best friends, boisterous cousins, and all your favorite people are already there in fine form and ready to dig in. Its the sights, sounds, smells and anticipation of a night you’re sure to remember forever. Most of all, you’ve been aching for a celebration like this for awhile. This isn’t just about feeding your belly, your heart needs this. You can’t wait to stuff your face, laugh tears out of your eyes, and have the kind of night that makes your heart glow thinking about it for years upon years to come. You sit down, ready for the first course and instead of a mouth watering appetizer, you’re served 3 minuscule croutons and told “that’s all you need to survive.”
You’re ready for a fight.
“Ummmmm……excuse me?!! (You’re trying to remain cool, it’s not working) “Is this a joke?” Everyone is thinking it, YOU just said it.
“Nope” the server kindly responds. “You’re served what you were expecting”
“No way!” Your cool is officially gone by now…..Here we go!
“I want more, I need more, I came here for SO MUCH MORE THAN THIS! HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO LIVE OFF OF CRUMBS!?!” (Told ya, your cool has officially left the building).
“Well then”……your server responds with a cheeky grin-wink combo miraculously diffusing the entire tension-filled situation, “Why didn’t you just say so?” He tosses your croutons across the table at your cousins face (she deserves it) and promptly replaces your plate with mouth-watering fresh-from-heaven bread, creamy butter and a decadent selection of cheeses. (THAT’S what I’m talking about!) Need I remind you, this is only the FIRST course? More goodness is coming!
“If you wanted more…….you simply needed to ask” your server is desperately trying to hold back a grin.
Well. (Your cool has returned at this point to which you cheerily respond…..)
“I want everything this meal could possibly offer, no holds barred for me. I. Want. It. All. ALL! ……hold nothing back! Aaaaand thank you in advance”
(We all knew it, you’re a feisty one)
“Coming right up” your sassy server responds.
Sigh, this IS going to be a fantastic evening.
Friends, I don’t think this is anything less than a metaphor for the rich feast that a lifestyle of going deeper with Jesus offers us. We settle for crumbs, and he is ready to give us a feast. If we want more, we need to ask, seek and knock for more. The invitation to the feast has been sent, it’s up to us to ask for more, and go after it. Our response will cost us, but the goodness of the feast is worth any price we will pay.
I’ve been asked ONE question a countless number of times. I’ve mentored women in ministry for over 2 decades, led discipleship programs and worked overseas in missions for 15+ years……and it’s always the THE question that everyone, and everything comes back to:
“How do I go deeper in my walk with Jesus?”
I’ll be honest, it’s not that I’m unfamiliar with the question, I just struggle to give a condensed answer. Part of me just wants to state the obvious “Ummmmm, just go deeper?!?” and like those annoying people who answer questions about what a word means by using the word to define itself, it just ends up giving us more confusion than clarity. That’s not helpful for anyone. There isn’t a secret sauce, and yet there is. We want to take a Jesus-multivitamin but instead of a quick fix, God invites us to grow a garden. To plant, cultivate, weed, tend and even fertilize what needs to grow. A vibrant garden is full of plants, herbs and trees with roots that go DEEP. Here’s what I’m offering….I want to help/encourage/inspire you to go deeper with Jesus in any way shape or form that I can. So I’m starting a series for the next four weeks about the essentials I’ve learned that have help us go deeper, learn more, lean in more and invigorate the feast of knowing Jesus.
Here’s where we’re going:
Time in His Presence
Time in his presence is EXACTLY that- time with Jesus. It’s not time to just read about him, dump your heart and head off into your day. It’s time spent in adoration, in conversation. Talking and listening. Giving and receiving. Every rich relationship is a two way street, and you can’t expect your time with Jesus to be anything less. It’s a dance, a rhythm, a discipline and most of all it’s the beauty of intimacy unfolding because it all comes back to this: its all about being WITH Jesus.
Time in the Word
There is no doubt about it, every believer NEEDS time in God’s word to grow. The Word of God comforts our aches, soothes our wounds, provides truth in a world of lies and convicts us to lead a godly lifestyle. But getting to know Jesus isn’t just about putting our time in, as much as it is getting to know the living Word himself. The Bible is a powerful weapon, and it’s a love letter. It reveals the heart, vision, and mission of the Father- to reconcile us back to himself through the Son. We read the Word to better understand the Author of the Word.
Time in Prayer
Our time in prayer is an invitation to release our heart to Jesus and watching him work in wonder in power. Sometimes he answers the way we want, and sometimes he doesn’t. But if we look at prayer for what it is: conversation with Jesus, then we are looking at it differently. It’s time to talk. It’s time to listen. It’s time to ask, seek and knock……and it’s a time to lay burdens down while picking up what God calls us to do. Any angle you examine, the lines all lead back to the truth: prayer is an essential part of going deeper.
Time to Get Creative
Creativity is an extension of time spent with our Creator. Yes, I am talking about painting, drawing, pouring candles, writing songs, remastering a spreadsheet (yep, that’s creative too!) or baking something delightful. But it doesn’t stop there. Time to get creative is about the extension of our time with Jesus. It’s listening and obeying. It’s the creative leap into what Jesus is prompting you to do. It’s about being filled up to be poured out however Jesus leads you, and in whatever form that takes in your life. It can be as simple as giving a $20 bill away, to changing how you spend your day, to leaving the job you’re in to live the calling he has for you. Being creative is an extension of intimacy because it encompasses the “Go” that we are invited to fulfill. Being creative is our obedience to whatever and however Jesus prompts you to be a light in the world.
Did any of these points hit home for you? Are you drawn to one more than the other? As we tackle one pillar each week for the next month, I’m praying you will be challenged and encouraged. I hope you’ll see the value of what it is invest in your walk with Jesus so that you grow and go deeper on a daily basis. There’s a feast waiting for us friends, let’s dig in together!
Much love,
Joy