My first venture into scuba diving was at night in a foreign country. I was with a group of four and my flashlight battery died as we descended about one hundred feet. It didn’t seem like a problem until I took my eyes off everyone else to watch a lobster scurry around, and then I found myself completely alone!!! Alone, afraid, and lost. The feeling of fear made my heart pound out of my chest. My friends thought it would be fun to turn off their lights and hide, but without their light, I was alone and afraid.
Contrast my experience with John 1:2 — Jesus was with God in the beginning. We can understand that to be the beginning of the world, but there is so much more. Jesus was always with God. Always is a long time; it is forever. The relational aspect of being with or being together is really what we need. We all have this desperate need to be with God and it is John’s simple words that really stand out since Jesus is the way to be with God. Jesus secures us as God’s children, (John 1:12) He allows us to be fully adopted sons and daughters, (Eph. 1:5) and He gives us a new home. (Phil. 3:20) This means just as Jesus and God have always been together, we get to be with them, always.
Being with Jesus is my hope. Because He is with me, I can step confidently into each day in this life. Just as the branch is connected to and sustained by the vine, being with Jesus gives us everything we need. The amazing fact we can hold onto is that Jesus chose to be with us! In John 15:16 Jesus tells us that we did not choose — He chose us. He chose to lay down his life in love, (John 15:13) just so we could be his friends. (John 15:16) Because Jesus chose me, I am filled with hope for today.
I want you to take a moment to think about what it means to be “with” Jesus each day. Think about how much it meant to Jesus to be “with” God. Will you take time today to write out a few things about why being with Jesus is important to you and then thank Him for choosing you?
Jesus, you chose me, you love me, and you are with me. Thank you for laying down your life so I can be with you always. Amen.
Jeremy Johnson
Pastor of Men’s Ministries