Read John 14:22-24. Circle the words that stand out to you. What is the Lord saying to you?
22 Then Judas (not Judas Iscariot) said, “But, Lord, why do you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world?”
23 Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. 24 Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.
Reflections on the Word.
Most Christians know Revelations 3:10, that our Savior Jesus Christ stands at our door’s heart and knocks. Jesus does not force His way into our live. But we do have to respond to Him. It’s like there is no door handle on the outside of the door to our lives. Only you and I can open that door to let Jesus in so that we can have true fellowship with Him.
Did you notice anything about the Father? Jesus also says that the Father will not only show Himself to us, but also make His home in us. Jesus said this, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and WE will come to them and make OUR home with them.”
What a privilege given to us that the Father loves us! We know that from John 3:16, but did you know that the Father desires to make His home with us. We can actually experience the presence of God and His love for us. Jesus says that We will come and make our home with them. Every believer can have fellowship with Jesus and the Father. A privilege given to those who love Jesus and obey His commands.
Could it be that we don’t experience the presence of God with us because we are not truly loving Jesus by obeying His commands? Could we be deluding ourselves into thinking that we are walking in the Light, but we are actually living in the shadows? If God isn’t real to us, the problem may not be with God’s reluctance to reveal Himself to us, but our reluctance in obeying the commands of Jesus.
If you want to experience God, we must come into the Light and walk in the Light. I believe that we can experience the presence of God, even the power of God in our lives when we walk with Jesus. Jesus invites us to experience Him and fellowship with Him. Are you willing to accept the invitation of Jesus that He and the Father will come and make their home with us? I trust that you will.
-Kingston