I am Thine, oh Lord
I have heard your voice
And it told your love to me
But I long to rise in the arms of faith
And be closer drawn to Thee

If I could a draw a picture of what I see in my mind that my life with Jesus looks like, I would draw a road. On this road Jesus and I are walking side by side and we are talking together as we travel. It’s a lot like the pictures I’ve seen of Jesus on the road to Emmaus. It’s a dirt road and Jesus is dressed in white robes and sandals. I of course am wearing jeans. There is truth in this picture for I am on a journey with the Lord. Not to Emmaus, but to the prize. To sanctification. To eternity with him. To the finish of my faith. As it says in 1 Corinthians 13:12 “For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face; now I know in part, but then shall I know even as also I am known.”

But this scripture reminds me of another picture I would see in the hallway of church growing up. I was always drawn to the picture and would stand looking at it all the time. It’s the picture of Jesus standing at a door and knocking. “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.” Revelations 3:20 This is also a very true picture of my life. First for my call to salvation, but also throughout my life as he calls me to come and eat with him, to sup with him, to have fellowship with him, to talk, to get to know him better. To know him as also I am known.

Oh the pure delight of a single hour
That before your throne I spend
When I kneel in prayer, and with Thee, my God
I commune as friend with friend!

I have a tendency to look upon my life with guilt. I do not spend enough time with God. I’m not in his Word enough. I’m easily distracted. I let selfish things come before him. I do not spend enough time in prayer. I can resolve again and again to get better, but I often fail. I do repent of these failures, but it’s always the picture of my journey with Jesus that comes back to mind. I can’t look back on this road and see any time when I’m walking alone. He doesn’t desert me when I desert him. He’s still there, speaking my name, waiting to commune with me when I’m ready and willing to listen. And oh how sweet it is when I do! Daily his mercy and steadfast love are true. Great indeed is his faithfulness to me.

Consecrate me now to your service, Lord,
By the power of grace divine
Let my soul look up with a steadfast hope
And my will be lost in Thine.

I am so easily distracted, but there is One right beside me so beautiful I wonder how my eyes can ever wander. Speaking of God’s Word Psalm 19:10 says, “More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also then honey and drippings of the honeycomb.” Oh, like the hymn says, let my soul look up, look up with steadfast hope. May my eyes turn to Jesus. May my ears be opened to hear. May my will be lost in His.

My moments with the Lord are hard to describe. There is beauty and sweetness beyond compare. By grace, I don’t have spend all my time trying to reach him, I just have to open the door. He’s always right there, walking beside me, ready to commune with me. Friend to friend – oh, how can it be? Yet it is true. I turn my head to see, to listen, and He is always there. He died to save me, to make me His own, to call me friend. Oh that I would more and more ignore the world’s siren call, and listen to the sweet voice of my Friend. His cross and his wounds he suffered, he suffered them for me. To save me and to make me his own. To walk beside me on this journey towards a life more filled with him. So he could come in and eat with me and me with him. So He could speak to my soul life and hope and peace and love beyond degree.

Draw me nearer, nearer blessed Lord
To the cross where Thou hast died;
Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer blessed Lord
To Thy precious, bleeding side