Daily Devotional – I’m Normal.™ I AM Ministries
“To promote Godly living in a culture committed to destroying it”
Thursday, May 19, 2016
Coming and Going
We often see Jesus depicted in images standing with outstretched arms. This pose intimates His welcoming nature to all who come to Him, and our Savior frequently commanded others to “Come”. When Jesus called His first disciples, He said “Come, follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” (Matthew 4:19). When He walked on water and wanted Peter to join Him, He simply bid Peter “Come”. (Matthew 14:29). And when the little children were brought to Jesus so He could place His hands on them and pray for them, He said “Let the little children come unto me.” (Matthew 19:14).
As Savior, Jesus wishes us all to come to Him so we may know His love and salvation. He provides us comfort and welcomes us into His presence. He promises in Revelation 3:20, “If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him.” Jesus places a high value on fellowship with Him and our close, personal relationship that can only occur when we come to Him.
As important as this action is, our personal relationship is not just about coming to Him. After we have come to Him, one of the things He commands us to do most often is to “Go”. After Jesus revealed Himself to the Samaritan woman at the well, He commanded her to “Go, and call your husband and come back (John 4:16). After He saved the woman caught in the act of adultery, He commanded her to “Go now and leave your life of sin.” (John 8:11). And when Jesus sent out the seventy-three, He told them to “Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves.” (Luke 10:3).
Jesus sends us a clear message – our relationship with Him is one of both coming and going. He wants us to come to Him for salvation. He wants us to come to Him for our strength. But He also wants us to go out on His behalf and to tell the world He is LORD and to spread the Good News of the Gospel, as per His command in the Great Commission, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” (Matthew 28:19).
Jesus tells us a normal relationship with Him includes both coming and going. He wants us to come to His Church. He wants us to come to Bible study, prayer meetings, and personal fellowship with Him. But He shows us in the Bible how it is just as normal for us to go out and to tell others about Him, about our faith in Him, and how He is working actively in our lives. When we have completed our task, He welcomes us back into His loving arms.
The image of Jesus standing with outstretched arms welcomes us, but it can also be one of imminent dismissal. With outstretched arms, He may be just about to shoo us away and to tell us to “Go” so we can do His work. In reality, He never leaves us, nor we Him. While we are out doing His work, He is always with us in our hearts and will never leave us or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5).
Does your relationship with Jesus include times of both coming and going? If so, know that He is smiling on you. If not, know that He wishes you to come to Him for the strength you need to go and help others. He wants your relationship with Him to be normal so it includes both coming and going.
In His love and service,
Jeff Myers
A servant of Jesus Christ
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