Recently I asked a dialogue group what God or
Christ was like to them, how did they perceive God. I received several answers,
but most of them could be reduced to what He was like in the moment of need, or
whatever the need of the moment was. That was what He was like to them. I even
agreed, but I have since come to realize that is a definition produced out of a
need, rather than simply Who He is. I repeat, what is God like to you?
As I have been writing this document, I
suddenly realized once again that my most fundamental knowledge of God is as a
Father. What a glorious reality the Lord Jesus opened to us when He told Mary to
tell the Disciples that He was going to His Father and that His Father was their
Father as well.
My precious earthly father gave me great
understanding about my heavenly Father. And I marvel at the fact that my
heavenly Father has given me access to the same intimacy, even much greater,
that I had with my earthly father.
I can remember one instance when I was a child that
I fell off the bed at night while sleeping. The fall seemed much greater than it
really was, but I remember as I was falling I cried out “Daddy!”. It seemed that
no sooner had I cried out, that he swept me off the floor into his arms and
said, “It’s alright son, Daddy’s here.” I simply knew he was always there.
I also remember on occasions when he would take his
belt and whip me, that I would grab his neck and hold onto him for dear life and
love on him while we both sobbed. I knew that every stroke was a stroke of love.
He demonstrated his love for me in a thousand ways.
I have a great measure of understanding of the
Scripture which states,
(Gal 4:6 KJV) “And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his
Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.”
When speaking of our heavenly Father, if the word
abba or ‘Daddy’ offends, I pray you may come to that sweet intimacy with
Him, when even His strokes of discipline become precious tokens of His love.
I have also come to realize that His reconciling us
to Himself was not basically to use us. His reconciling us was foremost
that He might have a loving family, a family whom He could pour out His love
upon and be loved in return. God is a Blessor! What true earthly father does not
want to bless his children in all things? How much more then our heavenly
Father’s heart is to bless His children! His children, us, are the
offspring of His infinite love. This is why on so many occasions that just being
still and quiet in His presence is enough without words or requests, or
questions. This is why the Psalmist could say:
(Psa 46:10 KJV) “Be still, and know that I am God. …”
Simply be still and know!
Yes, we are also His servants, even His bond
slaves, but our motivation to serve comes out of our heart’s awareness of His
love. Paul said it like this:
(2 Cor 5:14 KJV) “For the love of Christ constraineth (controls) us; …”
(Mat 11:28-30 KJV) “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden,
and I will give you rest.
{29} Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I
am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
{30} For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
I have been reading this passage for years, even
have it memorized, but I never saw something until recently. It was a sweet and
amazing revelation. Most other translations translate v. 29 as learn from
me. I would not try to debate the matter for I am persuaded it could, and may
mean both, of and from. But, I believe it has a more meaningful
significance than simply learning from Him. He is more than a mentor.
It is interesting that the last book of
the Bible gives us a clear definition. It states:
(Rev 21:3 KJV) “And I heard a great voice out
of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell
with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and
be their God.”
Isn’t it marvelous that part of His eternal purpose is simply to be with us, to
dwell with us. Throughout His dealings with man, God has always had a dwelling
place among His people. With early Israel it was the Tabernacle. Solomon built
the Temple in Jerusalem. Christ Himself was the Father’s dwelling place while He
was on earth.
The word dwelt in John 1:14 is the Greek word for tabernacle. We are now
His earthly temple
.
In eternity He will dwell among us.
When Jesus chose His disciples, the
Scripture says He chose them to be with Him.
They had to learn of Him to learn from Him. One of the greatest
revelations written in the Word came from the mouth of Simon Peter when he
declared “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.” That statement
came from a knowledge of Him. The testimony of Peter’s later life and
ministry is an out-working of this revelation.
The entire three verses (Matt. 11:28-30) speak of
something more than ministry skills or abilities. Verse 28 declares that He is
our rest. If you have never come into the reality of His rest, your walk
with Him is still infantile.
Rest is not inactivity, or detachment from life. It
is a rest from our personal agenda and activity and into His. It is described in
Vine’s Dictionary of NT Words as:
Christ's "rest" is not a "rest" from work, but in
work, "not the rest of inactivity but of the harmonious working of all the
faculties and affections-- of will, heart, imagination, conscience-- because
each has found in God the ideal sphere for its satisfaction and development"
Rest is part of our spiritual inheritance,
our provision as His children.
But verse 29 gives us real insight into
what He is like. He describes Himself as meek and lowly (gentle) in heart. These
are the characteristics of His heart. The Greek word kardia or heart is
recorded over 165 times in the New Testament. Only once does it refer to the
physical heart, and the other time refers to His being in the heart of the earth
for three days. In every other instance it is speaking of the motivatons, the
affections, the desires, which come out of the heart. So, out of His heart His
is meek and gentle.
I am seeing something else in this
passage. The only way we can truly learn of Him is in His yoke. Notice, Christ
did not say the yoke, but My yoke. It is His yoke, a yoke He
shares with us. The figure here is that of a young untrained, undisciplined oxen
being yoked with an older, seasoned oxen who knows the purpose of the yoke. The
older seasoned oxen breaks the younger oxen to the purpose of the yoke. Christ’s
meekness and gentleness can only be truly learned as we take His yoke upon us.
Learning meekness and gentleness is a discipline. After all, it is said of the
Lord Himself:
(Heb 5:8 KJV) “Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things
which he suffered; … “
It is precious to me not to be able to fully describe what the
heavenly Father and Son are like. I would not want you to simply take the word
of my experience in knowing Him. One cannot make a doctrine or teaching out of
the reality of intimacy with Him. It is something one must personally come to
know. But I also can anticipate with joy unspeakable that which the Scripture
declares.
(1 Cor 13:12 NASB) “For now we see in a mirror
dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I shall know fully
just as I also have been fully known.”
May the Lord grant you that insatiable
hunger and thirst to know Him. He will grant your desire, for He is your
heavenly Father!
(John 1:14 KJV) And the Word was
made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of
the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
