Recently I talked with someone who plainly told me that they did not see the benefits of spending time with Jesus. They could not understand how such a thing actually helps. What amazed me the most was that this person had stated that they had been a Christian for many years, but they were never properly taught about meditating and focusing on Jesus.
One of the analogies I shared with this person was a tree and sunlight. We are like the tree, and Jesus is like the sunlight. When we see Him we can grow, and thrive. Now along with being the sunlight, He also brings water to us through the Word and the Holy Spirit, which is often typified in the Bible as the Water of the Word, or “washing”.
Also beyond being sunlight and water, He is also the very Vine that we draw nutrients from.
At this point the person was intrigued and I shared with him John 15:1-7:
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.
Every branch in me that bears not fruit he took away: and every branch that bears fruit, he purges it, that it may bring forth more fruit.
Now you are clean through the word which I have spoken to you.
Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can you, except you abide in me.
I am the vine, you are the branches: He that abides in me, and I in him, the same brings forth much fruit: for without me you can do nothing.
If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.
If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, you will ask what you will, and it will be done to you.”
Of course all of this means absolutely nothing if we do not understand the references being made and exactly how Christ helps us. You see, after we accepted Christ and allowed Him to pay our sin debt and exchange our sin for His righteousness, we were made as the Bible says it “Children of the Promise”. Well now, the promise of what? All of them! We are promised every good thing, every blessing given to those who are righteous.
Now here’s how it all fits together… 2 Corinthians 3:18:
“But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.”
We have here this wonderful truth, that the more we behold the glory of Jesus, the more we are transformed into the very same image!
So this brings us back to the original question, what is the benefit of spending time with Jesus? Everything! So then how do we do it? How do we properly meditate on Him and abide in Him?
My friends, it is all about focus. When you read the Bible, do you try and learn what to do (the law, do’s an don’ts)? Or do you read to learn about Jesus Himself, what He has done for you and His glory? That makes all the difference between unfruitful reading and the kind of reading that will profit you. The more that we actually spend time with Him, the closer we get to Him and the more glory we will then be able to see. Just like with any object, the closer you get to it, the more detail you are able to appreciate. It is the same with Jesus.
Now to “abide in” Christ as the scripture in John 15 stated, means “to live in” as a house. Let’s go back and take another look at John 15:7:
“If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, you will ask what you will, and it will be done to you.”
So in essence, Jesus is saying, “If you live in me, and my words live in you, then you can ask anything and it will be done to you”. That’s powerful!
So many people miss the truth there though, they think about Christ often, but they don’t live in Him, and they still speak death instead of the words of life. See, His words are not in them, and so they are broken and defeated.
I encourage you today, spend time with Him, meditate on Him, think on Him and learn about Him. Make Him your complete dwelling place just like the songs we sang in worship! It benefits us in innumerable ways. And as we continue to see more and more of the details of Him, the more we are transformed into the same image.
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