June 13, 2013 - John 1:18

            No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father’s side, has made Him known.  John 1:18

            Jesus, the One and Only God referred to in this verse, is the One who made God, the Father, known to the people around Him.  Because He came from being in the Father’s presence and then returned there, Jesus is the Only One to have ever seen God.  Jesus knew what the Father looked like, and He spoke with authority about His Heavenly Father because He knew Him, had heard His voice, and had been with Him.  There was intimacy in Their relationship.

            I readily admit that it has been a struggle for me, as I have longed to experience having a deeper sense of intimacy with God.  Unlike Jesus, I didn’t come from the Father’s presence in the same way that He did.  I don’t know what He looks like, for I have never seen Him.  And I don’t really hear Him speak to me in the same way that I hear my wife or children.  The way that I hear Him and the way that He becomes present and known to me is through the Bible, which is the assembly of the holy writings of many men over 1500 years and three continents.  It is through this collection of writings that I sense the Holy Spirit of God speaking to me and giving me a sense of who God, the Father, is.

            Questions to consider: Has the Father made Himself known to you?  If so, how does that happen in your life?  How intimate do you think Jesus was with God?  Do you struggle with intimacy with God?  Is there anything that Jesus did to be intimate with His Father that you could try to do?

            Prayer: Father, sometimes it’s difficult for me to be intimate with You, because I don’t see You or know that You hear me.   I believe, yet help my unbelief.  Draw me into Your presence and help me to be aware of You throughout my day.  Amen.