Intentionally Intense

Luke 4:42 At daybreak Jesus went out to a solitary place. The people were looking for him, and when they came to where he was, they tried to keep him from leaving them.
 
HOW good it would be that all Christians are as the people of Capernaum were that day. They had heard Jesus’ preaching, and they had witnessed demons cast out. People were miraculously healed!. Jesus, fully God and fully man, was intentionally intense with his people to, “Proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” (Luke 4:19). Our Lord gave all of himself short of the cross. Then the Jews wanted more.
    And why wouldn’t they? You certainly want more of such a God as this, don’t you? Or do you?
    Could it be we don’t want all of Jesus? Perhaps we want all his love, but we set aside his challenging commands. We especially put aside the ones that remind us of our personal faith challenges. Possibly we love his sacrifice, but we stop short of our own sacrificial living.
    Yes, we can know in our heat that wanting more of Jesus is to be our greatest desire. But we may feel that being with Jesus can challenge us too much. Is it difficult to be next to his perfection? Too easily, it seems, we abruptly stray into our own pathway. With regret and sometimes shame, we wonder, “Will I ever get it right?”
    The answer, of course, is that we will not live perfectly. So acknowledge that and know this: Jesus knows about you. That’s why he has been – and still is – intentionally intense to welcome you to, “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:29-30)
    Jesus knows you need him to hold your hand, to embrace you as you walk through your daily challenges. Welcome his outstretched arm and allow his embrace to keep you in his purity.  
    Be mindful Jesus’ great love for you caused him to become shame and guilt, so he could remove those chains from your soul forever.
    Yes, you should want him to stay – always teaching your` mind, always strengthening your heart, always encouraging your soul.
 
Prayer: Thank you, Jesus, for being intentionally intense to stay with me, so I may stay with you forever. Amen.