2 May 2015 - so long

Have I been with you for so long a time
and you still do not know me, Philip? 

LORD, we have been with you for so long a time and yet we do not really know you.  In fact, we get used to you. We take you for granted. We don't realize that we are looking at the Father. We don't realize the truth of your divinity. If we did, there is no way we would treat you so casually. You would not just be one more item to check off of our to-do lists. You would not be just one thing to schedule in among the activities of our days. When we truly know that you are in the Father and the Father is in you we respond by making you the center of our lives. Time with you is not one activity among many. You long to be the structure of our daily lives. You are not one friend among many. You are the relationship without whom no other relationships work.

You are willing to do what it takes to awaken us to the truth of who you are. You are willing to do works for us when we are unable to take you at your word.

The LORD has made his salvation known:
in the sight of the nations he has revealed his justice.

You want to make your salvation known. Your salvation is predicated on you, the Savior. Without knowing who you are we can't know salvation. Without seeing you embody justice we can't know it at all.

You want to fill the whole world "with joy and the Holy Spirit". You want to make us "a light to the Gentiles" and "an instrument of salvation to the ends of the earth."

Jesus, don't let us take you for granted. Tell us that you are in the Father and he in you and let us believe you. If we are slow to believe let us look to the works that you never cease to do in our lives. In turn, we must be open to you working through us.

The whole world thinks they know you but they still do not know you. They still do not know that the Father is in you and you in him. But you want them to know. You want to make your salvation known in the sight of the nations. And when they are slow to recognize this truth you say "or else, believe because of the works themselves." We must be open to being channels of your works, that the Father may be glorified.

Amen, amen, I say to you,
whoever believes in me will do the works that I do,
and will do greater ones than these,
because I am going to the Father. 

You are going to the Father but you are not leaving the world without means to believe in you. We can still reach the promise the psalmist foresees:

All the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation by our God.
Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;
break into song; sing praise.