Today we come to the end of our study of Jesus prayer to the Father as
we look at the Son's final request…
John 17:24-26 (KJV)
Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where
I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou
lovedst me before the foundation of the world. O righteous Father, the
world hath not known thee: but I have known thee, and these have known
that thou hast sent me. And I have declared unto them thy name, and will
declare it: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them,
and I in them.
Christ, as one with the Father, desires all who had been given to Him
should be brought to heaven to be with Him, and there all the redeemed
might behold the glory God gave Jesus. How sweet that day will be when
we witness the Lord's tribute and praise of His Son! The love between
father and child has a drawing effect. I say that because every Saturday
my husband takes one of our three children out alone for a breakfast date.
Each of the boys usually likes to bring along a chess game to play with
their dad. Many times there have been people in the restaurant observing
their special father/son time together and the love they share and have
approached my husband to say how good it is to view their enjoyment of
one another, as well as state it's rarity! These valuable moments have
led to great opportunities for my husband to share the Lord with nearly
every person who has spoken to him. Where love reigns, the very joy of
heaven is felt… Jesus stated above that He wanted those He loved to be
with Him. Ladies, as a parent, do you have Jesus attitude toward your
children - those that God has given you - or are you always trying to
escape or avoid their company?? In spite of the fact that you may be a
"stay-at-home-Mom", can folks tell by your example that you want your
children to be with you? Do your interactions with them prove your love
for them, or is your parent/child relationship as common as any other
in this world?
Psalm 113:9 (KJV)
He maketh the barren woman to keep house, and to be a joyful mother of
children. Praise ye the Lord.
Ladies, two areas that women typically struggle the most are the area
of housekeeping and mothering. Our joy in both areas is not what it should
be! To be barren is to be inactive, unproductive, fruitless, and desolate.
Would you have the courage to admit that you are "barren" when it comes
to keeping a tidy, organized home and/or in your cheerfulness as a mother?
If so, the Bible teaches us that GOD can make us experts at both! If you
haven't become proficient as a housekeeper or joyful as a mother, then
you need to deepen your relationship with the Lord, for they are qualities
born of a divine nature… (2 Peter 1:3-4) It's as simple as that! You don't
need to buy two more Christian books that deal with these particular issues;
you need GOD and His Word! He'll make you what you ought to be…
2 Peter 1:8 (KJV)
For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall
neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The grace of God affords us the ability to rise above our own deficient
nature and live in the power of His holy nature. The Lord is a diligent
"house-keeper" and a very joyful parent! (I expect Heaven will be very
clean and orderly, don't you?) As I reviewed our opening text, I thought
about how one of the sweetest things about heaven will be that you and
I will finally be able to observe our heavenly Father and the Son of God
together and the love that exists between them. Though we have witnessed
their relationship amid the pages of the Bible, I know I will still be
extremely convicted as a parent when I witness their relationship in its
fullest manifestation! There is no doubt that the Father, before the foundation
of the world, loved Jesus - now that's security, amen? And ladies, many
wonderful and powerful promises belong to us because we belong to Christ…
Romans 8:37-39 (KJV)
Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that
loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels,
nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate
us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
It's only natural that when you have a wonderful, secure relationship
with your father, you can't help but wish others could experience the
same strength and joy it provides you. Psalm 4:7 says, "Thou hast put
gladness in my heart…" If this is true for us as children of God, we should
desire as strongly as Jesus did that others could observe the intimacy
we share with the Lord. Christ's will must become our will. By the way,
have your children seen you become a conqueror and achieve success as
a faithful housekeeper and happy mother? If not, why should they believe
the love of God would benefit them if it hasn't perfected you?? Let's
never lose sight of the fact that our relationship with the Lord should
spill over into our family relationships and become a testimony to this
lost and dying world of what the love of God in our hearts and in our
homes!
1 John 2:5 (KJV)
But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected:
hereby know we that we are in him.
Would you say that the joy of heaven is felt as folks observe your interactions
with your children? How do you respond to them when you are on the phone
with somebody? "Hush up, I'm on the phone!" How do you treat them when
company is over? "Not now, I'm busy!" How do you answer their trivial
questions in public? "Just be quiet till we get home!" One of the things
that most impresses this world is the way Christians love each other and
live together in harmony. What people see in us is what they will believe
about God. (Including your children!) The lost world can't see God - but
they can see you and I! Ladies, if you sincerely care about others, you
will care that people get the right perspective of the Lord through your
life. Are there any issues that you need to deal with in order that your
life might be a shining, loving testimony? Would you feel safe with God
if He weren't so good to Jesus?? We are to live as Christ lived - so that
others would know how strong the love of God really is and how good God
is to His own…
2 Peter 1:17 (KJV)
For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came
such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son,
in whom I am well pleased.
What type of voice comes to your children from your lips? What type of
voice comes to you from their lips? The Bible teaches that the nature
of our communications must have roots in excellent glory! As parents treat
their children decently and children treat their parents with the same
honorable respect, this world will sit up and take notice of the glory
and grace of God in action. Yet how many Bible believing families are
able to provide the world with a balanced example? Truth and love must
go together… It has certainly been a blessing for me to review this prayer
in John chapter 17 of the spiritual priorities that were in the Savior's
heart and should be fixed in our hearts as well. What an incentive for
spiritual growth!
God Bless,
Pam
Isaiah 60:1&2
Copyright 2000 Pamela A. Iannello
Revised 2003
