Life with Jesus is always an adventure! Giving and living our lives to and for Jesus isn’t easy. He even told us that. Life with Jesus may not always be easy, but He never leaves us alone in our struggles. In fact, He is with us every moment if we simply open our eyes to see Him. During this recent Lenten season on my social media, I’ve explored some of the ways God is with us as we live our life with Jesus.
Surprising
“But forget all that—
it is nothing compared to what I am going to do.
For I am about to do something new.
See, I have already begun! Do you not see it?
I will make a pathway through the wilderness.
I will create rivers in the dry wasteland. ~Isaiah 43:18-19
Surprises can take many forms. Sometimes they are small and serendipitous and we think, “that was fun”! We may not even acknowledge it was God, but upon reflection, we see His handiwork. Other times, surprises are big and difficult, and we wonder or ask why He’s allowing them to occur. But God’s ways are not ours and how Jesus lived His life is the perfect example of this. God is always doing new and surprising things, even those we may not desire or understand. Choosing to live life with Jesus includes paying attention to all the surprises He has for us, good or not-so-good. Each has a purpose in His plan for us and when we lean into His presence, we see that plan unfold. Watch for something surprising from God today!
Speaking
“The Lord came and stood there, calling as at the other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” Then Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.”” ~1 Samuel 3:10 NIV
Life with Jesus includes Him speaking to us. While we may not audibly hear Him like Moses or His disciples, He is still speaking. God is speaking in that perfect Bible verse in a hard moment, a timely or needed message, and His still, small voice in the silence. When God speaks, are we actively listening and obeying? I’m guilty of not always doing this. I seek and pray, but don’t always wait and listen for what He speaks back to me. Or I hear, but don’t follow through. Samuel didn’t recognize God’s voice at first, but once he did, he listened and obeyed. May we do the same.
Shepherding
“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” ~John 10:27 NLT
The Lord is my Shepherd…we’ve memorized and said it many times. Jesus even described Himself as our Good Shepherd, but what does this truly mean? Essentially, it signifies He’s leading us, so the logical question is, are we following? Additionally, do we appreciate all He does for us as our Shepherd? Loving, caring, protecting, providing, and and even sacrificing for us is what our Shepherd does. May we gratefully and dutifully follow and obey as His sheep.
Showing
Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. ~Proverbs 3:6 NLT
Life with Jesus often includes an inaudible feeling to look at the sunrise, notice a child, pay attention to a Bible verse, or really see something we may not otherwise. God shows us a myriad of things daily. Are we noticing them? When we seek Him, we find Him and He shows us the path to take. That includes the things we’re nudged to notice as we busily go about our lives. May we be open His divine interruptions and what He’s showing us every day.
Seeking
If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me. ~Jeremiah 29:13 NLT
God created us to live in community with Him and all believers. While God wants to lead us, He will not force us to seek Him. Instead, He says when we look for Him, we will find Him. To live life with Jesus and follow, we must first seek. We cannot follow Someone we cannot see, and we cannot see if we don’t look for or seek Him. How are you seeking Jesus today?
Stewarding
God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. ~Ephesians 2:8 NLT
Life with Jesus includes Him surprising us, speaking to us, shepherding, and showing us Himself. If we honestly seek Him, we will find him. Plus, when we declare Him as our Savior, we will live with Him eternally-what a gift! As His children, our future is secure and we need not strive. Instead, we live life with Jesus and steward all the gifts we’ve been given well.
Stewarding well is what I’m focusing on this year. We have been given God’s gracious gift of salvation and so much more. How can we use our lives to steward all we’ve been given well? It starts with paying attention to and following. Let’s start today as we steward well this life with Jesus.