John 18:1-11 | What am I going to do about it?

I am sure the on going theme of what the Lord has been working in me is becoming apparent. As I have been going through the Gospel of John, I have been looking very closely at the relationship that Jesus has with the Father. As Jesus prayed in John 17, there is a desire in Jesus for us to experience that with the Father. I want to experience the level of relationship the Lord has set out for us. Believing Jesus to be the greatest model for us in that leads me to examine what His relationship with the Father looks like. It is one that is heavily built on the trust of the Father. Even when the Father is leading Him to capture and death, Jesus places His trust and faith in Him.

Another thing that is apparent in the way Jesus interacts with the Father, and this passage also makes it clear, is that He is listening for the Father and looking for His direction. Jesus knew when His time was and when it wasn't. He knew when the Father said go and when He said no. This is part of what it means to be close to the Father. How can I be close to my wife without ever listening for her? Perhaps more importantly, how can I say I love my wife if I never care to do what pleases her?

So as I take from Jesus' model, I am challenged in two practical directions. I need to listen for the Father's leading and cultivate that time in prayer and in the word, and I need to trust the Lord. These may seem like basic Christian disciplines, and they are. But they are something we should be continually growing in. My prayer for myself and for you is that we would heed the voice of the Lord with confidence and zeal.

What application are you implementing today?