He yearns jealously over the Spirit that He has made to dwell in us.” (James 4:58 NKJV) 

To fellowship with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is to be intensely desired day in and day out, for only in His presence is where fullness of joy is found.   Many of us may think that when our hearts’ desires, apart from His presence, are met, we get fully satisfied, hmmmm … we may have to rethink and renew our thinking.  Yes, we surely will enjoy and have a blast, but the fulfillment and satisfaction can never be compared to being and solely basking in His presence, desiring nothing else but Him.

I love the account in the Bible about two disciples, not of the eleven, who were traveling the same day Jesus rose from the dead to a village called Emmaus, which was seven miles from Jerusalem.  As they talked together, conversed and even reasoned what just happened, Jesus drew near and went with them, but their eyes were restrained from recognizing Him. 

Jesus asked them, “What kind of conversation is this that you have with one another as you walk and are sad?” (Luke 24:17)  They answered Him about the things concerning “Jesus of Nazareth”, how He came, perceived to be a Prophet, mighty in word and in deed, condemned to death and was crucified.  But, today, after three days, certain women of our company, who arrived at the tomb early, astonished us, for they did not find His body.  They had seen a vision of angels who said “He was alive”.  Then Jesus expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself, yet He was still unknown to these two.

As they drew near to the village, they found Jesus’ gesture indicating to go further, but they asked Him to stay with them and He did.

“Now it came to pass, as He sat at the table with them, that He took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they knew Him; and He vanished from their sight.  And they said to one another, “Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?” (Luke 24:30-32)

To their excitement and amazement, they rose up that very hour and returned to Jerusalem.  They had the adrenalin to walk back seven miles just as so they could tell the others about the things that had happened with them on the road, and how He was known to them in the breaking of the bread.

Powerfully encountering Jesus infuses us with supernatural strength to go and share with others what He has done.

Do you know that when we fellowship, talk about His Word and share our testimonies of His goodness and faithfulness, He draws near?  I have noticed it many times that when we get together and make Him as the subject of our conversation, there are countless revelations that come forth, revealing more of Himself as we speak.  Oh how it always fills me with all joy and enlarges me each time.

Just as those two disciples were talking about Jesus while walking, Jesus drew near.  There was even no mention of Him being invited by prayer.  They were merely talking about Him. Because He was the center of their attention and affection, He came and drew near.  Amazing!

When Jesus motioned to go farther, they invited Him to stay and He did.

When they partook of communion, their eyes were opened to the truth of Who has been with them all along, no one less than our King Jesus.

Indeed, The Lord our God is more eager to fellowship with us than us wanting to fellowship with Him.

Lately, I had a thought-inquiry why I have this constant ache of pursuing Him in His Word.  The hunger is constantly intense in which I am greatly grateful for, for I do not desire to lose my wonder of Him as He speaks through His surprising ways.  What amazes me is that He is so mindful of us that even with our passing thought He catches and answers it.  Ohhh .. what a Savior, Wonderful Jesus!  Praise to the King of kings.

I asked Him, “Why do I always yearn for more and more of You, Lord?” 

It is an insatiable desire, yet fully satisfying when a fresh and new revelation of Himself comes. Indeed, our intellect can only go as much, as these things cannot be mindfully or intellectually comprehended, but only spiritually discerned. We truly live not by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from His mouth.

Almost immediately, this was His response in the Word, “The Spirit that God breathed into our hearts is a Jealous Lover Who intensely desires to have more and more of us.”  (James 4:58 TPT )

Ohhh …  so our desire of Him is only a response to His intense desire for more and more of us.  He said, “You have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you and I have appointed you [I have planted you], that you might go and bear fruit and keep on bearing, and that your fruit may be lasting [that it may remain, abide], so that whatever you ask the Father in My Name [as presenting all that I Am], He may give it to you.” (John 15:16 AMPC)

Do you know that after this powerful revelation, every time I set my heart toward Him, He comes and makes Himself tangibly known? Why? Because, now, I know that He is more desirous of me than me of Him. Oh how He eagerly waits for us to be aware of His ever-present presence and acknowledge Him in all of our ways.

The Lord, through the Holy Spirit dwelling in us, has set His heart for more and more of us, because the more we know Him, the more we become like Him.  After all, we were created according to His image and likeness, and for us to know Who He is, we fellowship with Him in His Word and His Word is His thoughts and His will.  His Word is the system of His ways and He is exceedingly delightful to reveal Himself to us when we seek Him with all of our hearts.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for giving us Jesus all because of Your great love for us. We know that apart from Him, we can never have the boldness to come to Your throne and fellowship with You through Your Spirit.

Thank You, Jesus, for saying “Yes” to do the Father’s will, that we may be able to abide in You and Your word to abide in us because You made us Your holy habitations by the shedding of Your precious blood.

Thank You, Holy Spirit, for always giving us wisdom in the knowledge of Who Jesus is. Truly, when we know and receive Jesus as our Lord and Savior, everything changes and that change postures us to yearn for more of Him. Amen!

Photo Credits: Edna Arriola; NZ