Bob Hodgdon's Blog
Sunday, January 22, 2006
Gazing at Jesus
As most of you know, I’m really into the intimacy with God. I want to share a couple of things with you all that may help and show what I’m talking about.
The word GAZE means: : to fix the eyes in a steady intent look often with eagerness or studious attention.
It also means to STARE: to look at with a searching or earnest gaze.
So having this in mind, let’s continue…
Remember the story in Numbers 21:4 – 9 where the Israelites where in the wilderness and they were complaining about being in the wilderness and having no food or water and they even said that their “souls loathed this worthless bread”, which was the Bread from Heaven (Manna). God sent fiery serpents and whoever was bitten by one of these serpents, died. The people, realizing their sin asked Moses to intercede on their behalf that the serpents would stop and they would not die. After Moses interceded for the people (again), God told Moses to make a BRONZE FIERY SERPENT and God told Moses to place this serpent on a pole, that all who had been bitten by the serpents could LOOK ON, or GAZE or STARE at this BRONZE FIERY SERPENT, that God told Moses to make, and the person who was LOOKING, GAZING OR STARING at this serpent on a pole, would not die.
Now let’s look at John 3:14, 15… Jesus is speaking here and had just spoken to Nicodemus about how one “can see the kingdom of God”. Jesus goes on to say, in verse 14; “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the son Man be lifted up, v15. that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life”. Why would Jesus liken himself to this particular instance in History? Jesus was trying to show His disciples how to see the Kingdom of God. Also, on how to be saved from the death of sin. As the Israelites looked, gazed and stared at this serpent, they would not die, so if we continually gaze, stare and look on our Lord and Savior, we too shall be saved. But there is more…
We come into the Kingdom of God by gazing, staring or looking upon the Son of God to the extent that as we are gazing, staring or looking upon Him. Everything around us fades away until all we see is our Lord and Savior. Remember when you first met your spouse, how you could spend hours just looking at each other? Nothing could bother you and nothing in this world could draw you away from them. If you focus on a clock on the wall and look so intently at this clock, eventually everything in the room will fade. Even if there is noise or other people in the room, these will fade until you become so fixed on what you are looking at, to the point there is only you and that clock on the wall in that place. So, we come to Jesus in that way. If we will look, gaze or stare at Jesus, eventually, it will come, that only He and you are in that place. This my friends, is the place of intimacy. When you and your Lord have come to a place where there is no one, and where nothing can separate you from Jesus, there is intimacy . When everything in this world has been shut out (the cares of the world, the problems of life, your job, all that consumes us in this world are shut out) and you and Jesus are alone, together, there is intimacy. Now you are in “YADA” time with your Lord. Jesus can now become intimate with you.
Our Lord is gracious, and would have it that all would come to His Glory and that none would perish. God is the same yesterday, today and forever, so when the plans were made in the beginning for us to be intimate with our Heavenly Father in the garden, and if His plan is for those who believe in Him is to spend eternity with Him in Heaven, then this principle has to be true for today. God is seeking those who are seeking Him. Jesus said to ASK (it will be given to you), SEEK (and you shall find) and KNOCK (and it will be open to you). Wouldn’t it be great to ask Jesus to show Himself to us, to seek Him and to find Him, and to Knock and have all the doors of Heaven opened to us? Think about that for a moment. No secrets, only intimacy with our Lord.
Seek the Lord with your whole soul, body and mind and come to a place of intimacy that you and Jesus share. Are we truly seeking God, or are we satisfied with what we have? Do we really want to know Him as He want to expose Himself to us? If you are intimate with your husband or wife, how many secrets are shared between you? Our Father in Heaven has many secrets He wants to share with us. But like us, how can we share our feelings, our hearts, our minds and our bodies with someone we don’t know? Jesus wants us to know him, intimately. We are the bride and He is our Bridegroom. How dare we marry someone we don’t know. We are engaged to be married. We have to know everything about our groom. The thing is, He wants us to know everything about Himself.
May we come into intimacy with you Lord Jesus. I want to know everything about you. I desire to look upon Your face and to share my heart with you. I desire more so to know your heart for me. Lord Jesus, I gaze upon your beauty that I might be known by you. Lord, you said that if I come to you I would be found by you. I desire, I seek to be found by you, that I may see you more clearly. I desire to have your heart and your desire, Lord Jesus. Reveal yourself to me in that quiet place, that secret place, where I find you, the lover of my soul. Make me a sweet smelling aroma, a living sacrifice for you Lord. I love you Jesus, Amen.
The word GAZE means: : to fix the eyes in a steady intent look often with eagerness or studious attention.
It also means to STARE: to look at with a searching or earnest gaze.
So having this in mind, let’s continue…
Remember the story in Numbers 21:4 – 9 where the Israelites where in the wilderness and they were complaining about being in the wilderness and having no food or water and they even said that their “souls loathed this worthless bread”, which was the Bread from Heaven (Manna). God sent fiery serpents and whoever was bitten by one of these serpents, died. The people, realizing their sin asked Moses to intercede on their behalf that the serpents would stop and they would not die. After Moses interceded for the people (again), God told Moses to make a BRONZE FIERY SERPENT and God told Moses to place this serpent on a pole, that all who had been bitten by the serpents could LOOK ON, or GAZE or STARE at this BRONZE FIERY SERPENT, that God told Moses to make, and the person who was LOOKING, GAZING OR STARING at this serpent on a pole, would not die.
Now let’s look at John 3:14, 15… Jesus is speaking here and had just spoken to Nicodemus about how one “can see the kingdom of God”. Jesus goes on to say, in verse 14; “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the son Man be lifted up, v15. that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life”. Why would Jesus liken himself to this particular instance in History? Jesus was trying to show His disciples how to see the Kingdom of God. Also, on how to be saved from the death of sin. As the Israelites looked, gazed and stared at this serpent, they would not die, so if we continually gaze, stare and look on our Lord and Savior, we too shall be saved. But there is more…
We come into the Kingdom of God by gazing, staring or looking upon the Son of God to the extent that as we are gazing, staring or looking upon Him. Everything around us fades away until all we see is our Lord and Savior. Remember when you first met your spouse, how you could spend hours just looking at each other? Nothing could bother you and nothing in this world could draw you away from them. If you focus on a clock on the wall and look so intently at this clock, eventually everything in the room will fade. Even if there is noise or other people in the room, these will fade until you become so fixed on what you are looking at, to the point there is only you and that clock on the wall in that place. So, we come to Jesus in that way. If we will look, gaze or stare at Jesus, eventually, it will come, that only He and you are in that place. This my friends, is the place of intimacy. When you and your Lord have come to a place where there is no one, and where nothing can separate you from Jesus, there is intimacy . When everything in this world has been shut out (the cares of the world, the problems of life, your job, all that consumes us in this world are shut out) and you and Jesus are alone, together, there is intimacy. Now you are in “YADA” time with your Lord. Jesus can now become intimate with you.
Our Lord is gracious, and would have it that all would come to His Glory and that none would perish. God is the same yesterday, today and forever, so when the plans were made in the beginning for us to be intimate with our Heavenly Father in the garden, and if His plan is for those who believe in Him is to spend eternity with Him in Heaven, then this principle has to be true for today. God is seeking those who are seeking Him. Jesus said to ASK (it will be given to you), SEEK (and you shall find) and KNOCK (and it will be open to you). Wouldn’t it be great to ask Jesus to show Himself to us, to seek Him and to find Him, and to Knock and have all the doors of Heaven opened to us? Think about that for a moment. No secrets, only intimacy with our Lord.
Seek the Lord with your whole soul, body and mind and come to a place of intimacy that you and Jesus share. Are we truly seeking God, or are we satisfied with what we have? Do we really want to know Him as He want to expose Himself to us? If you are intimate with your husband or wife, how many secrets are shared between you? Our Father in Heaven has many secrets He wants to share with us. But like us, how can we share our feelings, our hearts, our minds and our bodies with someone we don’t know? Jesus wants us to know him, intimately. We are the bride and He is our Bridegroom. How dare we marry someone we don’t know. We are engaged to be married. We have to know everything about our groom. The thing is, He wants us to know everything about Himself.
May we come into intimacy with you Lord Jesus. I want to know everything about you. I desire to look upon Your face and to share my heart with you. I desire more so to know your heart for me. Lord Jesus, I gaze upon your beauty that I might be known by you. Lord, you said that if I come to you I would be found by you. I desire, I seek to be found by you, that I may see you more clearly. I desire to have your heart and your desire, Lord Jesus. Reveal yourself to me in that quiet place, that secret place, where I find you, the lover of my soul. Make me a sweet smelling aroma, a living sacrifice for you Lord. I love you Jesus, Amen.
:: posted by Bob Hodgdon, 6:28 AM
