Rely is the Next Powerful Element to Communing
We are in a series where we are discussing the idea of communing. To keep things fresh, allow me to remind you of the definition of commune. Commune “means to converse, talk together with profound intensity and intimacy; to interchange thoughts and feelings.” This idea of communing with God is centered around continually conversing with God, sharing our ideas and points of view, and seeking to see life from His point of view.
Last week we talked about the element of Release in relation to communing. I gave you three steps to help you discern what to release: be honest with yourself; see God honestly; and recognize your desperation.
I described the image of someone flailing as someone else tries to keep him from falling. In our desperation, we are the person flailing. We must choose to grab hold of God as our rescuer if we want our rescue guaranteed. Today, we will discuss the second element of communing, Rely.
Choosing to Rely
When we look at the description of Jesus as our shepherd, we discover several reasons why we can rely on our rescuer.
“…And the sheep recognize the voice of the true shepherd, for he calls his own by name and leads them out, for they belong to him. And when he has brought out all his sheep, he walks ahead of them and they will follow Him, for they are familiar with His voice.”
John 10:3b-4 TPT
Jesus, The True Shepherd
First of all, Jesus tells us He is the true Shepherd. He is not the hired hand who only works for a paycheck. Jesus claims the sheep as His very own; the sheep belong to Him. When we combine this concept with the truth that Jesus is the I AM, Yahweh, God Himself, we know Jesus is the One who can truly and completely care for His sheep.
Jesus Knows Us
Second, we can rely on Christ because He knows us. The passage in John tells us He knows us by name. We know many peoples’ names but that doesn’t guarantee we know them well. God knows our individual names well enough to be able to distinguish us from anyone else.
I’m not just Nancy to Him. I am Nancy Colleen, daughter of Paul Wayne and Orpha Patricia Diamond, sister to Rob, Cheryl, Beth, and Susan, married to Timothy Lee Brewer, son of Dale and Jimmy Lee Brewer, mother to Rachel (Brewer) Hardy and Bradly Paul Brewer, often called Nanc or Fancy Nancy.
David tells us in Psalm 139, God knows us well because He formed us in our mother’s womb. We are more than a name to Christ; we are His prized creation.
We Belong to Christ
Third, we can rely on Christ as our rescuer because we belong to Him. Do you remember being in grade school and going on field trips? Without fail, something would happen, and students from one class were passed along to another teacher for a time. Many students felt anxious because the teacher who fully knew them was no longer taking care of them. We find assurance and comfort knowing we belong to someone else, someone who knows us and who we know and trust. Because we believe in Jesus, our life is hidden in Christ, we are chosen and dearly loved; we belong to Him (Colossians 3).
Never Without Jesus
Finally, we can rely on Jesus because He doesn’t expect us to go anywhere without Him. Our Shepherd doesn’t say, “go over there and I’ll catch up with you.” John 10:4 tells us He brings His sheep out, and then He walks ahead of them. Whatever experience we encounter, Jesus has gone before us, and He is already there.
Relying isn’t Easy
Even though we believe Jesus to be our Good Shepherd, we still struggle with relying on God, don’t we? Sometimes we perceive He leads us places that are unpleasant or feel unsafe. Plus, there are many sheep, and even though He knows our name, we feel lost in the crowd at times. Furthermore, we don’t always understand what He’s doing, and that makes relying difficult as well. Consequently, how do we consistently choose to rely on our Shepherd?
Be Familiar with Jesus’ Voice
John says in our key verses, the sheep are familiar with His voice. Think about the voices you recognize even when you can’t see the person’s face. Maybe it’s a certain accent he has, or a style of laughter, or a rhythm to her speech.
We recognize people’s voices because we hear the voice often. For us to rely on our Shepherd, we must choose to know His voice. Paul tells us in 1 Thessalonians 5:17 that we are to pray without ceasing. I don’t think Paul meant we continually list what we want God to do. Instead, we determine to consistently engage in conversation with the Spirit.
Listen, then Decide
In John 5:30 Jesus says, “I can do nothing on my own. I judge only as I hear, and my judgement is just, because I do not seek my own will, but the will of him who sent me.” I love how The Message states it, “I can’t do a solitary thing on my own; I listen, then I decide…” Jesus listened to the voice of His Father and then He decided what to do, what to say, how to proceed.
Jesus practiced listening and deciphering the voice of God. From their conversations, He knew what to do all the time. Jesus and the Father were one, they communed. Jesus prayed without ceasing, always chatting with God, asking questions, detailing His thoughts, listening, and deciding.
Being a Disciple
Our key verses in John 10 also tell us where the Shepherd leads, the sheep follow. We talk about being disciples, but I wonder if we understand what that means. Jesus’ twelve disciples literally lived with Him and did whatever He wanted to do. They journeyed where He wanted to go. They listened to every word He spoke, and they were intent on fully learning and comprehending what He thought on every subject they discussed. Their goal was to be just like Jesus in every way possible. The Disciples were students of all that was Jesus.
As with any group of students there is a learning curve. Not everyone learns at the same speed, and each student has subjects that are easier for him than others. None of us learn everything well on the first go around or even the second. Moreover, some lessons we just don’t get. However, if we are committed to learning, we trust the teacher. As disciples of Christ Jesus, we trust our Shepherd and we depend on Him regardless of where He leads us.
God is our Portion
“Lord, you are my portion and my cup of blessing; you hold my future. The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.” ~ King David
Psalms 16:5-6
Think about various familiar Bible stories. God provided just enough manna for the day, nothing more. But when Jesus fed the 5000, there were leftovers for days. When Jesus walks on the water in John 6, He doesn’t stop the storm. Instead, He delivers them to where they were going in spite of it. Remember how Jesus dealt with his mother at the wedding in Cana? She basically tells Jesus what’s what, and Jesus graciously complies! However, when Peter tells Jesus privately he shouldn’t allow the religious leaders to kill him, Jesus tells Peter, “…get behind me Satan!”
If God is our portion, then regardless of what we are given, it is enough to sustain and satisfy. If God is our portion, then any circumstance He allows in our life, He will be enough for us to get where we are going. If God is our portion, then He has the right to correct us in the manner He deems necessary for us to realign ourselves with His mission.
God as our Portion
God will provide what we need, not necessarily what we want. And He isn’t just the giver of good gifts, He Himself is the good gift we need most. He is our Shepherd, and we are His sheep. We must rely on who He is, trusting He is our portion.
When we rely on our Shepherd, listening to Him and deciding, He reveals gifts we weren’t aware of before or expecting. For example, a difficult task accomplished faster than anticipated; a fresh outlook on a struggling relationship, or a sweet awareness of God’s help and presence as we persevere. We learn to recognize who He is supplies what we really need. We practice being grateful for the gift of God as our portion.
Two Questions
I’ve learned to ask myself two questions as I rely on Christ. 1. How is God providing in this moment? 2. Now what? The first question teaches us to see beyond what we expect and look instead for God’s generosity and grace. The Spirit teaches us to see beyond asking Jesus to make our lives better and enables us to see how He provides by being our portion. The second question places us in a position of submission so that our Shepherd can lead, and we can follow.
Summary
To commune with God, we release what is holding us back from intimacy with Him. We also cling to the truth of Christ as our rescuer, Shepherd, and portion. We belong to Him and He knows us by name, never expecting us to go anywhere without Him. He invites us into a continual conversation. We learn to identify and be grateful for how He provides what we need in each moment, and we experience abundant life filled with His presence.
