Do you ever imagine what it would be like to have been a friend of the in-the-flesh Jesus? What kind of conversations would you have? How would He make you laugh? How would He comfort and encourage you?
Jesus said something interesting things to his disciples about His presence:
"Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you." (John 16:7 ESV)
“However, the helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything. He will remind you of everything that I have ever told you.” (John 14:26 ESV)
If I’m understanding Jesus’ meaning, then being in a relationship with Jesus is not something just left to the imagination. It’s a real possibility. In fact, it’s been God’s desire since He created us.
Jesus says that what we believers have (post-incarnation, resurrection and ascension) is better that what the disciples had.
I think many of us (me included), settle for an outward check-list Christianity that is nothing like the living, breathing relationship the Bible describes and that believers through the ages have experienced. The idea of living life in God's presence seems mystical and strange.
I started reading The Pursuit of God by A.W. Tozer (free Kindle book HERE) and these quotes jumped out at me:
“That type of Christianity which happens now to be the vogue knows this Presence only in theory. It fails to stress the Christian's privilege of present realization. According to its teachings we are in the Presence of God positionally, and nothing is said about the need to experience that Presence actually.” A.W. Tozer, The Pursuit of God
“The modern scientist has lost God amid the wonders of His world; we Christians are in real danger of losing God amid the wonders of His Word. We have almost forgotten that God is a Person and, as such, can be cultivated as any person can. It is inherent in personality to be able to know other personalities, but full knowledge of one personality by another cannot be achieved in one encounter. It is only after long and loving mental intercourse that the full possibilities of both can be explored.” A.W. Tozer, The Pursuit of God
We believers are in a relationship with a God who desires to know and be known, who communicates, who has thoughts and desires, and with whom we can cultivate a real relationship with time and growing communication, knowledge, and experience.
I’m trying to pray a simple prayer these days as I try to cultivate this relationship that God is patiently calling me to. I’m asking “Jesus, what do you want me to hear right now?” as I navigate my days.
When I’ve hit the discouragement and exhaustion of mothering.
When I feel unsure of what to do next.
When I’m feeling discouraged about my work.
When I’m presented with a need or opportunity that I'm not sure is mine.
When I feel anxiety mounting.
It’s hard for me to pause and turn to Jesus. I’m naturally more of a wheel-spinner, keep-myself-distracted kind of person. In truth, my flesh is yet rebellious and resistant.
Can you imagine being so dependent on the voice of God, your “Helper,” that it would seem impossible to navigate life without Him? That idea is so backwards to our culture, isn't it? Yet it's the call of our God.
I am trying to communicate this with my children as well. Post sibling blow-up yesterday, we sat down and asked these questions:
“What would Jesus say to you if He were sitting here on the couch with us?
“How do we know what Jesus would say to us?” Well, God gave us two things. He gave us a book of His words (how practical of Him!), and He gave us the Holy Spirit to remind us of everything Jesus said.
“How do we know what Jesus would say to us?” Well, God gave us two things. He gave us a book of His words (how practical of Him!), and He gave us the Holy Spirit to remind us of everything Jesus said.
(Full disclosure: I was telling my husband over dinner about this great conversation we had, and the girls could recall ZERO details. He was so impressed. We’ll keep talking about this one “as we walk along” as Deuteronomy 11:19 says.)
Today I’m sharing a Bible verse coloring page of John 14:26, which will be part of a complete redo of my Good News printable set. It’s made up of my favorite Scriptures that highlight the story of God’s redemption from Genesis to Revelation, and will include full-color Scripture cards and black and white coloring pages and will also come in Spanish!!
This set is by no means exhaustive in explaining the Gospel story, but I hope it will be a helpful tool. I’m finishing up putting the files together and illustrating a few more Scriptures and then I’ll list them in the shop (and send out an update if you’re subscribed to my newsletter!).
You can download the printable coloring page* in Spanish HERE and in English HERE or click on the images below.
Scripture is from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
*I'm so happy for you to enjoy my coloring pages and printables for your personal (not commercial) use! Use for Bible studies, church groups or events, and Sunday school classes are all fine! If you're in doubt, I'm happy to answer any questions. All artwork and photos are copyright Marydean Draws. If you share this, you're awesome (!), and as a courtesy, please link back to this post and not the PDF file. Thank you!!
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