Insights from the Word

The past month or so, I have been going through the book of John. I was struggling with some security issues in my faith and felt that I needed to be reintroduced to my Jesus in a new and real way! I had known that John was what we recommend to new believers and so - that is where I decided to go!

I cannot tell you how incredible this study has been for me! I have primarily been just digging in and only using Warren Wiersbe's Study Guide as I go along and it has been a phenominal experience! I have rediscovered, fell in love all over again, and in many ways met our Savior in a very new and real way. I am only on John 17 at this point but it has been amazing!!!

Yesterday, I was reading John 17 and I realized that this was a passage I hadn't read before. I knew that Jesus prayed in the Garden prior to his arrest and I knew that He prayed on the cross in His final moments...however this prayer in John 17, I had not read before. There are three parts to his prayer: Himself, the disciples, and all believers.

It was this last part that hit me HARD!!! "Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am and to see my glory, the glory You have given me because You loved me before the Creation of the World." John 17:24
You see, not only did God love us enough to send His son to die for us - Jesus PRAYED to the Father that we might be with Him in glory! It was so essential to Him, so important to Him, etc. that He prayed for it!

The realization that Jesus prayed for me to be in Heaven and to see His glory for myself - that caused me to sit in awe! Not only did He die for me, rise again after 3 days defeating death, but He also longs for me to be with Him - How could I NOT follow Him step by step each day, how could I possibly doubt Him, how could I question Him?

For those reading, this is my prayer: that YOU too will either discover Jesus for the first time or you will rediscover Him in a way that you never before have. If you are at a place where you need a new part of the Bible to read - read through the book of John, I guarantee it will show you Jesus in a way you never dreamed possible!!!