The greatest intimacy

Intimacy is a desire of many hearts. We want to be close to someone, to be known and to know them, to be understood and accepted. Intimacy suggests familiarity, confidence, affection, warmth, a sense of safety. It is a positive thing, longed for yet often missing. It takes time to develop and in our world we are often too busy.

Prior to the Easter services, our church is hearing a series of messages called “Going Deeper.” Today’s devotional is about the deeper life. Tozer says it has been called the “victorious life” but he cautions that term is only one part of that deeper life. It includes personal victory over sin, but there is more. His list includes “the indwelling of Christ, acute God-consciousness, rapturous worship, separation from the world, the joyous surrender of everything to God, internal union with the Trinity, the practice of the presence of God, the communion of saints and prayer without ceasing.”

This passage offers a clue to what Tozer thinks is most important, and I must agree with him and the prophet:

Thus says the Lord: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the Lord.” (Jeremiah 9:23–24)

Basically, God is saying to put aside any focus on intelligence, wisdom, power, money and any other priority I might have and make intimacy with Him my main goal. Know what God does and what pleases Him. Make that my focus and get to know Him more deeply.

Tozer says that few people want to know and love God for Himself. He is the deeper life. Going deeper, like any other intimacy, means less of me and more of Him. As my spiritual life deepens, I am strengthened in the knowledge of His will, in knowing what is important to Him and what delights Him.

^^^^^^^^

Jesus, today is a celebration of the turning point in history. You rose from the dead! You demonstrated what is the most important thing on the heart of God. You came to set us free from sin and give us life eternal. You came that we might know You in the deepest and most intimate relationship anyone could ever have! You delight in steadfast love, justice and righteousness, but your deepest desire is that we understand and know You, and that You love us so much that You gave Your life that we might go deeper.