Part I: Jesus, through His brother James, begs believers: “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse yourself you double minded…and set your hearts apart for God only. Humble yourselves before your God, and He will lift you up.” (James 4:7-10)  

As believers, not exactly sure of what it means, we’re all to one degree or another, convicted of our need to draw closer to Jesus. Sometimes however, that God-revelation doesn’t get completely through, until we’ve experienced a great variety of struggles, huge disappointments, pronounced sorrows, and/or numerous dead-ends. However, like me, most of us eventually are confronted by a moment in time, where weary and tired of going it on our own, were shaken awake to the fact that we not only NEED More of God in our life, but MUST HAVE More of God – More than we’ve ever had before. It’s then, in desperation, we turn to Him for help and deliverance from all our trials and sorrows.   

It’s in these tumultuous times we sense a need to know Him not only as our Creator, Savior and Master, but also discover a spark of desire in our souls to know Him more intimately than ever before. In my book, Journey to More, I’ve chronicled my own personal quest to know Jesus more intimately. It’s become a passion to know Him more intimately than I’ve ever known anyone or anything else in life.

Like the apostle Paul, my quest is to know Him not only as my Merciful and Wonderful Savior (Phil. 3:9), but also to “… know Him , and experience the power of His resurrection, share in His sufferings, and be like Him in His death” (Phil. 3:10).

Tiffne Whitley describes her ache for More of Jesus as follows:

“Someday Jesus will call my name;

From day to day I hope I won’t stay the same.

I want to get so close to Him, that it’s no big change; 

On that day that Jesus calls my name.”

Isaiah expressed his search for More of God’s Presence this way:

“It shall even be as when a hungry man dreams, and look – he eats;

But he awakes, and his soul is empty;

Or as when a thirsty man dreams, and look – he drinks;

But he quakes, and indeed he is faint, and his soul still craves more;

So the multitude of all nations shall be;

Who fight against the Presence of the Lord their God.” (Isa. 29:8 LSV)        

Jesus opined: “Come unto me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your weary souls” (Mt. 11:28-29).

In Part II, we’ll dive deeper into how you can personally experience More of Jesus’ realized Presence and His perfect Peace (Isa. 26:3), and discover a deeper relationship with Him than you ever dreamed possible.

In the meantime, talk with your Abba Father, let Him know that you want More of Him in your life, and ask Him to open wide the eyes and ears of your soul to His Still Small Voice.

By the way, He wants far more FOR you, than you want FROM Him.

See you next time, and may God bless you richly as you continue to seek More of Jesus’ Beautiful Face.

Lee Stanford

Direct contact: leestan1@bellsouth.net

Web: www.JourneyToMore.net

"Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, 'This is the way; walk in it.' Isaiah 30:21

For my wife, the best part of a driving vacation is the process of getting to our destination. She loves nothing more than spreading out a map on her lap and navigate as I drive. She titillates as the lines on the map turn from thick red to thin black where the road gets narrow. She marks off beautiful scenes, small out-of-the-way villages, and historic landmarks. She loves the process even more than the destination.

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To another wayward generation God declared: “I (can) will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the hopper, the destroyer, and the cutter, My great army, which I sent among you.” Joel 2:25 ESV.

As He promised His children Israel, God can and will restore ‘lost’ years, by providing a deepening relationship with Jesus, but only in direct proportion to us passionately seeking More of His realized Presence with a whole heart, in the here and now.

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