The Virtuous Daughter Magazine Fall 2017 edition Cherish | Page 46

motto speaks of the desire that pulses in my
heart – that desire to intimately know my
Jesus. Since you’re reading this article, I’m
guessing that desire tugs at your heart, too
– maybe as you watch the sunset or when
you snuggle under the sheets as you go to
sleep. Since we ask for the things we long
for, knowing Jesus starts with desire. He
says, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek,
and you will find.” However, I also find that
unless I feed my desire for Jesus, selfish de-
sires soon control my life. Sometimes I feed
my desire for Jesus by just sitting alone and
whispering:
“JESUS, I WANT TO KNOW
YOU.. I LONG FOR YOU TO
COME IN AND TALK WITH
ME. WOULD YOU PLEASE
TEACH ME HOW TO KNOW
YOU? I LOVE YOU SO
MUCH!”
Then listen. Maybe you will hear his heart’s
response: “I love you, my daughter. I long
to know you and share my heart with you.
Come – seek after me. You will find me
when your search with your whole heart.”

I used to think that I could sum up
seeking Jesus in an equation, like a math
formula. I liked that memorizing the for-
mula could get me the answer every time.
Maybe I could discover the formula to
knowing Jesus. Read a chapter of the Bible
every day. Pray for 10 minutes. Add a de-
votional book or prayer journal. Then try
to be good all day. But all my trying could
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never earn me the intimacy with Jesus that
I longed for. And since I tried in my human
strength, I carried mountains of shame for
my repeated failures.

But Jesus has been teaching me a new
approach. He wants me to trust his love and
rest in his salvation. When I rest in him, I
seek him because I love him and long for
him. I used to try to earn that close rela-
tionship by working hard enough. But I’m
learning to love and seek Jesus because he
first loved me and sought me out! I’m going
to suggest several activities that have pow-
erfully helped me to open my life to Jesus.
But please remember: methods aren’t the
magic formula to knowing Jesus! Knowing
him starts with desire and comes through
fellowship with him.

In my experience, keeping intima-
cy with Jesus alive requires that I build a
foundation of daily spending time in the
Word and prayer. The amount of time var-
ies based on my schedule and my need that
day. This time can also include memorizing
Scripture, journaling, reading an encour-
aging book, or doing a Bible study. Though
simple, this daily routine helps keep me
grounded and growing. The time of qui-
eting my heart before Jesus goes miles in
keeping my heart open to him. Once in a
while, I skip that time. But instead of beat-
ing myself up for missing something im-
portant, I just take a quiet moment to turn
my heart to him. Then I make time to spend
alone with him the next day.

Building on that foundation, I like to
get creative! The following routines have
each served a purpose at different stages of
my journey. Sometimes they create a rou-
tine for a season and other times they just
add the boost I need to draw closer to Jesus
that day or week. I hope these suggestions
spark your creativity!
• Keep a prayer or gratitude journal
• Journal and pray through painful parts
of your story
• Pray as you walk or run
• Spend several hours of solo time at the
park or coffee shop
• Cry out to him in hard times, even
through your tears
• Make him your first thought in the
morning and last thought at night
• Sing and make melody to him in your
heart
• Do difficult assignments because you
love him, even if you don’t really enjoy
the task!
Let your pursuit of Jesus come out of your
desire for him. Learn to distinguish his
voice of truth and grace from the clamoring
voices of the world and the shaming hiss of
the Accuser. Often, as I intentionally cher-
ish my relationship with Jesus, I think of
that song,
“You are my strength when I am weak,
You are the treasure that I seek,
You are my All in all.
Seeking you as a precious jewel,
Lord, to give up I’d be a fool.
You are my All in all.”
Have you made Jesus the treasure you seek?
Let us “count everything as loss because of
the surpassing worth of knowing Christ
Jesus.” You will never regret intentionally
cherishing your relationship with him!

My new friends on the airplane didn’t
think that God talks to us – at least, they
had never heard him. But I had the joy of
sharing that Jesus says that his sheep know
his voice. Since he wants us to know his
voice, then certainly, he is speaking, if we
will only listen for him and obey his words!
Come join me on this journey of cherishing
our relationship with Jesus. I pray that you
will “taste and see that the LORD is good.”
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