I can’t tell you how many times throughout the years I have been asked for assistance in finding someone or something to get a project completed. For some reason, I have been blessed with with knowing a tremendous number of people who have come to my aid countless times when I have a specific need – and I am pleased to share these great resources with others.
In fact, a great friend of mine, Mark, has mentioned how I know just about everyone and how he gets access to the network, but he has to call me to get plugged in. I still laugh about this comment years later but, in a way, he is right. I just have a large network to tap into.
Recently, I had a problem, however, finding someone to work on my broken 70 year old Kitchenaid stand mixer. I happened to be in a cooking store and when the chef heard me describe my problem, he spoke, arguably, the four most important words in the English language – “I know a guy!” He went on to tell me where to get it fixed and I am now waiting for parts. Hopefully, it will be a success. Earlier today I was told that the repair should be completed by Monday or Tuesday of next week. We’ll see!
Most of the time, I am the person saying that “I know a guy!” So I really had to laugh when somebody said that to me. With Christmas approaching later this week, I thought that it was the opportune time to let everyone know that “I know a guy!’ and I hope that you do also.
But in the event that you don’t know what I am talking about, I hope that you know Jesus, the Lord and Savior of the world. If there is only one person you should get to know, I highly recommend that you get to know Him. After all, Christmas and Easter are all about the plan that God devised to allow us to spend eternity with Him.
And as is the case with most relationships, there is no substitute for spending time with Jesus in order to get know Him better. You just can’t instantly have a great relationship – it takes time to develop, just like every other relationship in your life. That’s the reason that I went to seminary – to enter into a deeper relationship with the One who created me!
So, as we have lit the four Advent candles this month, representing hope, peace, joy and love, I hope that you recognize how great it is to know someone who exemplifies these wonderful traits! Jesus is the ultimate confidante and friend, as well as Lord and Savior. I know that many of you already know the same guy I do. However, if you don’t, I hope that you will accept this invitation to get to know Jesus better.
Our verse for tonight highlights the relationship between Jesus and His Father. The apostle John tells us the words of Jesus in John 14:6-7, “Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.”
My encouragement this evening is that if you know Jesus, you know his Father as well. And the glory of the Father is reflected in His Son. This year, as we celebrate the birth of Jesus, my prayer is that we will all spend some additional time deepening our relationship with Him as we welcome the baby born in a manger in Bethlehem. After all, it is a season of reflection. Have a great day in the Lord, grace and peace…