Tuesday, January 06, 2015

You know him, but does he know you?

     We all know the President and follow the details of his life daily, but do you think that he actually thinks about us personally when he wakes in the morning? What about the governor? Does he wonder about our personal safety and security?
    No one likes to be a faceless name in a crowd with no connection, but that is often the case. The world seems to be filled with big powerful wheels and millions of little wheels that are nice to have but do not really matter.
    A who friend moved to a large city had considered joining a mega-church with 30,000 members. She asked me should she join. I told her she was from a small church where folks knew each other by name. To test how she would fit in I told her to request a meeting with the pastor to discuss her interest. She later called to say that meeting the pastor was not possible, but his assistants met with her. She sensed that if she joined she would be connected to the 30,000 membership, but the leader would not know her name, recognize her in the grocery store or come to her funeral.  (She joined anyway).
    That’s a contrast our bible lesson for today, John 17:9 where Jesus prayed for his 11 faithful disciples. Read what it says, “I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine.”
    Though he was soon to be crucified for the entire world, Jesus in this recorded prayer, prayed for 11 people specifically. He prayed for their protection, understanding, unity and ability to withstand the days ahead.
    He knew them by name. Even though he was concerned about the whole world. He was concerned about them personally because “they are thine.”
     As believers we are connected to God in a personal way. He knows us and thinks about us just as he thought about the eleven during his garden prayer. He meets with us in our moments of solitude, walks with us in our meditation, and is present in our moments of despair. He knows us by  sight, even if we are shopping in the grocery store.
     When we pray, it’s good to know that we have a hookup with a big God, who is not so big that he doesn't know all of us…by name!

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