Leaning on the Lord

When Jesus had thus said, he was troubled in spirit, and testified, and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me. Then the disciples looked one on another, doubting of whom he spake. Now there was leaning on Jesus' bosom one of his disciples, whom Jesus loved. Simon Peter therefore beckoned to him, that he should ask who it should be of whom he spake. He then lying on Jesus' breast saith unto him, Lord, who is it? - John 13:21-25

What a beautiful image described in these verses. John, the human author of the book of John, often referred to himself as "the disciple whom Jesus loved" or "the beloved disciple." Here we see him actually resting with his head on Jesus' chest. He is completely and totally leaning on Jesus. He's relaxed. He's at ease. He feels loved and secure.

Isn't it good to know that we can do the same? No, we can't physically lean on Jesus at this time, but we can go to Him spiritually, lay our head in His lap, and find comfort in His presence. I fear many people treat their time with Jesus as a scheduled event. I know I once did. My time with the Lord was simple part of my daily routine. Read Bible? Check. Pray? Check. Listen? Check. Praise? Check. I completed my "tasks" and went on with my day, feeling proud of myself for getting it done. Boy, was I missing out!

Since that time, I've come to realize how special my time with the Lord is. I've come to enjoy our time together so much that I don't want to get on with my day. I simply want to spend more time with Him. I've discovered the joy of laying my head on His chest and allowing Him to dry my tears. I've discovered the peace that only His gentle embrace can give. I wouldn't trade that time for anything.

So I challenge you today to make your time with the Lord special. And don't forget, He looks forward to spending time with us far more than we look forward to spending time with Him. Let's not disappoint Him!