Jesus went up on the mountain and called to him those whom he desired, and they came to him. and he appointed tweleve whom he also named apostles. so that they might be with him and he might send them to preach.

MARK 3:13-14

GOD CALLS THOSE HE DESIRES

These have got to be two of my favorite verses in the Bible. It radically changed how I relate to God and how I see the calling He has for my life. Let me explain.

Here we see Jesus choosing His disciples. Big moment. However, what I find fascinating is how Mark describes what happened and what Mark says Jesus called His disciples to do.

First, Jesus called those whom He desired.

The Bible says God is like a lover who feels deep affection for you and desires to be known by you. This means that we respond to God’s calling with joy, excitement and expectation.

The Creator of the universe, God Almighty, who doesn’t need anything, desires to be with you!

Second, verse 14 says that Jesus appointed His first disciples to first and foremost be with Him.

Jesus’ original call to His disciples was not to go and change the world, do “great things” for God, or even commit to living a different lifestyle in their own capacity. Jesus’ original call to His disciples was to simply be with Jesus.

To be still in His presence. To put your phone away, turn off the podcast, find a quiet place, redirect your attention to Him, and simply be with Him. That’s called intimacy. God desires that you have a deeper intimacy with Him.

And third, Mark says that after Jesus called His disciples to be with Him, He also sent them to preach. Here’s what that means.

Everything Jesus decides to do through your life, He will do so out of the overflow of your intimacy with Him. How you lead your family. How you do your job. How you rest. What you say today. What you do. What you think. Everything.

And so, if your primary identity and relationship in life is that of a follower of Jesus, and He calls you first and foremost to be with Him, my questions for you today are:

• How can you prioritize your daily schedule to make that possible?

• How can you arrange your habits to start and end your day in prayer and Scripture?

• How can you surrender your time, your mind, your thoughts, and your activities to God so that He guides you toward deeper intimacy with Him?

Your relationship with God and your life in Christ will grow and mature to the extent of your intimacy with Him as you remain in Him.

PRAY

God, help me understand how wide, how far and how deep your love is for me. Give me a heart that desires you more. Give me a discomfort so that I can seek you more.

Give me the wisdom to organize my schedule, my time and my habits in a way that is primarily oriented to spending more time in intimacy with you.

In Jesus’ name, amen.