The Father Draws You

And He said, "Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father." John 6:65

Throughout Jesus' ministry on earth, He never seemed intimiated by the crowds. Instead, He looked into them and focused on whom His Father was sending to Him. Jesus knew that because of sin, no one naturally seeks after God. Sinful man's inclination is to hide from God, rather than to come to Him (Gen 3:8; Ps 14:1-3). Therefore, whenever Jesus saw that His Father was drawing a person to Himself, Jesus immediately began relating to that person.

Jesus observed the great lengths to which the despised tax collector, Zacchaeus, had gone in order to see Him pass by. In response, Jesus immediately left the crowds and spent time with this man in whom the Father was obviously wokring (Luke 19:1-10). Likewise, every time the disciples experienced a new insight into the truths of God, Jesus recognized that it was the Father who had been at work in their lives (Matt 16:17).

As the crowds gathered around Jesus, He spoke some truths that were difficult for the people to grasp (John 6:60). So challenging were His words that many of His listeners departed, but Jesus did not become discouraged. He saw that the Father was working in the lives of His disciples, and that is where Jesus invested His time. As you desire to spend time alone with Jesus, recognize that this is the Father drawing you to His Son. You do not seek quiet times with God in order to experience Him but because you are already sensing His activity, he draws you to Him. As you read the scriptures and pray, trust that God will honor your response to His leading by teaching you more about Himself.

What does this thinking do to your way of thinking about your quiet times? Is this what you were already believing, or does this turn your thoughts completely around?