“Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also who shall believe on Me through their word—that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me and I in You. . .that they also may be one in Us. . .that the world may believe that You have sent Me.  And the Glory which You gave Me, I have given them—that they may be one, even as We are one.”

John 17:20-22

His Mission was/is clear, as is His desire for all who believe.

“That they all may be one, even as We are one.”

Unity.  Harmony. Solidarity.  That’s what Jesus was describing in today’s Manna as He prayed to the Father that day.  What a moving Prayer is this one which sprang from Jesus’ lips and how we should savor every word as we seek to be “sanctified through His Truth” (v.17).

Let’s face it:

We live in a fractured, frazzled, fizzled and frustrated world.  Just when it seems everything’s starting to fall into place, someone does or says something to mess it up.  Or, if the truth be known, we’re the ones who mess it up—for we’re so often our own worst enemies.

Yet, into this depraved, dysfunctional world the Savior came.

Knowingly and willingly He came.  His purpose:  To show us the Father and let us know what He was thinking and how He felt about things (and us).  No longer would anyone have to wonder or speculate about the God of Abraham, for Jesus said “He that has seen Me has seen the Father” (Jn. 14:9).

Therefore, the question is “Do I know Him?” and “Does He know me?”

Again, by studying God’s Word—especially the red print—we begin to better understand Who God is and His Plan and Promises for our lives.  That’s why Paul’s “Magnificent Obsession” in life was to “know Him and the power of His Resurrection by entering into the fellowship of His sufferings, being made conformable to His Death” (Phil. 3:10).

And, it’s in this process of transformation that we experience true inner Peace (harmony) and “solidarity of soul” (unity).  Until then, life is little more than some mixed-up, jumbled-up jigsaw puzzle where none of the pieces seem to fit.  Only in Christ is “the Mystery revealed” (Eph. 1:9) and “the eyes of our understanding are enlightened, enabling us to know the Hope of His calling and the riches of the Glory of His Inheritance” (Eph. 1:18).  Hallelujah!!

Oh, dear Pilgrim, the Heavenly Father wants us to be one with Him.  He wants us to know what it means to “wait upon Him and mount up with wings as eagles. . . run and not grow weary   . . .walk and not faint” (Is. 40:31).  He wants us to experience firsthand the joy of “abiding in Him” (Jn. 15:1-7) and how to “find rest unto our soul” (Mt. 11:28-30).

Truly, we are the ones Jesus is talking about in v.20:  “Neither pray I for these alone (the disciples with Him at that moment), but for them also who shall believe on me through their (the disciples/Apostles) word—their writings.”  Glory!!  Yes, weary one, the Lord Jesus even now is praying for us by name (Rom. 8:26; Heb. 7:24-25) and deeply desires to experience the same joy of oneness that He enjoyed with the Heavenly Father.  Trust. . .release. . .and rest.

By Tom Smith Morning Manna Dated October 3, 2010

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