John 1:18 NKJV “No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.”

The heartbeat is a sure sign of life. As long as the heart is beating, life is present. Jesus Christ, for us, is the very heartbeat of the Father. Remember how John, the beloved apostle, reclined on the breast of Jesus during the Last Supper. John had the privilege of hearing the heartbeat of God. Later, John, would write, “No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.”

Jesus, who is “in the bosom of the Father”, — He is Father’s “heartbeat” — has declared Him. Through Jesus, we know the Father. When the Father sent Jesus to us, He sent us the very best. He sent His heart. In John chapter 17, Jesus prays for everyone who believes in Him, “that they may all be one: even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us….” This is what greater union with Christ is all about. Because the Father and the Son are one, we become one with the Father in and through the Son. His heart now beats in us. We are in His thoughts, His mind, and His plan. We are in His heart!

John the Beloved

As I briefly referred to earlier, at the intimate Last Supper, the disciple John was known to lay His head upon the very chest of the Messiah, Jesus. Even Peter noticed this and was moved with envy as it is written in John 20:21. “Peter turned around and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them – the one who also had leaned back on His chest at the supper and said, “Lord, who is the one who is betraying You?”

Over the years, I have pondered deeply over this passage and have been left with the following considerations:

• What did John feel as he lay on Jesus’ chest?

Perhaps he felt the Rise and Fall of His chest wall.

Perhaps he felt the “Warmth of belonging”. A special place just for him…

• What did he hear?

Possibly he heard the Wind – the Rauch, the pneuma, the very breath entering Jesus’ lungs…

Possibly he heard the most important thing – the Heartbeat of the Creator – beating for him.

Three Reflection Questions

We are called not only to be “Hearers of the Word, but to be “Doers of the Word” as well. With this in mind, here are three reflection questions:

  • What does it mean to “Abide in Christ”?
  • According to John 15, how do you “practice the presence of Jesus?”
  • From the writings of Paul the apostle, what are some of the key Scriptures that “speak of union with Christ?”

For more understanding on these divine subjects, consider reading Chapter Nine, “Toward a Greater Union“, in my book, The Lost Art of Practicing His Presence, and listen to this week’s God Encounters Today podcast!

What About Today?

You might need to do a Selah right now. Breathe… be present. You say, “I am”. Let me speak honestly with you, most of you probably are not. I know by my own life’s busy experience. Cast your cares upon the Lord, even for a moment, quiet your soul before Him and be thankful in the present tense. Get your mind off the past! Be in the present. There you go…

Now breathe deeply and simply exhale… be present by focusing on how good God really is and be thankful. Now simply listen. Yes, listen. It is not time to bring your petitions or your intercessory grocery shopping list. Shelah… Pause… Listen…

When the Lord is my shepherd,

He leads besides the quiet streams and there he restores my soul….

You might even hear the heartbeat of God.

Do you hear what I hear?

Reverently,

– James W. Goll