Nathanael said to him, “How do you know me?” Jesus answered him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.”
John 1:48
I’d start walking your way
You’d start walkin’ mine
We’d meet in the middle
‘Neath that old Georgia pine.
We’d gain a lot of ground
‘Cause we’d both give a little.
And there ain’t no road too long,
When you meet in the middle.
Do you remember that old song by Diamond Rio called “Meet in the Middle”? I’ll be singing it for the rest of the week. It’s the story of two people meeting each other half way. Contributing equally in their efforts to stay close to each other. That’s a relationship worth investing in and deepening when you have someone that’s willing to go the extra mile, that knows you better than you know yourself. Don’t you think so?
Since I started this blog, the Lord has given me words to share with you that hopefully have given you reminders and much needed encouragement of how much God loves you, and how far He was willing to go to make it easy for you to know Him and to have a personal relationship with Him. The Lord has been walkin’ that mile, eager and committed to meeting you.
It’s time, dear reader. It’s time to see where this finds you on the road to meeting Jesus in the middle.
If you aren’t sure, I have something that the Lord had given me to include in my book, A Way in the Wilderness. The assessment consists of ten questions. Each question counts ten points for a total of 100 possible points. Determine the number of points you would assign for each question using the scale immediately below and write it in the “score” column in the table. Add the total number of points assessed for all questions and use the grid immediately below the table to get an idea of what may be the condition of your heart. This assessment is an individual exercise, just between you and the Lord, so be honest. This is meant to be a safe space.
0 – 1 = Never
1 – 2 = Rarely
3 – 4 = Occasionally
5 – 7 = Frequently
8 – 10 = Always
| Question | Score | |
| 1. | How often do you spend time in God’s Word? | |
| 2. | How often do you choose prioritizing heavenly things over earthly obligations and desires? | |
| 3. | How often do you go to the Lord in prayer? | |
| 4. | How often do you make a conscious choice not to allow your eyes and ears to take in things you shouldn’t? | |
| 5. | How often do you put into practice what you learn from the Bible, sermons, or other Christian content? | |
| 6. | How often do you spend time offering praises and worship to the Lord? | |
| 7. | How often do you look to help the spiritual needs of others? | |
| 8. | How often do you forgive others their wrongs against you? | |
| 9. | How often do you recognize the needle in your own eye before casting judgment on another? | |
| 10. | How often do you have the desire to show the love of Jesus to others? | |
| Total |
0 – 30 = Cold
30 – 60 = Warm
70 – 100 = Hot
Remember, this is not a quiz that reflects a pass or fail. It is an assessment to determine the state of your heart and how close you are to meeting Jesus in the middle.
Our verse today is from the book of John, and in the last half of the first chapter, Jesus is inviting the first of His disciples to join Him. Nathanael was invited by Philip to come and meet Jesus of Nazareth. Nathanael was not impressed by Jesus’ home town, saying “Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” (John 1:46).
But Jesus said some of the most touching words that I’m sure Nathanael, or any one of us, would ever hear: “I saw you while you were still under the fig tree….” (John 1:48). Nathanael was most likely under that fig tree because it was a good shade from the heat of the sun. In those days, Jewish men would sometimes find a good shade tree for their study time in God’s Word (e.g., the books of the Old Testament). Jesus already knew him. Now, with Jesus’ invitation, it was Nathanael’s turn to get to know Him. Today, Jesus is sending you the same invitation. There is so much more to a personal relationship with Jesus than what we can even begin to imagine.
Take the assessment, dearly loved of the Lord – see where you stand. Open your heart – let Him in.
Let’s see where this takes us.
Cause there ain’t no road too long, when we meet in the middle.
Proactive: John 10:14 – “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me”
Defensive: Psalm 139:5 – You hem me in behind and before, and You lay your hand upon me.
Promise: Jeremiah 31:3 – The Lord appeared to us….saying: “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.”
A Path Among the Rocks 
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