Here is the Scripture I soaked in this morning in Luke 20:20-25:

They sent spies, who pretended to be honest. They hoped to catch Jesus in something he said so that they might hand him over to the power and authority of the governor. So the spies questioned him: "Teacher, we know that you speak and teach what is right, and that you do not show partiality but teach the way of God in accordance with the truth.  Is it right for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?" He saw through their duplicity and said to them, "Show me a denarius. Whose portrait and inscription are on it?" "Caesar's," they replied.  He said to them, "Then give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's."

That last line never fails to grab.  I probably would have asked, "What are we to give God?  What is God's?"   The answer is itself beauty in simplicity: if I am to give to Caesar that which is made with the likeness of Caesar, then I give to God that which is made in the likeness of God – MYSELF.

"When God created man, He made him in the likeness of God" (Genesis 5:1).  The Lord requires nothing more of us but that we give our own lives back to Him.  He is not asking for gifts or flowers, nor wealth and riches galore.  He is simply saying, "I want you.  I love you.  You're made from my very own heart."  I sometimes wonder if those spies, on the payroll of the sneaky Pharisees themselves, heard the gentle invitation in Jesus' reply.  The Bible says that they were astonished by His answer, and they became silent.  Did they hear the throbbing of the Lord's heart, and did they recognize in His eyes the image of themselves that they for so long had disregarded? 

There is a true story of a nine year old boy in a small, poor community who was left home alone every weekend by the parents.  He came to church for the very first time in his life upon the invitation of the pastor of a local congregation, who the day before had led the young boy to pray to receive Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior.  The boy understood at once that the eternal life that Jesus had given him was precious beyond anything. 

As he entered church that Sunday morning, he was filled with enthusiasm.  He watched the crowd and got even more excited that many people were going to heaven as he was.  Later, the boy saw some men passing along wooden plates among the rows of seats, and he watched people put something into them.  At first confused, the boy realized that "they must be giving money to Jesus."  He remembered the gift of life he was given, and immediately searched his pockets for something to give as well. 

As the offering plate reached him, the little boy grabbed the plate and didn't want to let it go.  But, finally he had to.  His eyes remained glued on the plate as he watched it pass from aisle to aisle.  When the plate reached the back of the church, the boy got up from his seat, walked to where the plate was and tugged on the usher's coat.  He asked for the plate to be held out to him one more time.  Then he did a most amazing thing.  He took the plate, put it on the floor and stepped into the center of it. As he stood there, he lifted his little head up and said, "Jesus, I don't have anything to give you today, but just me.  So Jesus, I give you me!"

Can you feel God's heart melting with tenderness at that moment?  Would it be so hard to believe that God's eyes filled with tears of joy at the same time that His lips broke in delighted laughter with love for this one precious child?  Wouldn't you like to be able to do the same? Oh, from the mouth of babes!

Just you ... give just YOU to God, and everything else is taken care of.  You will find your view of so many things begin to change.  You will find that possessions aren't all they're cracked up to be, that even more certain than taxes is the love God has for you.  His provision is constant, His protection is assured, and His plan is absolutely perfect. The Lord takes care of His own – YOU.

And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden.  (Genesis 3:8)

"I want those You have given me to be with me where I am."   (John 17:24, emphasis mine)

"If anyone loves Me, he will obey My teaching."  (John 14:23)

Adam and Eve had it made in Eden, not because of perfect, luscious surroundings, but because they walked side by side with God Himself.  They enjoyed Him just as He took absolute delight in them.  But this fellowship was broken by man's disobedience. I thought about this as I meditated on Jesus' intense prayer in Gethsemane for His disciples. His prayer was all about intimacy – between Him and the Father, between Him and His disciples, and finally among all disciples (John 17).

This just about twists anyone's concept of what God really wants from us, His people.  Is it righteousness?  There is much involved in righteousness, but to me, personally, it has still often boiled down to doing right and trying not to do wrong throughout my life. Is that really what it's about? Is it about holiness and sacrifice to keep ourselves clean, so we wouldn't go to hell? Or are we keeping ourselves clean for something else? Jesus said that we love Him by obeying His commands, by abiding in Him … why did He say that? Is it mainly because He loves righteousness and hates wickedness? Or is there something greater that caused Him to say it?

This is what's in my heart:  Jesus told us to obey His commands not just because of the darkness that will weigh down on us -- or because of the righteousness that heaven seeks -- but because it breaks His heart to not be near us.  He absolutely misses us!  He yearns to be with us!  So He tells us to obey His commands because doing that allows Him to be close, and invites us to become familiar with Him, to sit close and hear the tearing of His heart and see the delight in His eyes.

Yes, of course God hates sin.  Yes, He hates wickedness.  But I think He does this, not only because of being our pure and holy God, but mostly because it separates us from Him. The Bible says that God delights in His people.  For this reason, He has made Himself vulnerable to us – this weak and broken race that resists Him constantly because we don't understand Him and are too proud for relationship. He has shown His value for friendship above the laws He has set in place throughout the Word. Because of friendship He spared cities, peoples and nations when they deserved death.

Obeying God is not working our way up corporate heaven. Just because we rid ourselves of this and that sin (and do we, really?), we think we're finally good with God. It doesn't work that way. Obeying God is really all about us being with Him. Mary of Bethany showed us this long ago, and Jesus emphasized that her story would be told throughout the ages. She was an example of what he wants: for us to be with Him where He is.

This is not new stuff … but whether or not it's in our hearts is a different story. My heart is just starting to be refreshed about this a little and it has had such great effect on me.  Honestly, it can only profit us to ask Him to reveal His heart this way – to have Him show that He loves to be with us, and all the way that He chooses to be close.  This has re-defined a little of my perspective on what seeking for righteousness is all about, and what obeying Him really entails – and it has shown me so much more of what He wants and who He is.  It can do the same for you … and more.

Talk to me.