Calvary Baptist Church

Past Devotionals

CBC Devotional Week of 7/8/2026

Be With Me

Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world. -- John 17:24 

Sometimes small very common words carry massive meaning. If we examine the general context we see that all of John 17 is a prayer by Jesus to the Father, coming at the end of His teachings to the disciples during the Last Supper. The arrest, trial, and crucifixion are only hours ahead. Before the anguish begins, Jesus prays—He is talking to the Father. I am sure we can learn something there. Jesus is telling the Father something He desires; He wants this, He chooses it—He is not merely ok with it happening, a fine either way type of thing. It is stunning in a way; Jesus as fully God and full man was telling the Father, and the world since it is recorded here, about what he desired. All of us have desires. Ever thought about what Jesus desires? Read on.

Again, as review, Jesus has already talked to the Father about the ones (people) that had been given to Him (verse 10 for example). And Jesus has already in verse 20 focused on current believers, you and I, when He prays for those who will believe the message of those first disciples. By verse 24, all believers are in view—everyone who trusts Jesus. Jesus desires that all of us may be with Him where He is. We know that the only way to do that is through Jesus Himself—He is the way, truth, and life—the only way to the Father. His work, the cross and empty tomb, make that possible. But do not miss it. Jesus wants you to be there where He is. He wants your presence, your proximity.

It is almost too common and too easy to read over. Maybe we know Jesus went to prepare a place for us. We think about going to heaven when we die. Or the rapture. Perhaps we talk about heaven as our real home—that we are only sort of at home—just not fully—while on earth. But do we consider what Jesus is saying? He does not say He hopes we make heaven because the alternative is bad. He isn’t begrudgingly letting anyone into heaven, and He isn’t putting people in some sort of unreal “bad” part of heaven where hopefully He doesn’t see you. He wants you around. Not in the corner. And He wants you around now—like at any and all moments of the day. Your presence and proximity—be—where your person is—He wants you with Him. Whips, thorns, and a cross didn’t deter Him. Will I accept He wants to be with me? Be humble enough to just go with what He says? Will I want to be with Him?

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