Jesus, My Personal Lord.

 Jesus, My Personal Lord

A Reflection on John 20:28 and Revelation 3:20

Jesus, my personal Lord—not a distant figure in a book,

Not a name I only speak when I am in a holy nook.

You are the Lord of my waking, the Lord of my rest,

The One who knows my rising up and knows my sleeping breast.

Thomas answered Him, “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:28)

Personal—not general, not for everyone the same,

But intimately mine, yet never mine to claim

Without the wonder that You choose to dwell within this heart,

To make my life Your temple, to set me apart.

My Lord—not a tyrant, but a Shepherd who leads,

Who knows my weaknesses, who supplies my every need.

You call me by my name, and I recognize Your voice.

In You, I have made the only eternal choice.

Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with Me. (Revelation 3:20)

I have opened the door—not once, but every day.

You have come in to sup with me, to wash my fears away.

Not a distant monarch, but a friend who stays so near,

Who whispers in the silence, “Child, I am here.”

Jesus, my personal Lord—You know my secret thoughts,

The battles that I fight, the grace that I have sought.

You are not surprised by my failures or my doubt.

You are the anchor holding me when storms would toss me about.

“Why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you?” (Luke 6:46) — yet still,

You wait for my obedience, not to earn, but to fulfill

The love that flows from our relationship, from the intimacy we share.

My Lord, my personal Lord—I place my life in Your care.

Amen.