As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
—PSALM 42:1-2
Unless you’ve dozed through the last ten chapters, you’ve hopefully been inspired to take the next step in your relationship with God and get serious about your prayer life. If that’s the case, my work is done! Even if you’re only thinking about it more than you ever have, it’s a start. Baby steps, my friend. We’ve all got to start somewhere.
But I’m guessing you’re probably still struggling with a number of issues. Like what to do when your “want-to” isn’t cooperating. In Chapter 6 I asked you how badly you want it, this prayer relationship with God. But what do you do when you know you should make time for God, but no matter how hard you try, you just can’t seem to want to enough to do something about it? What should you do?
Good question. The mere fact you acknowledge there’s a problem with your want-to is a sign you’re moving in the right direction. And for the record, you’re not alone with this one. We’re all guilty of getting caught up in the world we live in and demoting God to the back of the bus. Or, like Briana’s character in Chapter 6, we grant Jesus access into only certain parts of our lives, in no uncertain terms. So maybe the solution is to take the focus off the lack of motivation on your part and shoot some light on how much He loves you. Remember the song you learned as a child, “Jesus loves me, this I know. For the Bible tells me so.” Let’s put that little verse to the test and see just how much God loves you. Don’t just rush through these. Make sure the truth of each verse reaches deep into your heart.
I lift up my eyes to the hills
where does my help come from?
My help comes from the LORD,
the Maker of heaven and earth.
He will not let your foot slip—
he who watches over you will not slumber.
—Psalm 121:1-3
The Lord is near to the brokenhearted,
And saves those who are crushed in spirit.
—Psalm 34:18, NASB
I have set the LORD continually before me;
Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
—Psalm 16:8, NASB
In my distress I called upon the Lord,
and cried to my God for help;
He heard my voice out of His temple,
and my cry for help before Him came into His ears.
—Psalm 18:6, NASB
Well, look at you—all grown up and reading scripture! I knew you could do it! But stay with me for this next one. It’s quite a bit longer but one of the most intensely personal scriptures you’ll ever read. Psalm 139 is indeed a love letter. In it, the psalmist describes the depth of God’s love. If ever you find yourself doubting His utter devotion and love for you, camp yourself right here and bask in the freshness of His affection for you.
O LORD, you have searched me and you know me.
You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar.
You discern my going out and my lying down,
you are familiar with all my ways.
Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O LORD.
You hem me in, behind and before;
you have laid your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too lofty for me to attain.
Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,
Even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast.
If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me
and the light become night around me,”
Even the darkness will not be dark to you;
the night will shine like the day,
for darkness is as light to you.
For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful, I know that full well.
My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place.
When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,
your eyes saw my unformed body.
All the days ordained for me were written in your book
before one of them came to be.
How precious to me are your thoughts,
O God! How vast is the sum of them!
Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand.
When I awake, I am still with you.
—Psalm 139:1-18
Hold on. I want you to go back and read through this passage from Psalm 139 once again, this time asking yourself if you honestly comprehend and embrace every word offered there.
Do you get it? Are you beginning to understand how intimately God knows and loves you? Overwhelming, isn’t it? But just in case there’s still an inkling of doubt in your mind, jump over to the New Testament and read this next verse:
For God so loved the world
that he gave his one and only Son
that whoever believes in him
shall not perish but have eternal life.
—John 3:16
If there were a Scripture Hall of Fame, this verse would be Numero Uno. Because God didn’t just talk the talk, He quite literally walked the walk. He was not only willing to die for you, He did die for you through the sacrifice of His Son Jesus Christ. He loves you! Do you believe that? Do the words of this verse resonate somewhere inside you? Do you understand that “whoever believes” means if you had been the only one, He still would have died for you?
Hold that thought for just one moment. I want to share something I read once in a magazine article about former University of Florida quarterback Tim Tebow. If you know anything about this extraordinarily talented young man—the only sophomore ever to win the Heisman Trophy—you know he wasn’t only one of the greatest college football players of our time, he’s also an outspoken follower of Christ who sees his athletic abilities as a gift from God specifically as an opportunity to tell others about Christ. And Tebow really walks that walk. On Gator game days, he was well-known for writing scripture references on his eye-black (that black sticker or grease below the eyes that helps reduce glare). For the January 8, 2009, BCS National Championship game against OU, Tebow wore “John 3:16” beneath his eyes. Check this out.
Within 24 hours of the game, the reference was googled 93 million times. More than passing or rushing yards, this was a statistic Tebow savored. It meant he’d achieved his dream of deflecting his fame to his Savior.1
Tim Tebow gets it. He understands the message of John 3:16. He knows that if he was the only one, Christ still would have died for him. And he lives his life out loud giving God the glory every chance he gets.
What about you? Do you get it? Does John 3:16 resonate in your life as if it matters? You don’t have to be a Heisman Trophy winner or an NFL quarterback to accept the gift of life Christ is offering to you. But you sure ought to understand the sacrifice Christ made to give you that gift of eternal life.
Let’s take it one step further. Romans 8:31b asks, “If God is for us, who can be against us?” Excellent question. But don’t make a common misinterpretation here. This isn’t about God joining your team; it’s about you joining His. I always love to hear athletes like Tim Tebow give God the glory after a big win, be it the National Championship, the Super Bowl, the World Series, the Olympics, or any other sporting event. But I’m pretty sure there are probably many other individuals on the opposing teams who love God—and whom God loves—just as much. Contrary to popular belief, the Almighty doesn’t have pennants hanging around heave
n, showing His preference for the Florida Gators (hard to believe but true, Gator fans), the Tennessee Titans, Boston Red Sox, Orlando Magic, or whatever team you happen to be rooting for. (Although I must admit, I’ve often wondered if He’s misplaced His Chicago Cubs pennant. Think maybe His goat ate it?)
Abraham Lincoln was once asked if he believed God was on the side of the Union soldiers during the Civil War. He answered, “I don’t ask God to choose sides. I want to be on His side since He is always right.” Preach it, Abe!
The point is, we need to leave our pride and our egos behind, because it’s not about us. It’s totally about Him. So often we barge ahead, making our decisions and following our plan of action, then ask Him to bless it, as if somehow He owes it to us. Then we’re baffled when things get screwed up and don’t turn out the way we want them to. If only we’d learn, as we talked about earlier, to stay out of that pilot’s seat and let Him take control. Don’t you wonder why He puts up with all the stupid mistakes we make over and over and over?
It’s called grace. Unmerited favor from God. Hard for us to comprehend, but it’s one of the biggest blessings He offers us.
Hey, I’ve got good news for you. Skip down to the last two verses of Romans 8 and see what else Paul has to say about God’s love for us.
For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. —Romans 8:38-39
None of those things will stand in the way of God’s love for you. Got it? He loves you! Any questions? If not, let’s move on.
Pray then like this . . .
—MATTHEW 6:9A (ESV)