NOBODY WILL LOVE YOU BETTER THAN GOD CAN!!!
That’s my message to the entire world today! We expect way too much from other humans, and then we’re hurt, sad, frustrated, and disappointed when they don’t perform up to our expectations. However, God is the complete opposite; He gives us more than we can ever ask or imagine when we stick with Him and make Him our first love, priority, and central focus!!! GOD WANTS A PERSONAL AND CLOSE RELATIONSHIP WITH YOU!!! HE IS OUR GREATEST FRIEND EVER!!!
God blows me away with His love and intimate involvement in every aspect of my life. Like yesterday, a young lady sent me a message saying it was her birthday the next day. I told her that my prayer for her was a closer walk with God and that I wish someone had given me that advice when I was her age to develop a personal relationship with Him. She sent me back this message:
“Every day yearning for more of Him just like the deer pants for water.”
That’s what David wrote in Psalm 42:1: “As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God.” So, fast forward a few hours later, I go to bed, and I usually fall asleep listening to Dr. Charles Stanley (complete God nerd!). His first sermon to appear at the very top of my YouTube feed was incredibly entitled, ‘Hungering and Thirsting for God.’ Can you believe it was based on this same verse Psalm 42:1? No way this was a regular coincidence out of his massive content of sermons on YouTube for this very one to be at the top of my feed and be based on that very verse. It was God Himself letting both of us know that He sees us and knows our hearts.
But the God wink didn’t stop there! My husband woke me up this morning playing his audio Bible. Of all the verses in the Bible, the very one I woke up to was this one:
“As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God.” – Psalm 42:1
Is that crazy or what? I’m talking precisely there, I woke up! I followed my husband downstairs to get coffee asking him why he was listening to that specific Psalm, and he said it was the Psalm his mom read a lot. I was utterly blown away by God. I ended up leaving him because it was too early to be waking up on a Sunday morning (LOL!), and I went back to bed asking God what He was trying to say to me. I felt He answered me through that very sermon from Dr. Stanley.
I felt silly telling this young lady how God was singing to me yesterday, telling me He wants me for Himself, that He is selfish, like that’s how close I’m feeling with Him right now (HUGE SMILE). In that very sermon, Dr. Charles Stanley confirmed this message. Not only does He want me for Himself, but He also wants you too. Here is how Dr. Stanley put it:
“The people whom I formed will declare My praise. “THAT IS, GOD MADE YOU AND ME FOR HIMSELF (Wink! Wink!). EVERY SINGLE ONE OF US IS CREATED FOR GOD. And because we are created for Him, He wants us for Himself to love Him and to cherish Him and to honor Him and to obey Him and to serve Him. That’s what we’re here for. Why else did God create you? Just to have a good time in life? No, can you have a good time in life and be a Christian? Absolutely. Have the best time. He created us for Himself. And therefore, because He created us for Himself, what we have to ask is this:
Lord, what are you doing in my life? What part do you play in my life? In other words, is He really the central focus of your thinking? There’s somebody–If you’d ask the average parent, what’s the most important thing in your life? My children. I understand that. It’s just not the right answer. Or my husband. Or my wife. Not the right answer. The most important thing in every single one of our lives is a personal relationship to Jesus Christ. God Himself.
And what we have to ask is: Where does our interest lie? That is, what are our appetites for? What is it that you want in life above everything else? He says, “As the deer pants for the water brook, so pants my soul for you, dear Lord.” Now God’s given us many, many gifts in life and many things that you and I can enjoy. And there’s nothing wrong with those desires and drives that He’s given us in life as long as they are kept in their proper perspective (WHERE YOUR GIRL HERE GETS IS SERIOUSLY WRONG!!!). That the most important thing in your life and my life today, tomorrow, next week, next month, next year, the last day of our life, is our personal relationship to Him. He desires that you and I hunger and thirst for Him.”
I met my brother, Kevin, quickly yesterday, and I explained that we have to be the highest in the room. Meaning relating to everyone from God’s perspective and pleasing Him as our ultimate and central goal. I told Kevin that the way he has closely supported and stood with me for the past three years, I want to be that person for others, no matter what they’ve done to hurt me. Then, having to give a customer a ride, I passed a church that incredibly said:
“Mercy gave the prodigal son a second chance. Grace gave him a feast.”
Exactly summing up what I discussed with Kevin, I always want to be that merciful person for God in the world, accepting that we all constantly mess up and make mistakes, but God loves us unconditionally. Holding everyone in their proper perspective as fallible, weak humans fighting our own demons, but still loving them extravagantly and forgiving endlessly, ALL FOR THE GLORY OF GOD. My new mantra is, “Obey God and leave the consequences with Him!!!’ This is how He guides us on the path to the best life with Him! Wink! Wink!