John Paul Jackson

I thought this was a very good reminder from John Paul Jackson of how much God loves us and wants to spend time with us.

"You Are Wanted " (February 2011 Newsletter)                                        
        A few years ago, I dreamed that my father offered to give me a ride to my car.  My car was only a block away, and I could have easily walked there.  But after some lighthearted insistence on his part, I finally agreed to let him take me.

     Instead of going the most direct route, he ended up taking me all over the area: down one-way streets, through parks and office communities.  Forty-five minutes later, we were back to being within one block of my car.  Frustrated, I asked my father to stop so I could just walk.

     As I got out of the car, my father remorsefully said, “I just wanted to spend some time with you.”

      It was then I heard a voice from Heaven say to me, “This is how you treat Me.” 

       “No,” I quickly retorted, “I’m not like that at all! I make time to talk with You.”

        But His response left me aghast: “Yes, you are ready to talk with Me when you want, but you are not available to talk anytime I want. You are more interested in reaching your goals than spending time with Me.”

        Needless to say, that dream was a wakeup call for me. It helped me better comprehend the heart and thought processes of my Father God.

        Genuine relationship with God is a marriage of two hearts, and like any marriage, it needs timeand focus in order to grow. It also requires both people actually understanding where the other is coming from. Let me explain what I mean by that.

          God’s love for you is extravagant. His love for you is greater than anything that has ever been seen before. His love for you is more than you could imagine. It is more than you could ever expect, even on your best day. And this God who loves you more than you could ever hope for wants you to be an active participant in His life.

          This is not an invitation to feel condemned. Don’t think, I never spend time with God. He must be disappointed in me. Or, I know He wants me to spend more time with Him, but I just can’t right now. Don’t read this article and allow your soul to become troubled. Instead, realize how much you are wanted.

         If this is a difficult subject for you to grasp, purposefully set out to change your mind about it. For the next month, try to wake up in the morning with this thought: Today, God desires me.

         As our weeks and months go by and we struggle through our valleys and trials, it can be so easy to forget our passion; the understanding of His heart for us can slip through our fingers. Then, when His invitation comes, we often respond in fear: I’m not doing enough! He’s probably upset with me! How could He ever want me? I’m not one of the faithful ones. If I come to Him now, it’s probably going to be at a great personal cost!

         But again, the invitation is not meant to make you feel condemned for your actions or thought processes (Romans 8:1). It has been issued solely because He wants you. And the result of spending time with God is that you become God focused. Your life changes. Your mind, your will and your emotions become aligned with His. Your hope flourishes. You discover real, genuine, true life; you discover the real you in the middle of His affections.  

         When you wait on Him, He speaks. When you spend time with Him, you discover that He has been wanting to speak. He has been waiting for you to  wait, so He can talk, so He can move, so He can inform, so He can touch, so He can hold, so He can caress, so He can embrace you.

         Let today be your day. Go find yourself in God’s affections. Spend time with Him and discover His heart for you. And remember that you are wanted so fully and completely that when you begin to understand His desire for you, the path will straighten out beneath your feet; your questions will be answered, and you will discover a peace that passes all comprehension.