I wake up at roughly 4:30 every morning these days. We’re in an all squad month, and it’s hard to get in the quiet time I want and need in the mornings unless I sacrifice sleep, so I roll out of my tent and head to the kitchen to make some stellar instant coffee. While I let the caffeine roll into my veins, I sit and pray and ask God some questions. Then I dive into some scripture and ponder it, letting the words soak in.
A few mornings ago, I was reading Isaiah 62:1-5. And then I heard God ask me a question that made me laugh.
“ 1For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent, and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not be quiet, until her righteousness goes forth as brightness, and her salvation as a burning torch. The nations shall see your righteousness,and all the kings your glory, and you shall be called by a new name that the mouth of the Lord will give. You shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of the Lord, and a royal diadem in the hand of your God. You shall no more be termed Forsaken, and your land shall no more be termed Desolate, but you shall be called My Delight Is in Her, and your land Married; for the Lord delights in you, and your land shall be married. For as a young man marries a young woman, so shall your sons marry you, and as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so shall your God rejoice over you.” —Isaiah 62:1-5
God said, “I give you my love freely. Why don’t you just accept it?”
Something I’ve spent a lot of time thinking and praying about since training camp is this:
I love people really well. I know I do this, people tell me all the time and it’s a gifting I have. An anointing, I’d say. However…I SUCK AT ACCEPTING LOVE FROM OTHERS, INCLUDING GOD. Especially God.
So when I heard God ask me this question, I started laughing. I thought I’d moved past this and was doing pretty alright. But if He’s asking, clearly I’m not. So the past few mornings since, I’ve just sat and reflected, and had more conversations about it. I’ve simply sat and let God love me. And it’s made my days brighter and more purposeful. It’s made me better mentally and even physically (see two posts ago, DISCIPLINE). And it’s been a beautiful turn. Not that things were bad, but they’ve gotten even better than they were.
If you’re reading this and thinking, “I want that,” it’s 100% available to you, too. God’s a good dad, and he gives good gifts to His kids. All you have to do is ask! Jesus already loves you, you just have to accept it.
“Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.” —John 16:24
“We have to do something with it. It’s like having no money and then someone hands you a check. You have to take it to the bank. You have to do something with it.”—Jamie Tworkowski
If you have no money, and someone writes you a check, you have to take it to the bank. You have to accept it and do something with it. God’s love is the same. He gives it, but we have to accept it or its just like a check waiting to be taken to the bank.
