What Is ONE Thing God Wants From You?

What is ONE thing God wants from you?

You may be saying to yourself:

Well, He probably, wants me: to get over ____ (that bad habit), to give up_____, to forgive that person who has deeply wounded me, to reach out to ___ (even though this person  has not cared for me), to get my life in order, to stop _____, to start ______, to promise never to ___again.”

You can add to this list!

INSTEAD, I believe what He really wants is for us to come . . .

In our neediness.

With our brokenness.

A broken and contrite heart Oh Lord you will not despise.” (Psalm 51:17)

HOWEVER, our tendency is to say to ourselves: 

I can’t bother Him with this again. I’ve already asked Him for so much. 

I need to get my act together before I go to him again.

But no matter how hard I try, I keep failing. 

He can’t forgive me for “that” again.

He is bound to be disappointed in me.”

He already knows all of this and more. He even knows you and me better than we know ourselves.

Psychologists will tell you that one of man’s greatest needs is to be known. We need a few friends that know us really well, but even more we need to realize that only our heavenly Father truly knows us.

You have searched me Lord 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 of my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you, Lord, know it completely.” (Psalm 139:1-4)

He knows all parts of us, even those yucky hidden things.  And He is not shocked. He knows we are but dust; He knows every one of our weaknesses.

As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him; for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are but dust.” (Psalm 103:14)  

He understands you and me completely. 

Great is the Lord and mighty in power. His understanding has NO limit.” (Psalm 147:5)

He understands when I am embarrassed to go to Him because I did _____ again. When I am tired of trying, tired of failing, tired of me. When I’m just plain tired. Even then He still pours out compassion. 

Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail.” (Lamentations 3:22)

Our Savior Jesus is not tired of you or me. Or our failed attempts.  In fact He longs for us TO COME to Him, again.

Come unto me all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)

He doesn’t just want our neediness, our brokenness. 

He wants us to come to Him. To call on Him again and again. 

It’s easy to think,

He won’t accept me again, I am a mess. 

I’ll go to Him when I get my act together.” 

You never will. 

Do you know what makes Him happy?

It might surprise you!

What shall I return to the Lord for all his goodness to me? I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord.” (Psalm 116:12-13)

He wants us to call on Him — more, again and again. 

As we approach Easter, let’s not just come to the cross. Let’s RUN to it. With all of our sin, all of our failures. Let’s once again lay them down at His feet and gaze in His tender loving eyes and hear Him say to us:

I know you. I forgive you. (I John1:9) 

YOU are my beloved daughter. I adore you!”

In our church liturgy we often pray “A Collect for Purity” because we come in humility, in neediness, in brokenness. 

 I’d like you to take a deep breath, pause for 30 seconds and join me in praying:

Almighty God, to you all hearts are open, all desires known, and from you no secrets are hid: Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love you, and worthily magnify your holy Name, through Christ our Lord. Amen.” 

(Prayer from the Anglican Book of Common Prayer)

 

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