• About
  • Books
  • One Word
    • One Word
    • Shop One Word Cards
  • Cousin Camp
  • Speaking
  • Audio
  • Blog
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
Susan Alexander Yates

Susan Alexander Yates

Wisdom for Every Season

  • Character
  • Faith
  • Family
  • Seasons
  • Marriage
  • Parenting
  • Cousin Camp
  • Ask Susan

What Is ONE Thing God Wants From You?

by Susan Alexander Yates

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.

Woman praying in the mountains at sunset

Photo by Jude Beck on Unsplash.

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. 

wooden cross on a rocky hill by the ocean at sunset

Photo by Samuel McGarrigle on Unsplash.

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)

 

Save this post on Pinterest:

Share126
Pin6
Tweet
Email
Print
132Shares
Share126
Share
Pin
Text
132Shares

You may also enjoy...

Faith
March 24, 2021 · Leave a Comment

« What I Most Admire About My Husband
This Is Why You Should Pray Regularly That Your Kids Get Caught! »

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Hello, I’m Susan.

Susan Alexander Yates

I’m a wife (of 50 years), mom to five children (including a set of twins), and grandmother to 21 (including a set of quadruplets!). My favorite time of the year is when all my kids and grandkids are together for a week of “cousins and family camp” in the foothills of the Shenandoah Mountains of Virginia.

Read more…

Recent Posts

  • Is Your Nest “Emptying”? 4 Ideas for Dropping Off Your Freshman
  • From Discouragement to Blessing: 3 Ideas to Transform Your Day
  • 9 Books I Loved: To Inspire, Entertain, and Encourage You
  • How I Heard Nature Sing — and What It Taught Me About God
  • Help, I Can’t Do it All: 4 Faith Principles for Overwhelmed Moms

One Word

One Word: Sufficient

Featured Books

Risky Faith: Becoming Brave Enough to Trust the God Who Is Bigger Than Your World

Risky Faith: Becoming Brave Enough to Trust the God Who Is Bigger Than Your World
Buy This Book Online
Buy from Amazon
Buy from Amazon Kindle
Risky Faith: Becoming Brave Enough to Trust the God Who Is Bigger Than Your World
Buy now!

One Devotional: One Word, One Verse, One Thought for One Hundred Days

One Devotional: One Word, One Verse, One Thought for One Hundred Days
Buy This Book Online
Buy from Amazon
Buy from Amazon Kindle
One Devotional: One Word, One Verse, One Thought for One Hundred Days
Buy now!
  • Certainty In Christ
  • Subscribe
  • Contact
  • Media Kit
  • Privacy Policy
  • Site Index

Search

Risky Faith: Becoming Brave Enough to Trust the God Who Is Bigger Than Your World

Risky Faith: Becoming Brave Enough to Trust the God Who Is Bigger Than Your World
Buy This Book Online
Buy from Amazon
Buy from Amazon Kindle
Risky Faith: Becoming Brave Enough to Trust the God Who Is Bigger Than Your World
Buy now!

Popular

  • 8 Things to Do When You Really Don’t Like Your…
  • What Every Wife Needs: Two Simple Things to Tell…
  • The One Thing Your Child Needs the Most

Are you getting ready for an empty nest? Taking ki Are you getting ready for an empty nest? Taking kids to college this fall? I'm blogging about that this week, with 4 ideas for dropping off your freshman. (And Barbara Rainey @everthinehome and I wrote a book about this!) 

Links to both the book and blog in my bio. Or go to susanalexanderyates.com/blog
Melody and I leaving for our 4 day hike in the Ol Melody and I leaving for our 4 day hike in the Olympic National Park in Washington state! 🏞🏕
This acronym serves as a guide for prayer. I have This acronym serves as a guide for prayer. I have found this so helpful to use in my own prayer life and in small groups! ⁣
⁣
It's just a small bit of what I'm sharing in my devotional over at Club31Women -- 3 Things to Make This Very Day a Blessing. If you're waking up discouraged, this is for you. ⁣
⁣
Read the whole thing -- link in bio!
We’re never too old for new adventures! 🌤⛰🚗☀️
This week I’m sharing a devotional over @club31w This week I’m sharing a devotional over @club31women about how to transform your day when you wake up discouraged.⁣
⁣
This little prayer is part of my morning routine. We taught it to our kids when they were small and recited it each morning at breakfast. Now my grandchildren use it! ⁣
⁣
Read the whole blog: 3 Things That Will Make This Very Day a Blessing. Link in bio!
Immeasurable Riches ONE WORD: “...so that in Immeasurable Riches 
 
ONE WORD:
“...so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus." Ephesians 2:7
 
ONE THOUGHT:
Father, today I long to dwell on your riches rather than my own wants and needs. Call to mind your riches and help these thoughts of you to be in the forefront of my thinking today.
It’s mid-summer! Have you run out of things to d It’s mid-summer! Have you run out of things to do with your kids?? ☀️

I have FREE downloadable ebook for you - Camp At Home 100 ideas for you to do with your kids or grandkids!

Link in bio!

#cousincamp #cousincampbook
I love this quote from John Stott, from his very l I love this quote from John Stott, from his very last book, The Radical Disciple. I highly recommend it. Brief chapters include: “Nonconformity,” “Simplicity,” “Dependence,” and others.⁣
⁣
Over on the blog, I'm sharing this book along with 8 others I've loved recently. If you're looking for a summer read, I hope you find a good one here!⁣
⁣
Read the whole list: link in bio or go to susanalexanderyates.com/blog
I’ve been thinking a lot about books - check out I’ve been thinking a lot about books - check out my latest blog! 📚😊

Here are two more that I have enjoyed by two of my friends Christy Fitzwater and Penelope Swithinbank. 

Keeping House is an honest, humorous, easy-to-read book about the joy you can get from cleaning by a friend of mine who cleans VRBOs. You will laugh and learn some real practical tips. 

The book, Scent of Water, is a comfort in times of grief. Her daily devotions are honest and she leaves us with specific scriptures of comfort. You will feel closer to God and thankful for his understanding.

Copyright © 2022 · Susan Alexander Yates · All Rights Reserved
Calligraphy by Jessica Blanchard · Paintings by Christen Yates
Blog and Ask Susan Photo by Natalie Puls Photography · Books Photo by Cambria Elizabeth

132Shares
132Shares
We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.OkayPrivacy Policy