June 27, 2012
I Want Someone to Love Me
Sharon Jaynes
Today’s Truth
“My dove in the clefts of the rock, in the hiding places on the mountainside, show me your face, let me hear your voice; for your voice is sweet, and your face is lovely” (Song of Solomon 2:14 NIV) (Today, read this verse as Jesus speaking to you, his bride.)
Friend to Friend
OK, let’s talk some girlfriend talk. The subject – old boyfriends. In the eighth grade it was Mike Body who was as cute as he was quiet. I thought our “love” would last forever. It didn’t. In the ninth grade it was Bill Pegram. He was two years older than me and his big blue eyes were the reason I joined the church youth choir. The music in my heart grew faint when he moved out of town the next year…but I stayed in the choir. In the tenth grade it was Jimmy Weeks, the football star. Our “romance” lasted from September until June when he broke my heart. I thought I would never recover until I caught a glimpse of Jim Byrd, the surfer boy, who rode a wave into my heart in the eleventh grade. That ended in a wipe out until the twelfth grade when a blind date grabbed my attention for the next three years.
Those teenage years can be quite dramatic and traumatic, but the search to know and be known doesn’t end with high school graduation. And while the scenery along that journey changes with the years, the longing remains the same. We all want to know and be known by someone. We long to find that special person who will look deep into our souls and share our lives. And friend, I know just who you’re looking for!
It doesn’t matter if we’re talking about the Samaritan woman at the well or the New York executive on Wall Street, human beings long to know and be known by someone on a personal and passionate level. And there is Someone who is pursuing you. His name is Jesus. He is the only One who can satisfy that inner longing to be completely known and sweetly loved. Could it be that you already have what you’ve always wanted? Do you know that He is pursuing you?
One of my pastors noted that 75-80% of college students who were actively involved in church in high school, fall away from the faith by their sophomore year of college. Thirty percent never return. Why? He believes one reason is overwhelming shame and guilt.
We only have to look at Adam and Eve who hid from God because of the shame and guilt of disobeying His one command. Then there was Moses who ran away from home and from God because of the shame and guilt of killing the Egyptian. But in each case, God pursued the ones who ran. And the first question recorded in the Bible was when God asked Adam and Eve, “Where are you?”
I don’t know where your heart is today. Maybe you are still looking to people, possessions or power to fill that God-shaped void in your life. Maybe you are struggling with guilt and shame and are wondering if God even wants to have a relationship with you. Oh dear friend, as a girlfriend who has done her share of hiding, I can promise you that God is asking right now, “Where are you?”
He loves you. He longs to be in relationship with you. He desires to see your face. Go to Him. No, run to Him. He’s waiting with open arms.
Let me ask you the question I asked earlier. Could it be that you already have what you’ve always wanted? I believe the answer is “yes.”
Let’s Pray
Dear God, sometimes I wonder why you even bother with me. I make so many mistakes. How thankful I am that You continue to pursue me even when I mess up. How blessed I am to know that You love me just the way I am, but too much to let me stay that way. I love you so much.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.
Now It’s Your Turn
Do you believe that God is pursuing you?
Do you believe that God longs to have a relationship with you, no matter what you’ve done in the past?
Are you hiding?
If so, I want you to know that reading this devotion today is no accident. Most of my devotions are directly related to books that I have written, but not today. This one is just for you. If you could sense God speaking to you, then I’d love to know about it. Log onto www.facebook.com/sharonjaynes and say, “This one was for me.”
More from the Girlfriends
God has great dreams for you. He wants you to come out of hiding and begin the abundant life that He planned all along. If you’d like to learn more about His incredible plans for you, check out my book, The 5 Dreams of Every Women…and How God Wants to Fulfill Them. Your next great adventure is waiting just around the bend!
Seeking God?
Click here to find out more about
how to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
Girlfriends in God
Matthews, NC 28106
[email protected]
www.girlfriendsingod.com
.webp)
