"The Great Love Story"

Yesterday, our church witnessed a baptism of one of our young adults. For those who have committed their lives to Christ, it is a beautiful thing to see and even to remember the day we said, "Christ, I believe you are God's son and that you came to deliver me from a life full of sin that leads nowhere. I now give the rest of my life to you because I see there is nothing else worth living for."

But we also see all around that it's not easy for young and even older people to say, "I want to commit my life to the Lord." It's easier to say, "I like the way my life is going. I just have to much to do before I make that decision." These thoughts unfortunately keep us from seeing the reality and the truth that God has something better than we could ever imagine. He has a real love, peace, freedom, joy, strength and so much more ready for us. He has a purpose for our lives and is ready with arms wide open to take us there.

The belief is that there is something better, more fulfilling in store for us and that there's no time for God. This leads us to a life of pursuit towards false fulfillment. Culture, society, entertainment, drugs, parties, selfish ambitions etc... make us believe that in them we will find true satisfaction and find ourselves. We end up believing that these things are worth committing our lives to more than God is. We somehow believe that these things deserve our time and attention and Christ doesn't. We don't stop and realize the truth, that all these things in our world don't really care about us. They either just want our money, our attention, to use us or just keep us lost with it all.

God is the only one who has known us and truly loved us from birth, even before. He planned for us to exist. Even when he knew we would reject him, he made us and then he made a plan so that we could live abundantly and enjoy true fulfilling life with him forever with the one who really loves us, Him. He sent his Son to live like us, to feel pain, sadness, fear, temptation, weakness and even death for us. He came to do what culture, society, entertainment, drugs, parties, selfish ambitions could never ever do for us. He came to show that the God who created us loves us and wants to have a real relationship and meaning in this life. We give so many other things in this world a try, but we wont' give the only real and fulfilling thing a try.

Christ wants to have a relationship with us. He knows our dreams, our goals, and our needs more than any school, friend, (or whatever we think is worth more than God) could ever know about us. He knows it and he wants to walk with us through accomplishments, failures, trials, grief, and all that life contains. He wants to be there to pick us up, to give us strength, to wipe our tears and to lead us to great things. He wants to walk with us and for us to walk with him. We give so many people a chance, so why not give God the chance to be our friend?

Take a few minutes and listen to this song while reading it's lyrics.

Where do you hide Where do you go?
Why are you running from me?
And why do you fear when you know I am near to Thee
Someone come, Someone come
Someone come fill the divide, Fill the divide
Colorless life, not even grey
Oceans apart and miles and miles away
O, being deceived and deceiving the same
Jesus come, Jesus come
Jesus come fill the divide
Who will save me from this death
Who will save me from this death
Who will save me from this death
Who will raise me from the dead
Who will save me, who will save?
Jesus won, Jesus won
Jesus won, filled the divide
Jesus won, Jesus won
Jesus won, filled the divide
All glory, All honor be
To the God that filled the divide