Meant to Live

I think that God truly loves to hear the prayers of children- especially when they mess up. Have you ever read some of the bloopers that kids have made of the Lord's Prayer? Here are a few: "Give us this steak and daily bread, and forgive us our mattresses." Or: "Give us this day our jelly bread." These children must have been hungry.

Then there's the heartfelt prayer of a brother wanting to get his sister into trouble:

"Lead a snot into temptation."

But my all-time favorite is the petition of the pre-schooler:

"Our Father, who art in Heaven, how didja know my name?"

In the mind of this little one is a big mystery: how can Someone whom he has never met before possibly know his name? So naturally it would make sense to ask this since he was checking in anyway.

What I like best about that boy's inquiry is that it is a great reminder of the same wonder and curiosity that we should have towards God. Remember when we first trusted in Him? Everything was a completely cool discovery- like the way the Bible seemed to speak to exactly what we were going through, and the strangest ways that God would meet our deepest needs...almost like He was with us wherever we went. Oh yeah- can you also recall how blown away you were that the God of the Universe knew you before you were even born, knew how sinful you were then, and still died on the cross for you?

Then, little by little...sermon by sermon...meeting by meeting- the marvel of the Majesty of the King melted into a matter-of-fact mutual relationship that is more 'mature' now. You just don't seem so excited to pick up that Bible because there are so many other things that are more entertaining. And prayer? Mostly now it's when you're either in trouble, or sick, or both. Your perception of the Almighty has been reduced to a vending machine who dispenses grandfatherly advice and gives you the loose change out of His pockets.

But remember - He still knows your name...

In fact, He knows everything about you. Want proof? Here you go:

I'm an open book to you; even from a distance, you know what I'm thinking. You know when I leave and when I get back; I'm never out of your sight. You know everything I'm going to say before I start the first sentence. I look behind me and you're there, then up ahead and you're there, too -- your reassuring presence, coming and going. This is too much, too wonderful -- I can't take it all in!

Is there anyplace I can go to avoid your Spirit? to be out of your sight? If I climb to the sky, you're there! If I go underground, you're there! If I flew on morning's wings to the far western horizon, You'd find me in a minute--you're already there waiting! Then I said to myself, "Oh, he even sees me in the dark! At night I'm immersed in the light!" It's a fact: darkness isn't dark to you; night and day, darkness and light, they're all the same to you.

Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out; you formed me in my mother's womb. I thank you, High God--you're breathtaking! Body and soul, I am marvelously made! I worship in adoration--what a creation! You know me inside and out, you know every bone in my body; You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit, how I was sculpted from nothing into something. Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth; all the stages of my life were spread out before you, the days of my life all prepared before I'd even lived one day.

Your thoughts--how rare, how beautiful! God, I'll never comprehend them! I couldn't even begin to count them--any more than I could count the sand of the sea. Oh, let me rise in the morning and live always with you! (Psalm 139:3-18)

In a nutshell- "Our Father, who art in heaven, how didja know so much about me?"

For some, this might be scary. For others, it is 'too wonderful'. Maybe that's because for some- the fact that God knows all this and is still crazy about us is the greatest news in the universe. How could you ever grow tired of that?!?

I guess that all depends on where you are in your relationship with your Creator.

If you have misplaced some of your primary passion, my suggestion to you would be to bring back some of that curiosity and inquisitiveness that you first had as a new Christian. It's no wonder that unbelievers aren't attracted to Christ when they meet 'older' believers - would you be? Ah, but then there's the ones whose hearts still leap for joy at the Name of Jesus. They are still in awe that they can read the love letter from God called the Bible. Their enthusiasm just pours out, and it is like a drink of water for a spiritually parched population.

Begin today to rekindle the same amazement at the works and words of the God who became a man- otherwise you may find on Judgment Day that Jesus really doesn't know your name!