God thinks about me

I am continually staggered, in my walk with Christ, when I pause to reflect on how passionate God is toward me and how often His thoughts turn towards me. This truth is expressed through David when he sings, "How precious also are your thoughts to me, O God! How vast is the sum of them! If I should count them, they would outnumber the sand." (Psalm 139:17-18a). It is beyond my capacity to imagine that the holy, righteous, transcendent God of all nations, Creator of all the cosmoses, turns His thoughts personally and intimately toward me. As though I was the only one alive. And that He is able to be that personal with each one in His creation. I am astounded and humbled to think that God’s thoughts turn toward me more than my thoughts will ever turn toward Him.

Not only do His thoughts turn toward me, but He rejoices and celebrates over me." For as a young man marries a virgin, so your sons will marry you; and as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so your God will rejoice over you." (Isaiah 62:5). I still remember the flood of joy that I experienced more than 24 years ago when my bride came out from behind a fence row and walked a cross a field overlooking the Cherokee Mountain range. (I was a product of the 60’s). God rejoices over us like that.

He also celebrates over us with shouts of joy." The Lord your God is in your midst, a victorious warrior. He will exalt over you with joy. He will be quiet in His love. He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy." (Zephaniah 3:17) I have this image of God in a thunderous voice shouting my name in the heavens before the Heavenly Host.

God’s passion for me fuels my passion for Him. It motivates me! It drives me! It draws me to Him. It might be surprising to learn that my response is not, "Lord produce in me a passion for You that matches Your passion for me". No! I will never match His love and passion for me. It is also true that His love for me will never match His passion for His name, His renown, and His glory. It is God’s passion for Himself that ignites my passion for Him. Because of this truth, my prayer is, "Lord, produce in me a passion and love for You that matches Your passion for Yourself."

Jeff Lewis

Jeff Lewis travels the world spreading a passion for the glory of God among all peoples. He’s the Director of the Global Center at California Baptist University.