My two grown and flown daughters spent part of their weekend together at a theme park. Their mission: to ride lots of rollercoasters. The reflections in their selfies testified to their success. Those grown-up smiles reminded me of former days when I took those same girls to that exact park. In those days, all they could ride was the kiddy roller coaster. There were no death-defying plummets, twists, or gravity-defeating loops. The track looked more like a set of circular monkey bars from a playground. No matter. My four-year-old sat in the car anticipating the thrill to come. Shrieks of joyful delight permeated the air as her hands waved above her head before the car ever ebbed away from the platform. No doubt, this experience was going to be an exhilarating one.
The Psalmist seems to be anticipating the same type of exhilaration and pleasure when he writes:
Let me experience your faithful love in the morning, for I trust in you. Reveal to me the way I should go because I appeal to you. Psalm 143:8
Those kiddy roller coaster days marked me. They caused me to wonder how often I approach life with my hands in the air oozing with informed anticipation of anything about my relationship with God. The Bible doesn’t paint a picture of such grand anticipation, but it does infer a known and relished commodity.
In other words, the love of God cannot simply be read about and believed. It must be experienced.
Why Don’t We Experience God’s love?
The problem with many of us is that we have no idea what we are missing. It’s as if we have never ventured thrill-riding. We lack experience, remaining spectators rather than participants. The Psalmist longs for more because he knows there is more to be apprehended. Not stopping with wanting and wishing, he does the only thing he can. He prays.
What about you? Do you want to experience the more available? Are you ready to move beyond observation and words in a book to the thrill ride of your life?
If so, then buckle up as you bend the knee. His love for you and for me is promised and sure.
We will not be disappointed.
A Prayer to Experience God’s Love
Lord Jesus,
I ask that You draw my friend to Yourself, helping her to experience the depths of Your love for her. Let the words of the Psalmist permeate–“let (her) experience Your faithful love in the morning, for (she) trusts in You” – becoming her cry and her reality. Show her Your power, Your goodness, Your grace, and Your gentleness. Give her a history of You loving her in such a way that causes her to keep coming back — like a thrill ride that always has a place saved in line for her to experience more and more of Your faithful love until she sees you face to face.
In the Name of Jesus,
Amen
Friend, it has been my pleasure to meet you here each week – pray over you and use this cyberspace to deepen relationships. I’m signing off until the new year. Make sure to become a subscriber so that you don’t miss anything. It is my joy and pleasure to be here with you.
XOXOXO,
Cheri
