ENJOYED, EVEN IN OUR IMMATURITY

Even after returning, many believers fail to comprehend how overjoyed God is, how He enjoys their presence even as they are craving His. These people grow slowly in their Christian walks, holding God at arm’s length. When they inevitably stumble, as all toddlers do, they brace themselves for the stern correction of God that they’ve been conditioned to expect. It pains God’s heart to see them cower away from Him, because He knows they haven’t come to understand that He loves them even in their immaturity. However, it is in responding to God’s love in this immature weakness that ultimately brings us to maturity. We can only grit our teeth and resist sin for so long. We are truly transformed and able to turn away from sin when we finally get rooted in the true Gospel: we can do nothing either to earn or to disqualify ourselves from the grace God has given us.

We all battle with various areas in our lives. Many people assume that each time they stumble in spiritual immaturity, God reacts as though they are in rebellion. This is not the truth. There is a vast difference between rebellion and spiritual immaturity. Thankfully, God knows the difference between the two—and He knows when we step into either. A spiritually immature per- son is sincere in their intent to obey the Lord and is frustrated by their own immaturity. While outwardly or to the undiscerning eye they may appear rebellious, inwardly they are very differ- ent. The spiritually immature believer continues to declare war on their failures and set their heart and soul against them, which in turn builds and creates in them the maturity that they lack. God actually enjoys them while they are still struggling in their immaturity and growing into maturity.

As we watch our children grow, we anticipate moments of immaturity. The reason two-year-olds are impatient has a lot to do with the fact that they’re only two years old. When they throw a cup across the kitchen because they can’t reach the goldfish, they aren’t disqualified from the family or from their parents’ affections. They are not excommunicated from the

family. Immaturity becomes a teaching moment, not a relational breakdown. The parents know that it will not always be as it is at the moment; after all, their toddler is growing up.

Now, if parents can recognize that their child is growing up, cannot God recognize the issues of our own immaturity much more clearly? Does God have less desire or a more limited per- spective than we do? Somehow we imagine that God does not really understand the dilemmas of our immaturity. But stop for a moment and consider what is obvious. The Father has a far su- perior love than even the best earthly parents. He can see all the issues, and can therefore enjoy us in a profound way even while we are growing up spiritually. Jesus even compared the Father’s relationship with us to that between a parent and child.

“If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!” (Luke 11:11-13)

The point is clearly made—no one knows how to parent us or shepherd our development like God does. His wisdom far surpasses that of any earthly parent. Our Heavenly Father sees us in our immaturity and enjoys us as we grow. The Lord loves spiritual two-year-olds, even if they’re living in fifty-five-year- old bodies. Understanding that God can and does enjoy us even in our immaturity fundamentally changes the way we view Him. Every day we can be assured He enjoys us. When we make im- mature mistakes, He uses them as teaching opportunities with- out putting us on probation or sending us to some purgatory- style sin bin to mull over how wicked we have been. Even as He teaches us through the situation, He is expressing His love.

For whom the LORD loves, He corrects, just as a fa- ther the son in whom he delights. (Proverbs 3:12)

We often mistake correction for rejection. When God cor- rects or disciplines us, He does not reject us. Rather, He corrects us because He so desires us. We must make a clear distinction between loving correction and punishment that rejects. When we do, we realize a vital truth about our God…that He likes us. The opposite of the assurance that we are enjoyed is the fear of rejection and the trauma of shame, which are two sides of one coin. Rejection and shame are the most powerful negative human emotions and the most common strongholds of the mind. They cripple people emotionally. Every human being struggles with different degrees of rejection. We can be emotionally drained and even devastated if we believe God is rejecting and sham- ing us or if we believe the same about those we love. But to feel enjoyed by the Father and cherished by Jesus overpowers rejec- tion and shame. Without the revelation of divine enjoyment we are much more vulnerable to Satan and his traps to answer this longing in a false way. This deception is the seedbed for many false religions that lure people into guilt and useless striving to escape the stigma of shame.

As God assures us of His enjoyment, the strongholds of re- jection and shame are dismantled. A spiritual pleasure is released in our souls that is second to none. Oh, the assurance that we are delighted in, enjoyed and longed for! With this we can rest on the inside. God likes us so much, in fact, that He is able to balance this amazing relational dynamic with His children: every believer is God’s favorite. Most Christians will acknowl- edge having felt the love of God, but the idea of each one being His favorite may seem a bit far fetched. How can any of us have multiple favorites? Doesn’t the very meaning of the word favorite imply a single individual?

GOD’S FAVORITE

Perhaps in the limitations of human relationships there can only be room for one favorite, but we’re dealing with a God who loves in a greater dimension than we can comprehend. He

literally loves us in the same way He loves His own Son, the second Person of His being (John 15:9). Jesus revealed this as- tounding concept to His disciples. He said that He loved them in the way the Father loved Him. Think about it for a minute… how deeply does the Father love Jesus? What does the God who is love feel about the God who is love? This is how Jesus feels about us, making each of God’s people His favorite. You are be- loved of God or, as I like to say, you are God’s favorite. Jesus longs for you. You have not been given salvation simply for the sake of a passport to Heaven. Jesus actually likes talking to you; He enjoys the thought of ruling with you. He likes you. He enjoys your company. He appreciates you as a person, even as a friend.

This truth may be difficult for you to believe, but other fol- lowers of Jesus have seized on this very idea without reserva- tion. The Apostle John often referred to himself as having this special, unique relationship with Jesus. John referred to himself as “the one Jesus loved.” Imagine presenting yourself before God in worship as the one God loves. This is precisely how John saw himself. Remember, John wrote the Gospel of John. Notice how he referred to himself in the narrative.

Jesus saw…the disciple [John] whom He loved standing by… (John 19:26)

She ran to Simon Peter, and to the other dis- ciple [John], whom Jesus loved, and said… (John 20:2)

That disciple whom Jesus loved [John] said to Peter… (John 21:7)

Then Peter…saw the disciple [John] whom Je- sus loved… (John 21:20)

Now there was leaning on Jesus’ bosom one of His disciples [John], whom Jesus loved. (John 13:23)

It would be easy to read this and think, “John had some nerve! Didn’t he know that believers down through the years would read this?” This idea of being God’s favorite is vastly dif- ferent than some notion of superiority over other believers. In calling himself “the disciple Jesus loved,” John wasn’t displaying exceptional nerve, he was demonstrating personal revelation. John un- derstood that Jesus’ heart burned within Him for John when they spoke together. This was not a King speaking to the masses, this was an infinitely personal God speaking to His favorite friend.

Being God’s favorite did not mean John was better than others. Instead, it pointed to the supreme love of God; a God uniquely able to love individuals to the utmost. This is the place in which disillusionment is conquered and holy zeal is awak- ened. We go the Father to find out who we are instead of going to other people. Whose opinion really matters? It is here that we understand our identity, here that we understand who we are.

In realizing that we are God’s favorite, we gain specific ad- vantages in the battle for our hearts, our minds, our peace, our joy. The enemy accuses us on two fronts. First, he tells us that we’re rejected by God rather than beloved. Second, he says we’re not sincere in our love of God because our love is weak. The enemy tells us that our weak love is pitiable and diluted, and even that it is completely false. When we finally understand that neither of these precepts is true, the enemy loses his ability to accuse us in these areas. We are able to believe that God is near, not far away. We understand that our love may be weak, but it is certainly growing…and even now we are enjoyed and desired by God.

We must understand we are beloved of God. Abiding in confidence in love before God is a necessary foundation to walk- ing in intimacy with Him. This requires living in the reality of our “belovedness” before God. To be beloved by God is to have confidence in His love and His ability to meet us where we are.

David is another one who understood he was the beloved of God (Psalm 60:5). David knew what it was to be God’s favorite.

For the greater part of his life he was recklessly abandoned to God. At the same time, there were episodes in his life when he was simply reckless. His passions brought forth the purest wor- ship lyrics of all time and caused him to make some of the worst mistakes recorded in the Bible. Yet, in all this, his revelation of being God’s beloved was foundational to his trusting and prais- ing God. Even in his weakness he knew that he was totally for- given, delighted in and absolutely dear to God. It was knowing these truths that enabled him to establish and maintain a deep and unshakable intimacy with God.

David understood that God did not see his spiritual im- maturity as rebellion. He knew that the Lord does not focus on outward appearance, but sees the movements of the heart. Samuel prophesied this truth over David when he anointed him as Israel’s king. David went on to build his life and reign on the basis of this revelation.

The LORD said, “…for the LORD does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”

(1 Samuel 16:7)

Through this Scripture we glimpse how differently God evaluates compared with man. God’s assessments are not based on human ability, but on the movements of our hearts before and toward Him. David had an unusual ability to receive God’s mercy because of his confidence in it.

I have trusted in Your mercy; my heart shall re- joice in Your salvation… (Psalm 13:5)

As a practical example, at the height of tensions with Saul, David fled to Ziklag, a small town in the land of Israel’s en- emies, the Philistines. Eventually David found favor with the Philistines and was allowed to live with them for sixteen months. But it was a place of compromise. David finally repented, left Ziklag and returned to Israel. We can see David’s heart in the prayer he

offered to God when he left that place of compromise: he still knew God delighted in him, even during that difficult season.

He delivered me because He delighted in me. (Psalm 18:19)

If God counted our wrongs against us without showing mer- cy, we would never last long in a relationship with Him. The very nature of walking with God hinges on His kindness and grace to us.

If You, LORD, should mark iniquities, oh Lord, who could stand? But there is forgiveness with You, that You may be feared. (Psalm 130:3)

David knew God’s love, and because of this knowledge he grasped God’s mercy. Mercy is granted to our friends. God saw David as a friend. Knowing David’s struggles and failures, it is encouraging to see how God’s affections were poured out on him, even in times of his spiritual immaturity.

David had a free spirit because he knew that his deepest de- sires could not be obstructed by man. If our internal life in God is where our greatest longings are fulfilled, no man can block them and all human threats and temptations for favor are mini- mized. We must “get into” this vast ocean of endless Divine love, in which the enjoyment of God is of paramount importance. The inexhaustible sea of Divine love is declared in these pas- sages, as well as others.

…that you…may be able to comprehend... what is the width and length and depth and height—to know the love of Christ which pass- es knowledge... (Ephesians 3:18)

The LORD has appeared of old to me, saying: “Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you.” (Jeremiah 31:3)

Over the last seven years, the International House of Prayer has hosted hundreds of interns, many of whom join our staff as full-time intercessory missionaries. One thing I enjoy most in being around so many young interns is watching them fall in love. When a young couple falls in love, something interest- ing invariably happens: their schedules converge. They miracu- lously find themselves in the prayer room together, in the coffee shop together, or in the case of some of our NightWatch staff, standing in the parking lot watching the sunrise together. Love draws hearts into proximity to one another. This is similar to when we begin to comprehend that God enjoys being with us!

Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me. (John 17:24)

In this prayer, Jesus revealed the deep groan of His heart that He has carried from eternity past: He voiced His desire for mankind to be with Him where He is. The very centerpiece of God, the Father’s eternal plan, is that He would dwell with us forever. Our longing to be enjoyed is matched by His longing to enjoy us. Out of all the created order, the human heart has been given a unique gift: the capacity for affection. This capacity has not even been released to angels—only to human beings. In His infinite wisdom, the Bridegroom God decided to only share the realm of affection with human beings.

God has orchestrated the ideal circumstances in this age to produce the greatest amount and most intense level of love in the human heart. When asked on the last day about Jesus’ leadership over our lives, we will declare, “His dealings with me were perfect. He was so tender in the way He led me. I longed to give Him pleasure, and He found it in me.” In that moment, His desire will be fully realized. And we will find our fulfillment completely and perfectly in Him.

CHAPTER TWO

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