Dad, do you love me?
This is my youngest son, Zack. Lately he has been on a kick of asking me questions. Actually, he has been asking me two specific questions, "Dad, are you my friend?" (I have no idea where that question came from, but I like it.) And my favorite, "Daddy, do you love me?" Which my answer to both questions is, "Yes!" Then 30 seconds later, he asks me again, "Dad, do you love me?" And I tell him once again, "Man, you know I love you." Then 43 seconds later he asks, "Dad, do you love me?" That is when I stop doing what I am doing and look into those cute little eyes and say, "Buddy, you are my friend and I will always love you." That pacifies him for about seven and 1/2 minutes, then it starts all over again. Man, I really love that game.
The other day, after our game, I thought to myself, man this sounds very familiar. That's when a small little voice speaks to me, "Joe, do you love Me?" I knew right away where it came from, "Yes, Lord I love You." "Then why don't you read your Bible like you should?" I sit quietly, then I go back to playing on the computer. Later I hear it again, "Joe, are you my friend?" Lord, you know you are my friend." "Then why don't you spend some quiet time with me?" Feeling a little guilty, I go back to watching my favorite TV show. Then I heard it one more time, "Joe, do you love me?" This time it was a lot more clear and I could actually sense God's Holy Spirit. And at that time I realized where I had heard the story before.
John 21:15-17
When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?" "Yes, Lord," he said, "you know that I love you." Jesus said, "Feed my lambs."
Again Jesus said, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me?" He answered, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you." Jesus said, "Take care of my sheep."
The third time he said to him, "Simon son of John, do you love me?" Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, "Do you love me?" He said, "Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you." Jesus said, "Feed my sheep."
With tears in my eyes I said, "Lord, I get it! I am sorry for not showing my love for You like I should. I love you Lord, please forgive me of all my sins. I am not perfect, but I will try to do better."
I hope God continues to talk to me like he did that day. It was pretty cool and eye opening. I hope everyone one, at least once in their lives, has an experience like that.
It is funny how God sometimes talks to us. There are times when it is a still small voice. Then there are times when God smacks you in the head and says, "Wake up boy (or girl), I am trying to tell you something." All I can say, always keep your ears, eyes and heart open. God will talk to you. It is up to you to listen and obey Him.
Remember, don't tell God how big your storms are, tell your storms how big your God is.
God bless,
Joe Dad, do you love me?
posted by JOE B @ 8:10 PM 8 comments 
8 Comments:
Joe--
Thanks for your post. I wonder if God would really ask us, "Why don't you read your Bible like you should?" and "Why won't you spend some quiet time with me?" I'd like to think, and I'm open to this being my experience or my bent on this issue, that God doesn't create in us a reason (whether true or not) for us to pursue Him; I'd like to think He just plain loves us. I'd like to think that God wouldn't say, "...but you could pursue me so much more", but rather, "I love you. Know it. Believe it. Live in light of it." Like, regardless of how much I come to Him, I'm accepted...because it's about Him and I and our relationship, not how well I've done at loving Him back. And doesn't the fact that He loves us in the midst of our humanness, even when we don't come, makes us cry out for more of Him?! For me I answer a resounding, "YES!" He instills in me a desire to know more of Him in a personal way, while not pointing out the gap that already exists between us. For me, when I see how far I am from God, I'm often in my flesh drawn further still. Yet He, in his mercy, still loves me. He says, "I could never love you any more than I do right now", and that inspires me to know more about the Lover of my soul!
Joe, I'm not saying God couldn't create in you a desire to spend time with Him (in a quiet time) or to know Him more (through the Scriptures), but I want to focus first on His love. He spurs us, like Peter, to seek our calling (Peter's was to feed the His sheep)as the result of the unconditional nature in which He loves us--not in any seemingly manipulative way. Does this make sense? ...just a thought.
(Wow, long comment, and I'm probably not even "right", if there is such a thing. I do know, however, that God has been teaching me a lot through thinking about Him like thisand I thought I'd share a little of my journey...not that you asked for it but, oh well, too late. hehe)
Great post. It has stirred in me a desire to further seek my Abba who so loves me. Thanks for drawing me harder to Him. Bless you!
BJ,
Like I said before it is cool when the comments are better than the posts.
You are right I think maybe it was my own guilty inner voice and not God's telling me to do my quite time and read my Bible. I am so glad that God loves me the same no matter what I do or am not doing.
God bless,
Joe
Your son is adorable. Your post excellent. Wow, between you and BJ and a couple others I am getting very blessed every time I do my blog reading. Great stuff!
I am so thankful to be a parent and I believe that God KNEW that's what it would take for me to understand His love for me.
(Can I add you to my blog? Thanks for asking if you could add me, that would be an honor)
Hi Joe. God Bless you and your children. I have linked you to my blog. God will reward the meek of the earth.
Thanks, everyone. As far as my blog is concerned, blog away! Use it like it was your own if you want to.
God bless all of yall. (That's how we say it in the south.)
Joe
Hi Joe!
Very cute boy. Adorable.
I liked reading through the comments to your post--you have a good dialogue going here. I lean toward what BJ said. I remember the first time I realized that there was absolutely nothing I could ever do to make God love me more. That immediately made me wonder about my quiet time, because I had treated that previously as a means for causing God to be more pleased with me. And it occurred to me--finally--that the whole point behind the quiet time was not to make God more pleased with me or cause Him to love me more, but to help me to love HIM more. That changed the whole picture for me.
I do believe God nudges us--but there's no guilt attached. Only blessing.
Thanks for the offer to link with my blog--I'd love for you to do that, and I'll go right now and do the same.
God bless you Joe!
Looks like Zack is beanstalking up, I bet Hunter is growing big too. Give 'em both hugs for me and you and your wife take care.
Great Post and great comments. It blesses me greatly reading my brothers and sisters. Just a thought from my side..to all your valuable inputs. God is a lover we all know and also loves to be pursued by His children. In the Bible we often see His lament over Israel whom God treats as His wife to pursue Him and love Him rather than the gods of other nations. From my own experience I have heard God talking to me like Joe has just stated in his post. God loves us unconditionally and of course there is no quantifying regardless what I do or not, but sometimes He does ochestrate events, or even simply comes by to talk to us to pursue Him.
God Bless,
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