If I could leave you with only two thoughts from everything I’ve written or ever will write, they would be these. First, the God of the universe wants you—and even created you—to know Him. Not just know about Him but know Him in a real and personal way—like a Father and a Friend. And second, if you want to have an intimate relationship with God, there is only one way to do it.
His way.
For the first 18 years of my life I tried just about everything else. I prayed. I went to church. I gave up candy for lent. I tried to be good. But no matter what I did or how hard I tried, I could never get a connection—I mean a real connection—with the God of the universe. He always seemed so far away—light years beyond those stained glass windows.
The Wilderness
Somewhere around my sophomore year in high school I simply gave up. I came to the conclusion that trying to reach God was like to trying to throw a rope up to lasso the universe. There was no way anyone could do that. To drive the disillusionment deeper, my father and two of my sisters had just been killed in an automobile accident.
Life is hard and then we die. Was that all there was to it?
The following years were the hardest of my life. With no hope of connecting to God and no certainty about what would happen after I died, I struggled to find a purpose for living.
Enter Bob Sather.
The Message
At the beginning of my freshman year in college, my dear friend, Bob Sather, told me something that would change my life forever.
He said I didn’t have to throw a rope up to reach God. God took the rope and lowered it down, and all I had to do is grab on. Then Bob opened the Bible to show me how God did it.
The Bible said my sins had separated me from God. That’s why I could not reach God on my own. So God sent His only Son, Jesus, to die on a cross to pay the penalty for my sins. With the penalty paid, God could forgive my sins and connect with me in a personal relationship that begins here on earth and lasts forever. (Sure enough! That includes heaven!)
But God doesn’t make us do anything. He always gives us a choice. We can accept His gift of salvation by opening our hearts to Jesus and surrendering our lives to Him. Or we can refuse His gift of salvation and spend eternity separated from God. (Unfortunately, that deal includes hell.)
New Life
My decision was easy. I prayed to receive Jesus Christ as my Savior and surrendered my life to Him. I was thrilled to finally rest assured that I would spend eternity in heaven. But the surprising thing was, from that moment on, it felt like someone had flipped a switch. The current was running. My connection to God was finally alive and real.
Jesus said:
“I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.”
That day I found the truth of His words. For the first time, I sensed an intimacy with God—the dynamic relationship of Father to child, Friend to friend.
“But as many as received Him [Jesus], to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name.”
Through the years I have learned that my relationship with God takes effort. Just like any other relationship, it too will grow cold if I don’t take time to nurture and care for it. It takes time to read and study the Bible, discipline to pray, faithfulness to fellowship with other believers, and a continual surrender to Him.
Through the years I’ve clearly seen that the depth of my intimacy with God is directly related to my faithfulness to spend time with Him and the depth of my surrender to Him.
Like everyone, I have my good days and not-so-good days when it comes to following God. But my relationship with God is worth every effort and sacrifice I make. It is the only thing that truly satisfies my soul.
And so I pray that you too will find that same satisfaction.
My Prayer for You
If you have already surrendered your life to Jesus, I pray that you will continue to walk in obedience and love with Him. If you have not yet surrendered your life to Him and accepted the sacrifice of his death for your sins, I pray that you will join me and make this prayer the cry of your heart:
“Lord Jesus, I want to know You personally. Thank You for dying on the cross for my sins. I open my heart and receive You as my personal Lord and Savior. Thank You for forgiving my sins and giving me eternal life. I surrender my life to you. Please take control of it, and make me the kind of person You want me to be.”
If you just prayed that prayer and meant it with all your heart, the Bible says you can rest assured that you will spend eternity with God, and you are now His child.
I can’t promise you that following Jesus will be easy, but I can promise that it will be worth it. Because when you follow Jesus, you get the adventure of a lifetime, a satisfied soul, and—best of all—a very happy ending.
With much love,
P.S. If you prayed the prayer to accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior, please write and tell me! I would love nothing more than to know that we will spend eternity together with God!
Also, if you prayed that prayer or if you would simply like to learn more about Jesus, I encourage you to get involved in a church that focuses on teaching what the Bible says and helping you grow in your relationship with Him. When you follow Jesus, I am confident that you too will find there is nothing more fulfilling than to follow Him and experience His love for you.
“I love those who love Me. And those who diligently seek me will find Me.”