Jesus, may I?

Ever play the game, "Mother, May I?"  It's usually played during recess and when I was little tended to be the favorite game for the girls.  One girl stood a distance away being "mother" and gave the instructions to the others. You responded by asking, "Mother, may I?" The object of the game was to be the first one to reach "mother".

It never occurred to me at that time in my life that "mother" actually controlled who reached her first and won the game.  I just remember the sense of pain and disappointment stirring within me every time I lost.

I see now that it was another situation in my life when I anticipated the possibility of a happy ending that only turned out to be just another time of being kept at arms length from others.  I had no clue that each time I lost it reenforced a deep root of rejection within my soul.

Oftentimes we buy into lies that we believe apply to the Lord's view of us, too.  However, Scriptures make it abundantly clear that His ultimate goal is to bring us into a close and intimate relationship with Himself.  Lies block us from seeing the truth about how the Lord really feels about us.  

Jesus invites us to come to Him, so that He can provide us with the rest we need (Matthew 11:28). When we draw near to Him, He instantly draws near to us (James 4:8). If we seek the Lord with all our heart, soul, strength, and mind, we will find Him (Matthew 22:37). A confession of our sins guarantees His faithful forgiveness (1 John 1:9).  We receive peace when we sleep in the safety of His protection (Psalm 4:8).  

Jesus' instructions always bring us toward Him. Will we respond with, "Jesus, may I?"