obsession

See, I have engraved you on
the palms of my hands.

ISAIAH 49:16

Desire for a dating relationship consumed me because I never thought I was important unless I had that charming guy standing beside me. My desires for intimacy, affection, and love seemed to have no substitute that I was willing to accept. I finally realized there was no “substitute,” but instead a God that fulfilled my heart’s desire like no other. My Savior provides intimacy because He knows my heart. Intimacy with God comes from searching His heart and finding the unending knowledge He has for His child. Intimacy was only half of the struggle. I longed for affection, and I found that My God supplied it. In any situation I can call on His name and His arms are opened wide to receive me. Although I cannot feel His arms, they never let go. The day I accepted Him as my personal Lord and Savior, His arms embraced my heart. My God showed the greatest love of all by sending His only Son to die on a cross so that I might obtain a relationship with Him. As goofy teenagers, we often write the name of the one we love on everything, but in Isaiah 49:16, we find that Jesus has our names written on His nail-pierced hand. Jesus is more than anything we could ever want, and He desires a relationship with us. I pray that you may find a relationship with the one Ephesians 3:17-19 speaks of “so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may … know this love that surpasses knowledge, which passes knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”

Joni Timmons, 16, New Covenant Christian School, Pageland, SC

I want to be loved, Lord. I want it so much. But I have such
a hard time remembering that Your love is all I need. Please
make Your love enough for me.