Before you read this blog post, make sure you watch the youtube video above - the post will make much more sense. I realize this video is geared toward youth, but I hope we don’t miss the message. When someone sent me this video a couple months ago, it really played on my emotions because I believe it sums up a picture of our daily struggle between good and evil. The beginning of the video paints a vivid picture of our intimate fellowship with God as we allow him to take control of our life. I’m sure you can remember back to the time when you first invited Jesus to be the Lord of your life - you wanted to pray, you wanted to search His word for undiscovered truth, you wanted to share your faith - you remember. After your “honeymoon experience,” distractions enter our lives one after the other. I know the video portrayed some extreme issues such as alcohol, anorexia, cutting, and suicide but let me challenge you to use your imagination and think of more common subjects like the pursuit of popularity, success, financial security, obsessions and habits, immorality, and simple neglect of God. Sometimes these issues become the focus of our every waking moment and pull us farther away from an intimate connection with God. All the while, God is vying for our attention and desiring fellowship with His most prized creation, but we appear too busy. Usually it takes us finding dead ends and failure to finally become acquainted with the emptiness which truly embraces that which is temporary. There are individuals reading this who are being beat down by life situations which you have invited into your life because you thought they would bring happiness. Many times when there is nothing left, we reluctantly turn our hearts back to God because we have no other option. I love how the video portrays Jesus stepping into the picture and defeating the things which are meant to bring evil. Then, He lovingly takes the hand of the girl, brushes her off (symbolizing forgiveness), and restores intimacy. We need to save ourselves much disappointment by remembering that Jesus is everything - we don’t need popularity, success, and temporary security to be satisfied. I’ll let the lyrics of the song close out my thoughts:

How can I stand here with You and not be moved by You?
Would You tell me how could it be any better than this?
You calm the storms
You give me rest
You hold me in your hands
You won't let me fall
You still my heart and You take my breath away
Would You take me in
Would You take me deeper now
'Cause You're all I want
You are all I need
You are everything…everything