Don’t get me wrong, God already knows everything about you from the color of your eyes to your likes and dislikes and beyond. He knows you better than you know yourself. So then, why would He want to get to know you? Because God created you to be a son or daughter who is in a close relationship with Him! That’s why each one of us, in the depth of our heart, has a desire to “love and be loved.” It is only a relationship with Jesus that can satisfy that desire—and nothing less. 

When Adam and Eve were told a lie about God by that old serpent, the devil, they believed it, and disobeyed God. Now that they no longer trusted God fully, neither could they love Him fully. They became infected with a terrible and incurable disease called sin. All the people living in the world today have this terminal condition. Yet, humanity is not left to plummet towards its death. Jesus Christ stepped down from His throne of glory and said, “I will go fight for them.” Jesus left His Father, with whom He had been One with from eternity, because He loves you and wanted to save you. He traded His beautiful divine appearance, illuminated with golden light, for the grey and withering human body. He lived in our world as a child, a youth, and adult and led a perfect life, helping others. That is how Jesus became our Source of infinite power against evil and self, our worst enemy.

I grew up in a loving Christian family knowing this truth. I had heard about Jesus all the time in church, but I never had room for Him in my heart. Other things were more interesting to me, such things as movies/shows, popular music, and fiction books. These are three major influences that can cause us to ignore Jesus, who wants desperately to save us. 

While I was absorbed in all these distracting activities, there was Someone who awakened in me a longing for something better. I have no idea how to explain what had happened. All I know is that Jesus did it. He made me curious. I became interested in what it would be like to know Him. Every day, He watched me give my heart, which He has bought with His blood, away to other things. But Jesus doesn’t only watch us—He calls for us, searches for us, and comes as near as we will let Him, seeking to draw us away from danger through His great love. That’s what He is doing for you right now.

One day in eighth grade, I was getting ready for school. Just before stepping out the door of my room, I thought: “Every single day of my life I am protected and blessed with absolutely everything I need, but I never give Jesus any attention. I never give Him any room in my life. If I want to know Jesus, I must choose to take time to know Him.” This was the thought that the Holy Spirit brought directly to me. 

In surprise and shock, I dropped my bags and went to my knees. I promised Jesus that I would make time for Him every day. I wish that I had kept that promise right away, but two weeks passed until I prayed again. Then the Holy Spirit reminded me of my promise. At that moment, I decided that I would begin to read my Bible or else I would never start. 

Before I made that choice, I was not praying or reading God’s word. So, when I made my commitment to pray and study my Bible every day, it was hard. At first, reading the Bible seemed the most boring thing that I could do. While I was having devotions every day, I was still holding onto my bad habits and choices. However, Jesus’ love for me was battling against Satan’s claim for my life—and somehow, an indescribable change occurred. 

Slowly, the hours I spent staring at the flashing scenes of my computer screen decreased. My love for those fiction books disappeared, and the popular music I used to love became dark to me. The negative effects that the wrong type of music and media had on my character were also being healed. After two weeks of keeping my promise, by God’s grace, I was shocked to realize that my violent temper was replaced with a supply of patience. My priorities were changed. With time, even my thoughts, my speech, and my taste in dress were transformed. Until this very day, I cannot remember one moment where I myself chose to stop doing any of those bad things. Let me assure you that the bad habits I had, I could have never broken by myself. The things I loved, I could have never left alone. It was Jesus who showed me something better. He told me, “Jenny, I have eternity planned with you! Won’t you let Me love you? Won’t you let Me show you what is best for you?” As I got interested to know Jesus, He was able to show me His love and give me victory.

Once, I heard a beautiful analogy of God’s love for us. “His love is like an ocean. Sometimes we choose to sit on the shore and look at it; talking about how beautiful it is. But that’s not what it is for. It’s there for us to go and experience it, deeper and deeper.” God’s love burns to set you free from Satan’s chains. Do you know it hurts Jesus when He sees you hurting? He has an ocean of love waiting for you to experience—and when you deny Him, it pierces His heart. Our Infinite God takes a personal interest in you. Jesus knows you better than anyone else, and He longs for you to know Him.

I encourage you to pick up the Bible, the best book in the entire world, and let Jesus talk to you every day. You have read my experience with Jesus, but a personal experience of your own is just one prayer away!  “And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent” (John 17:3). This is the God who made us. This is the Jesus ilove!