Kimmie and I had an interesting conversation this morning on the way to school. I asked her how her devotions were going, and she told me that she had not spent any alone time with God this week. I thought back through my week and realized that I had only spent time with Him once. How sad, I thought to myself. The King of the Universe takes time to listen to me and love me, but I can't stop my puny little life for just one hour to listen to Him and love Him? What's wrong with me?

The radio was playing at this time, and a song came on, I think it's by Matthew West, but I'm not sure, called "I Love You More." It is God talking to a person, and this is what He says.

Here is the chorus:

I love you more than the sun and the stars that I taught how to shine. You
are mine, and you shine for me too. I love you yesterday, and today, and
tomorrow I'll say it again and again. I love you more! I love you
more than you can imagine. More than you can fathom. I love you more
than the sun, and it shines for me.

Have you ever been faced with an awe-inspiring view or thought or reality? That's how I felt right then as I listened to that song. Do you realize how huge and gorgeous and powerful the sun is? Do you realize that every single day, it does EXACTLY what God asks it to do? What about a tree, or the Grand Canyon? Have you ever stood under a beautiful, spreading oak tree, and looked up at its leafy grandeur? Have you ever been to the Grand Canyon? All of these things do exactly what God wants every single day without end. He created them, and they glorify Him. They say, "Hey look, there is a God, and He must be extremely powerful and wonderful to have created something as cool-looking and lovely as me." The Bible says even the trees and the rocks cry out His praises.

So why does God bother with me? Why did He once and for all forgive every sin that I will ever commit? Why did He make it so that I don't have to work for forgiveness? I'm not so obedient, incredible, glorifying. He says love every one around me, and I don't. He says point others to me at all times, and I don't. He would love for me to spend time with Him every day, and I don't. That is probably why Deuteronomy 7:7-9 is one of my favorite verses in the Bible.

7 The LORD did not set his affection on you and choose you because you were more
numerous than other peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples. 8 But it
was because the LORD loved you and kept the oath he swore to your ancestors that
he brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the land of slavery,
from the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt. 9 Know therefore that the LORD your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand
generations of those who love him and keep his commandments.

Back in college, Pastor Schettler preached a sermon once from Genesis 1:16. He called it, "He Made the Stars Also." Like making stars is no big deal. Well, to God, it isn't. Stars are huge, and beautiful and way out there, but God cares about ME. Even when I don't take time to care about Him.