Encountering the Warrior KingSample

Day 2: Encountering the Warrior King

When I was thirty-eight years old, the King of kings came after me. For far too long, I had Jesus wrong. But, as John Eldredge put it, “an intimate encounter with Jesus is the most transforming experience of human existence.”

The most significant conversion in my life came to me in a quiet moment sitting on the side of a mountain, disrupted by the sense of my own futility. “God, how do you see me?” I asked him. “Who am I to you?”

The next thoughts I had:

You are my son in whom I am well pleased.

More was to come.

I see you, and I love what I see. You are mine. You are enough.

Through tears, I said, “That’s what I wanted.”

I know. And, as if with a wink, God said, There’s more. I’ll show you. Stay close to me and I’ll show you.

For thirty-some years, I had been a Christian. But that day, I became his; and he, mine. He lifted the weights of performance off me and overwhelmed me with his attention and affection. And ever since, his training for me hasn’t been about doing more; it has been about becoming more—about being entrusted with more, without the pressure, striving, or proving, but from a settled heart. Unfinished, yes, but not unsettled. And that has made all the difference.

I can tell you from experience, if you have Jesus wrong, you can’t get right.

As you ponder all this with God today, consider asking Him:

Father, where have you intimately been at work throughout my story? Where were you pursuing me, drawing me closer, even if I did not realize it at the time?

Jesus, how do you see me? Who am I to you?

Spirit, is there any hurtful way in me, anything blocking my ability to be loved by you?