"Late Have I Loved Thee"

Tonight I have been taught by God in song and in testimony. By Gungor, Dave Kraft (Leaders Who Last) and by St. Augustine (“Late Have I Loved Thee”).

This quote, taken from St. Augustine is really impressing upon my heart. Amazing too that I have been reading through City of God by St. Augustine  (yes, very oddly difficult to read, but good!), and this prayer of Augustine’s (from the 4th century) stands out to me tonight (in his “Confessions” books) through a song by Gungor

To be honest, there is much I would love to share, but most importantly… God is showing me now, especially being with my church family, that there can be much to know (most of what my life has consisted of) and there can be much to love (most of what God is doing inside me), solely HIM!

Right now I am reading through Leaders Who Last by Dave Kraft and realizing that all of life comes out of a power, not of my own but of Christ. And that power only comes out of a love relationship with Jesus. No transactions, no merits, no duties. Rather a lovely DELIGHT (Ps 119:16) in God and His Word. Do I love my Savior, or do I so often just know much about Him?

I guess what God is asking me tonight is, “Do you love me Paul?” I am 29, and Augustine’s confession came at his age of 33, he had loved Jesus in his later years after his “enthusiasm over created things” had passed. But oh, what a testimony this man became in the Roman world at that time. And I ask myself… is this what God is doing in me? Have I been enthusiastic over many created things, and not over my Creator? Yes, I can lose sight of the prize!

O, God. Late maybe it is when I have come to love you (late in my estimation), but to know Your love is to know LIFE! To know a lot about You yet not delight in who You are, change this in me O God! One day at a time God… that I might delight in You.

Psalm 119:16 "I will delight in Your statutes; I will not forget Your word."