I was watching a YouTube video a few weeks ago. It was one of those “accidental” clicks, where I’m not REALLY interested in it but something tells me I SHOULD be.

It had a clever title—something about musical worship in church—and since that’s a world I used to know quite well, AND I was a bit bored, I loaded it up and started to watch and listen.

The two guys were requisitely hip. One introduced the other with nice credentials: he’d made it through to the << insert impressive number here >> round of American Idol, and led worship at << insert impressive church name here >> in Nashville.

I actually have no doubt about his talent, and I have no doubt about his sincerity either.

But as they got into the talk, he said something like this: “God is not impressed by your voice or talent.”

Okay?

I imagine what he was trying to say was that we need heart and intention and integrity as much as we need talent and chops.

But…

Maybe it’s the fact that I’ve been living with the parable of the prodigal for 5-6 hours straight, or maybe it’s something else, but here’s the deal…

MY GOD DELIGHTS IN ME.

(And also in YOU.)

My voice (or my preaching, or my writing, or my whatever-talent-you-choose may not “impress Him” BUT HE LOVES TO WATCH AND HEAR ME.

He is not an American Idol judge; he’s the Father who runs down the road to see his long lost son.

It’s as if we’d like to say, “Yeah but that was about salvation; once that boy (the prodigal) got home, you can be darn sure the Father would be unimpressed with his bad decision-making.”

To put it another way, God is not FORCED to love us because of some theological trickery (“Man, that Jesus really made me tolerate these people…”); He CHOOSES to love us, to DELIGHT in us, JUST BECAUSE THAT’S WHO HE IS.

He not only LOVES us. HE LIKES US.

Either the Father delights, or He doesn’t.

He is the God who has heard every beautiful voice ever, every symphony ever made, every bird ever created, every note played anywhere, at any time…

AND YET IF I SANG TO HIM HE WOULD SMILE AND JUST SAY, “OH THAT’S BRILLIANT! PLEASE SING MORE!”

Is that “impressed”? Maybe not.

Would He be delighted?

Heck yes.

And He’d ask for more.