“And having chosen them, he called them to come to him. And having called them, he gave them right standing with himself. And having given them right standing, he gave them his glory. What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us?” Romans 8:30-31
So the other day I was praying, and I just got this overwhelming realization of God’s love for us. I don’t really know how to explain it, but there was almost like an urgency in His message to me. Like all of a sudden something clicked about the grandness of His love and I just got this rush of emotion and adrenaline like I had to go tell everyone about it! Which is why, if this devotional seems to jump all over the place, it’s probably because I was just typing during this huge adrenaline rush. I tried to go back and make sense of it later though so hopefully that helped organize it a little : )
Anyway, let me start from the beginning. When this all happened, I was praying for a friend of mine who struggles with something that I think a lot of us struggle with to some degree. She is a smart, friendly, caring, and funny girl, but the only problem is that I don’t think she sees any of that in herself. See, she is obsessed with working out, being skinny, having the latest designer brands, ect. Now I’m not at all saying that being fashionable is bad, but it does become bad when you start to think that your fashion and looks are the only things that define you. For my friend, I think she only feels confident and secure when people compliment her clothing and looks. It’s sad to watch this happen though because on days where she doesn’t like her clothes or her looks, her self-esteem and confidence goes straight out the window. It’s like no matter how great of a person she is without all the frill and fashion, she still views herself as someone who isn’t good enough for anything.
And this is about where this revelation of how much God really loves each of us happened. I know that the statement may be kind of obvious, but see I think we hear that ‘God loves us’ so often that many times we don’t stop to think about what that means for us. What power, authority, and confidence we have when we start to live as women who are fully loved and accepted by God!
God loves you. He accepts you. He made you in HIS image. He chose you. He is jealous for you. He fights for you. He died for you. He lives for you! Once you even start to comprehend His love for you, everyone else’s opinion of you starts to not matter at all. The revelation of his unrelenting love for YOU specifically should completely turn your world upside down! It is such a comfort to be wrapped in His arms of grace, forgiveness, and acceptance. Where else can you feel that way? Enjoy soaking in the presence of God. You know how relaxing and soothing it is to bundle up in all your covers or slide in to a hot bubble bath? That’s how I feel when I hear of, experience, or think about the love of God. And the crazy thing is that His love surrounds us constantly, but it’s always just me who misses it. Maybe I over look it because I’m too busy getting caught up in my own problems and stress. Maybe I’m too preoccupied waiting for huge miracles to notice His simple acts of love along the way. But each time I finally open my eyes and realize that I’m missing out, I run right back to him and you know what happens? He keeps loving me!! This might sound like nothing to y’all but that kind of everlasting love completely blows my mind. I mean think about it… If you bought your boyfriend two tickets to the super bowl for your 5 year anniversary and, not only did he take someone else, but he didn’t even thank you for them, would you be inclined to give him another huge gift the next day? Um, I don’t think so. But God continues to seek after and woo us even if we don’t respond the first time.
I am so thankful that our God shows His love for us DAILY, regardless of whether we deserve it or not. Isn’t that refreshing to think about? You don’t ever ‘earn’ God’s love by dressing a certain way, saying the right thing, or looking perfect. You can’t even earn it by reading the Bible more or never missing a Sunday church service. God’s love is a never ending blessing, so embrace it and let it fuel your life!
It’s so easy to get caught up in the material things of this world that seem to determine everyone’s status and worth. But this week I pray that you all will focus on what you are worth to Jesus (And, for some amazing reason, we are worth tons to Him). I really pray that you start to see how much He loves you whether it’s through an answered prayer, getting to watch a gorgeous sunrise, or a simple feeling in your heart. Let God’s love overwhelm you this week! Act on the newfound confidence of knowing that you are fully loved and accepted by the only One who matters!
“Overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow – not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above of in the earth below – indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8: 37-39
“So that Christ may live in your hearts through faith, and then, planted in love and built on love, with all God’s holy people you will have the strength to grasp the breadth and the length, the height and the depth; so that, knowing the love of Christ, which is beyond knowledge, you may be filled with the utter fullness of God.” Ephesians 3:17-19
Currently Listening to: How He Loves Us by Jesus Culture (David Crowder Band is also a good version)
No comments:
Post a Comment