To the Point Tuesday: Have You Ever…?

Lately, I’ve felt compelled to dig into the book of Ephesians. I armed myself with multiple versions, a notebook, and my favorite colored pens.  After digesting the first chapter, I had to ask you, my readers…

Have you ever?

Have you ever felt chosen? wanted? pursued?

The truth is, no matter how you’ve felt, you are all of those things!!

You are Chosen! You are Wanted! You are Pursued!

In Ephesians 1, the Holy Spirit assures us that before the very foundations of the world, before Adam and Eve listened to lies, before sin became the norm, God designed a plan to restore our relationship with Him!

ALL OF US! Please don’t miss the ALL!* God knew what you were going to be like before your first breath. He knew about my struggles before I was formed. He knew the good, the bad, and the ugly about all of His creations before Adam and Eve opened their eyes.

Yet, He wants to have a relationship with us! He delights in us! You see, the same love He has for Jesus, He has for ALL of us. He longs to have relationship with each and every person He created. We are His kids, made in His image!

Through the sacrifice of Jesus, we are adopted and restored as His very own. He has co-seated us in the Heavens with Jesus! This is just a taste of what we are invited to participate in! Dig into Ephesians 1 for yourself! Ask the Lord to stir a hunger for a deeper relationship with Him.

Live Loved,

*John 3:16, II Peter 3:9, Romans 10:12

A Precious Paradox!

It’s a simple thought really! One of the core beliefs of our Incredible God, Eternal Father, and Everlasting Prince is that He is unchanging!

Jesus, the Anointed One, is always the same—yesterday, today, and forever. Hebrews 13:8 tPt

And yet, this unchanging Bridegroom loves us so intensely that when we get it… when we grasp just a smidgen of that love, when we open our hearts to be loved unconditionally, His love changes EVERYTHING! It changes how we view ourselves and how we view others. It changes how we perceive our difficult circumstances. His love changes how we view the hurting around us. It changes our actions AND reactions! His love changes everything!

Let that seep deep into your spirit today! His love for you is unchanging and yet, His love for you changes everything!

My prayer for you is that you will grasp and BELIEVE that His love for you is unconditional, relentless, and unchanging… that you would trust this truth a little bit more today than yesterday and tomorrow, more than today!

16 And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. 17 This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. 18 There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. I John NIV

He is the Lover of your soul and the keeper of your heart! He wants the very best for you!

Live loved,

My family is evidence that His love changes everything! #thankfulheart #Imabeliever Photo Creds: Jaime Hinton

You are Enough!

 

You are enough!  Yes, you, the one reading this… a unique, divinely created, inspiring, talented person!  The world has a one-of-a-kind spot that was designed for you alone!  And you are enough… right now, just as you are… to fill it!

 

 

You were born with an innate sense of worthiness!  Who took it away?  At what point did your 4-year-old “I can conquer the world” confidence begin to dwindle?  Who convinced you that you don’t measure up?

Most likely it wasn’t a “who,” but rather a series of events or experiences that compounded through the years, sending you a message that you eventually believed.  You… and I… came to the conclusion that we are not enough.  We are not worthy of just being loved and accepted.  We have decided that we need to do more, be more, give more, and change more in order to be enough.

We’ve fallen victim to a lie!

In reality, you and I were created in the very image and exact likeness of the God of the Universe!  He created us and blessed us!  He gave us dominion over the earth.  He looked at us, His creation, and said that we were very good!  He lovingly crafted us to look like Him, to reflect His nature, His character, His integrity, His worth.   We are worthy of being loved because God deemed it so!  He IS love and created us to be love as well!

Our worth is not found in what we do, but rather in who we are and Whose we are.  We are creations, images even, of the Living God!  It’s time that we look in the mirror and see what the Creator sees! No matter the journey life takes us on, the mistakes we make, the hurts we endure…  we will always be made in the image of God, His creations and reflections!  Nothing can change that!

God is perfect!  And we are not.  That truth exists as well.  But it is not to be the basis upon which our worth is determined.  Why can I so confidently declare this truth?  Because I know that Jesus willingly gave Himself up for me… He.loves.me.THAT.much!

In fact, Hebrews 12:2 says this: “for the joy set before Him, He {Jesus} endured the cross.”  What was that joy?  I believe it was two-fold… the privilege to do the will of the Father and the knowledge that by His sacrifice, all mankind, present, past, & future could be reconciled to our Creator!

As Jesus walked the rocky road to Calvary, dragging the roughly hewn cross, He was not focused on the pain He was enduring.  His mind searched through the haze of blood for the eyes of the ones for whom He was giving His life!  His eyes saw through the ages, capturing snapshots of you and me!  WE are the joy for which He endured the cross! 

Jesus’ loving heart as portrayed by Bruce Marchiano

You are enough! Had you been the only fallen soul on earth, Jesus would still have endured the cross for you alone!  He would have given it all for me alone! Oh, to be able to wrap my mind around that truth!  How could I not love the One who has loved me since before time began?  The One who lovingly crafted me in His likeness?  My heart is captured by His grace and passion for me!  I am enough!  You are enough!

Dive deeper: Hebrews 12:1-2, I John 4:7-21, Isaiah 62:3-5

Lord, I pray that each person reading these words would feel Your loving presence right now!  Embrace them with Your all consuming love and whisper your delight in their ears!  Enable them to grasp the knowledge that they are lovable and worthy of love! Take them deeper in their relationship with You so that Your love will surround them and flow through them!

Thank You, Jesus!

Live Loved… because you truly are!

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