“So don’t be afraid, little flock. For it gives your Father great happiness to give you the Kingdom.”
Luke 12:32, NLT
“Whom should we love, if not Him who loved us, and gave himself for us?”
–Augustus Toplady
Our heavenly Father chooses to passionately love us with an unconditional and unwavering affection that knows no bounds. It is a love that transcends time and surpasses all understanding. It is a love that sees us in our entirety, recognizing our flaws and imperfections, yet embracing us with open arms.
God’s love is not a fleeting emotion (like ours).
It’s not “here today, gone tomorrow.”
It is a profound and intentional love that is rooted in a deep understanding of who we are at our core. Our heavenly Father knows us intimately, having knit us together in our mother’s womb. He understands our dreams, our fears, and our longings.
His love is not based on our performance or achievements, but simply on the fact that we are His beloved children.
In His love, we find security and solace. We are enveloped by His presence, knowing that He is always with us, guiding our steps and holding us in His tender care. His love is a refuge in times of trouble, a source of strength in moments of weakness, and a fountain of joy in times of celebration.
It is in this love that we find our true identity and worth.
Our Father sees us as His precious creation, fearfully and wonderfully made. He affirms our value and purpose, reminding us that we are chosen, forgiven, and redeemed. In His love, we find the freedom to be ourselves, to embrace our uniqueness, and to live out our calling with passion and purpose.
So let us bask in the fullness of this outrageous love.
Allow it to heal our deepest wounds, transform our hearts, and empower us to love others with the same selfless love that our heavenly Father has lavished upon us. Let us rest in the knowledge that we are deeply loved, cherished, and treasured by the One who created us and knows us by name.
“What marvelous love the Father has extended to us! Just look at it—we’re called children of God!”
1 John 3:1
I believe in His love for you. I hope you can see it too. Do you remember getting brand new sneakers when you were a kid? When I put mine on I just knew I could run faster, and leap higher! That’s what God’s love for us is like.
You are meant to show it off. He has called you to display His transforming loving grace. It alone has the power to change your heart and the lives of those you meet. His love will never leave us alone.
“Yet those who wait for the Lord Will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary.”
Isaiah 40:31, NASB
The particular word “wait” is a vital force that must be reckoned with. It’s not used passively in the Scriptures. It does not mean to be apathetic or lazy. Sometimes we wait in line at the grocery store, or maybe we’re waiting for a phone call. We regularly wait all the time, and usually, we don’t even realize it.
The Hebrew word for ‘wait’ is special. It’s qāvâ. It means, ‘to bind together by twisting.’
It will sometimes mean to work like a fisherman who repairs his nets to get them ready for tomorrow’s task.
(There are always holes to mend after a long night’s efforts.)
When I truly wait on God, I realize that I’m actually repairing myself for His heart and for His work.
Seeing His face
Hearing His voice
Keeping pace with Him, whether He moves or doesn’t
It’s a fascinating way of describing something, isn’t it? Sometimes, when we think of waiting only in the context of the English language, it can become a frustrating delay. This often causes us to miss out on the true meaning of ‘wait’. I strongly believe that the Holy Spirit wants us to understand the concept of being closely connected to God. Sadly, we are often held back by our own definitions, rather than embracing the definitions found in God’s Word.
“The LORD is good to those who WAIT for him, to the soul who seeks him.”
Psalm 27:14
For those of us who are sick – in body or mind – being told to “wait on the Lord” can be difficult to understand and accept. It is common for us to feel frustrated with this advice and the person giving it, mainly because we don’t fully grasp the true meaning of ‘waiting.’ We get close to understanding it, but we never quite reach that understanding of that word.
“WAIT for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; WAIT for the LORD!”
Psalm 27:14
He becomes my strength; He is now the strong cord I am braided into. (Perhaps this is how He imparts strength and might to His people?) We need this, and the Lord is quite eager to lead us into this new kind of intimacy.
“The LORD is good to those who WAIT for him, to the soul who seeks him.”
Lamentations 3:25
The promise in Isaiah 40:31 talks about getting new strength, like an eagle’s wings, a holy energy. This verse is important for us, especially today; we need this kind of strength right now. I just want to inspire you during your prayer time to become consciously and purposefully connected to the Lord.
It’s only then can we can put our nets back together again?
“Waiting for God is not laziness. Waiting for God is not going to sleep. Waiting for God is not the abandonment of effort. Waiting for God means, first, activity under command; second, readiness for any new command that may come; third, the ability to do nothing until the command is given.”
I’ve no need to be reminded Of all my failures and my sins For I can write my own indictment Of who I am and who I’ve been I know that grace, by definition, Is something I can never earn But for all the things that I may have missed There’s a lesson I believe that I have learned
There’s a hand of kindness Holding me, holding me There’s a hand of kindness Holding me, holding onto me
–Bob Bennett, HAND OF KINDNESS 1996 Bright Avenue Songs (ASCAP)
It’s hard to forget the evil you’ve done–and forgiveness, well, dream on! I saw a video once of a parade of flagellants walking in unison, lashing themselves with whips, to somehow find peace, and some sort of atonement for their sins. I watched them, and suddenly the realization came–I was doing what they were doing, only not as public or visible.
Psychiatrists tell us that 90% of mental disorders are caused by guilt.
I believe that they’re probably a little conservative. I’ve been in some sort of ministry for 40 years now–I’ve pretty much heard it all. I ask myself and wonder, who can help the stumbling, broken, and captive hearts of men?
Sometimes an animal who’s been caught in a steel trap will actually chew their leg off to escape.
Sometimes a man will destroy himself in order to find forgiveness. Now I admit that our guilt isn’t always front and center, and seldom is it obvious–we’ve suppressed it, medicated it, and ignored it for so long, that it’s hidden and secret–even to us.
If the cross of Jesus hasn’t been applied–it’s still there, hidden and dormant. You can’t continue to paint over it, expecting to cover it with enough layers of denial. The booze and the drugs, the money and the red Ferrari, the quest for some measure of success just won’t cut it. There a 1000 ways to bury it, but your past will cripple your present, and destroy your future.
The cross and blood are not optional. Jesus’ death and resurrection isn’t just a historical event. It’s himself–God’s lamb, offered up to forgive your sin–and your greatest evil. Those dark sins that you’ve hidden, that’s been buried so deep that even you’ve forgotten, sometimes it bursts out like a spiritual volcano, the pressure sort of builds up and then erupts. Suddenly it’s all real again–and it’s so brutal.
You need to turn and believe him. No matter who you are, or how twisted and black your sin you think your sin is–maybe you’ve broken every commandment–a hundred times. I tell you, your sin has already been forgiven, your dark guilt lifted off your back. He has forgiven you. You are completely free.
This isn’t a silly cliche. It’s not just a cute saying. All your guilt has been removed. You must believe this, it’s not an option any longer. You must know that his bloody death (he’s your sacrificial lamb) has God’s approval and removes your awful sin. His hand reaches out to you. But you must believe this. We must renounce our sin, give it up, and walk away from it. We must receive God’s gift of salvation.
Broken Believers 