Romans 5:8 ~ But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.
It has been a while since I have actually made the time to sit and write and share my spiritual journeys. I guess the past two years have had me just storing up the adventures. My passion for writing had always been an escape. As a young girl growing up where I did, at that age, gave me much to write about. It was the only way; my paper was the only one who would listen. Today, the Lord has allowed me to master this gift not as an escape, but the way he will use me to reach others with the gospel.
I am still learning by faith and by trusting God that all things do work out for the good of those who love the Lord and are called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28) I will confess and say it is the only time in my life I had been stalked, pursued and unconditionally loved by a Creator who cannot renege on what He has purposed for my life! I must admit I have tried on many dramatic and audacious attempts to run from His purpose. It worked for a little while. I mean, the dipping and diving, but eventually I fell deeply into His arms, and He has refused to let me go.
I consider how far I had fallen into the horrible pits of this world and gotten back up so many times, that while still in my filthy rags, this Jesus won't relent. He unequivocally desires once again to cleanse me and make me new, unto the realization of such a transformation that I dare not consider falling into pits.
In a world of social media, media post, and "like me" obsessions, why don't we want the love from Jesus that pursues us this way? That even on your worst day, Jesus is so deeply in love with you that many years ago He factored in dying to draw you close and even closer still if you would let him. What is so wrong with this unconditional love that Jesus gives? What can we compare it to?
I'm not talking about that kind of love that makes a first impression and tap dances for you maybe a time or two and fades. Not the kind of love that rocks you in-between the sheets and leaves lasting scars that hinder you from functioning properly in a new relationship. Not the kind of love that conditions its actions towards you because you're not pretty enough anymore, you've become intolerable, the connections not there anymore, or the "I didn't think we'd last this long?" Not the kind of love that makes a vow in public but in secret, the heart has already said I will love you until I do not like you anymore!
Of course, I can go on about so many elements of false attempts of love, because honestly if I'm practicing love from my heart issues and emotional conditions the world has taught me, then I am only loving from a worldly sense and I'm not learning love from the true source.
I love because God loved me first! (1 John 4:19)
But for me to love as God has loved me, I have to give way to deny myself, know that I am known by God and work on getting to know Him. I must give Him a chance in those solitary moments the same way I gave the world and all its distractions, years, months, weeks, days and moments that I can never go back and reset. And yet, here I have a God who says if I would just cry out to Him, if I would seek Him with all my heart, He will restore what the world has taken from me, what the enemy tricked me out of! (Joel 2:25)
Some may not believe they even have an enemy. I too at one time had no knowledge that I had one who hates me so much that reaping havoc on my life in every possible way is his life force. Such disbelief, yet we often make reference to life giving us hell, yet have no spiritual compass to understand that we are choosing this hell when we are not covered by God, because of our refusal to know Him and obey Him. (Deuteronomy 28:15-63)
Yet, if we confess Christ Jesus and believe Him to be our Lord and Savior (Romans 10:9) there are promises that are endless (Deuteronomy 28:1-15) for consider this, we get heaven with Jesus forever.
And what a price He was willing to pay so you could obtain it, without costing you anything but to know Him!
Comments