See the way He holds the stars in His hands. See the way He holds my heart.
God is a lover looking for a lover, so He fashioned me. God is a lover looking for a lover, so He formed my heart.
You see, I never got to experience a father's love through a loving relationship. My father passed away when I was four years old.
Throughout my life I felt rejected by step fathers, boy friends, and an abusive husband, so it has been a struggle for me to really and truly receive and embrace my Heavenly Father's love for me. I seemed to have closed my heart to a father's love so I wouldn't feel the pain that throbbed in my soul.
I don't have any problem expressing His love to others, but receiving His love for myself has been a difficult road.
My mind has to be renewed by the Holy Spirit so I can truly say as John did; "And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him." (1 John 4:16)
Am I aware that Father God takes delight in me and that He thinks good thoughts about me all the time? (Jeremiah 29:11) Do I realize that He feels nothing but perfect love when He thinks about me? Love thinks no evil. (1 Corinthians 13:5)
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might. (Deuteronomy 6:5)
I grew up believing that I needed to "do" certain things and act certain ways in order to receive. So I always seemed to keep myself busy "doing." I have been priding myself on "my" self-sufficiency and "my" dependence, which is so completely contrary to the nature Father God wants me to have.
We seem to have put the Great Commission before the Great Commandment.
It is so amazing how God works in ones life when we stop to really listen to His still small voice.
He is now calling me on a journey to experience and embrace His love in an intimate way.
Intimacy (in-to-me-see)...He is digging deep within me to remove what needs removed in order for me to have that intimacy with Him.
Deep. Transparent. Winsome. Intimate...such is the message about the heart of God the Father.
It is not just a teaching, but an inpartational revelation of the foundation of Christianity. Acceptance and identity through KNOWING the Father's love.
Uncommon love is the Father's gift to me in Christ. He has dealt with my past and He owns my future. His love has the power to unlock healing and restoration like the world has never seen!
I am loved not for what I can do, but simply for who I am in Christ.
* I am a new creature in Christ (1Cor. 5:17)
* I am His glory (Colossians 1:27; Isaiah 43:7)
* I am hid with Christ in God (Colossians 3:3)
* I am a partaker of His Divine Nature (2Peter 1:4)
* I am not I, but He is in me (Galatians 2:20)
* I am reconciled, holy, blameless, irreproachable in His sight Colossians 1:21-22)
* I am complete in Him (Colossians 2:9-10)
Now hope does not dissappoint, because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. (Romans 5:5)
Fear and Faith...fear is a four letter word. I remember when I was a child, if I said a bad word momma threathened to wash my mouth out with soap (it did happen a few times).
Well, faith is like the soap. I'm talking about faith in Father God's unconditional, unlimited, unwavering, perfect love for us.
1 John 4:18 teaches that understanding God's love will deliver us from our fears.
Fear prevents progress, faith will propel me to "do it afraid" if I have to. Just because Scripture tells me to "fear not" doesn't mean I won't feel fear. God just wants me to know that He is with me. He will lead and guide me, so I can put my confidence~or faith~in Him!
His love is perfect, I am not~and I don't have to be. He isn't going to love me any more or less. Yes, I want to keep growing in my faith, but it's good to know that God loves me right where I am! That thought just boosts my faith!! It makes me feel like I can do whatever is before me to do.
Yes, I am going to feel afraid now and then. That is when I am going to need to trust in the love my Father has for me. I can turn my focus to His presence with and in me and know He will lead me through any situation. I have no need to be proud of what I think I can do, nor insecure about what I think I can't do.
It's the perfect love of God~not perfect me~that will make the difference in my "doing."
When fear challenges faith, faith wins every time! HAVE FAITH IN FATHER GOD!
Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you. (Matthew 6:33)
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