He loves you, yea, yea, yea

Hello fellow seekers,

I missed you yesterday after a long weekend fellow-shipping with some awesome, spirit-filled believers in Chicago, but we are together again now, so let's rejoice in pray:

Lord, I thank you for every person in this world who knows You are God, You are the Lord, and You are the answer to any question in our hearts. I thank you for every hurting heart that is still wondering if you are real, and I ask You to reveal Yourself in an awe-inspiring way to each on of us.

Give us a sense of wonder at Your love for us. Make us be more aware than ever of how unique, special, and important we are to You. Fill our hearts with joy today, Lord, in the way only Your Holy Spirit can. Let our hearts be still, and know that You are God. In the name of Jesus, amen.

OK, I am ready to dive in and see how wondrous this God of ours is, how about you?

We spoke last time about learning to appreciate ourselves, just as we are right now. We talked about the importance of being authentic, being real and genuine. The truth is, we can't be it, until we know it.

Because all true change begins in the heart. Everything you do in life is going to be far more effective and meaningful if you start by changing the way you see yourself, and the way you treat yourself. The first belief that must change if you are going to develop true joy in being who you are, is this:

The false belief that your worth is the sum of what you have done for others, the result you have created by your efforts, and the stamp of approval, or disapproval, that's been placed on your psychological forehead.

Read John 5:41-44

41"I do not accept praise from _____, 42but I know you. I know that you do not have the love of _____ in your hearts. 43I have come in my Father's name, and you do not ______me; but if someone else comes in his own name, you will accept him. 44How can you _______if you accept ______ from one another, yet make no effort to ________the praise that comes from the only God?" New International Version

See, we put more stock in fallible human being's opinions of us, than we do of God's opinion of us! That's backwards. People don't save our souls, God does by the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ.

Who among your family and friends is willing to undergo what Jesus has for you? They might love you, they might be willing to die for you in a crisis, but think of taking on all of your sin, allowing yourself to be whipped until your flesh hung from your body, then crucified on a cross with spikes pounded through your wrists and ankles while being mocked and spit upon. No takers?

I care about the opinion of the one who not only planned me down to my DNA, made me, watched over me, protected me from all manner of harm that I put myself in, sent His Holy Spirit to speak to my heart daily, gives me wisdom and insight, comforts me when no human can, and has set aside a place in heaven for me to live for eternity in peace and joy. That's someone whose opinion I put above all others.

Read these scriptures:

John 3:16

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.

1 John 4:9-12
By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has beheld God at any time; if we love one another, God abides in us, and His love is perfected in us.

John 13:34-35
"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. "By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."

Romans 5:8
But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.


He loves you. Got it? I know that guy told you he loved you then treated you like dirt, I know that woman cheated on you and laughed at your pain, I know your father or mother didn't know how to parent you, I know those "friends" abused you, I know you can't call anyone sister or brother, I know.

And I know that He loves you.

Come back tomorrow to start learning to love you, too.

Love, Karen

Photo by iMAGINE, courtesy of http://www.photoxpress.com/