My heart is filled with the great love the Father shows me on a daily basis. For over 40 years my focus has been on His goodness and love.
Before that I was caught up in the do’s and don’ts, the rules and regulations of religion and not in the relationship that the Father offered me. This morning, I was reminded of something I wrote years ago and feel it is just as honest and true today as it was then.
I hope it touches your heart.
20th Day of Thanksgiving.
There was a time when I was very insecure and was hounded by feelings of unworthiness and low self-esteem. I just didn’t feel like I fit in anywhere. I hope none of you have ever felt that way because it’s awful.
Yes, I knew that God loved me but at that time those were just words in my ears and not a truth I held in my heart. I can’t tell you how the Lord did it but He made His love a reality to me personally!
I came to see in the Scriptures that God saw me as valuable, lovable and worthy of His attention.
This morning as I was reading Jesus prayer to the Father from John 17, I saw that again.
“I am not asking you to take them out of the world. But I am asking that you keep them safe from the Evil One. 16 They don’t belong to the world, just as I don’t belong to the world. 17 Make them ready for your service through your truth. Your teaching is truth. 18 I have sent them into the world, just as you sent me into the world. 19 I am making myself completely ready to serve you. I do this for them, so that they also might be fully qualified for your service.
20 “I pray not only for these followers but also for those who will believe in me because of their teaching. 21 Father, I pray that all who believe in me can be one. You are in me and I am in you. I pray that they can also be one in us. Then the world will believe that you sent me. 22 I have given them the glory that you gave me. I gave them this glory so that they can be one, just as you and I are one. 23 I will be in them, and you will be in me. So they will be completely one. Then the world will know that you sent me and that you loved them just as you loved me.” John 17:15-23 ERV
Verse 20 and 23 are the verses that really hit home with me. First Jesus said he wasn’t just praying for his followers that were with Him but that He was praying for those that would believe in Him because of their message. That meant He was praying for me. And secondly, He prayed that the world would know that the Father loves us as much as He loves Jesus! Did you get that? He loves me as much as He loves Jesus!
That was life changing for me!
Today that is my prayer for each one of you – I want you to know, really know, down deep in your heart know, that the Father loves you as much as He loves Jesus!
Yes, today is a day of gratitude. I am grateful for the love of God!