Have you been offended before? I think this can speak to all of us at one point or another.
Tag: the world today
What You Are Really Searching For…
Before you start reading this…hear me out…read it all the way through.
The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life. “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep.”
John 10:10-11 NLT
“God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.”
John 3:17 NLT
“God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.”
1 John 4:9-10 NLT
“So Jesus told them this story: “If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them gets lost, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others in the wilderness and go to search for the one that is lost until he finds it? And when he has found it, he will joyfully carry it home on his shoulders. When he arrives, he will call together his friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.’ In the same way, there is more joy in heaven over one lost sinner who repents and returns to God than over ninety-nine others who are righteous and haven’t strayed away!”
Luke 15:3-7 NLT
“And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love.”
Romans 8:38 NLT
“He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.”
2 Corinthians 1:4 NLT
These are just a few of many verses that shows Abba’s love for us. Before I started my walk with God, I was looking for love in all the wrong places…I mean all of them. I would try to fill this void in my heart with whatever I could get my hands on…boyfriends, drinking and drugs, food, a promotion at work, money, friends, popularity, and yes, even social media. No matter what I did, I was never satisfied. I knew in my heart there was something more. I didn’t understand. Now, most of the things I listed above are what the world thinks as “bad”. If you try to fill the void of God’s love with anything, including your spouse, bodybuilding, healthy eating, a productive hobby, etc….it becomes a bad things. Some things that are really good for us can become an idol, something that we put before God which in turn, can turn out really bad. My point of this post is that really what our world is looking for is love…and God is love. (1 John 4:8) We are all searching for a deep intimate relationship with Abba.
What I love about God is that he believes that bringing one of us home to the Kingdom of God, is of great importance. He is a good father that doesn’t want anyone to perish. He looks at us as his masterpieces. He looks at us with love and tells us we are worthy of love. We are made to be loved. I heard that “we are made to be loved.” & I was like ugh….Abba, my heart.
When my relationship with God first started really developing, I was blown away with how many lies the thief, aka satan, aka, the enemy, had snuck into my life. Everything I believed about God was untrue. I had to let go of who I thought he was & who I thought I was. I began to read and study the word daily, praying more than I ever before, and started having fellowship with other people following Jesus, and I started to understand my identity.
I am a Child of God.
Before really pursuing my relationship I was searching and searching, trying to fill the void, and really I just needed God. I needed his true, pure, reckless love. I can speak about his love for me all day long. I know that he loves you too. But, getting to know his love is something you have to do. By this I mean, his love is individualized. He loves you and every “flaw” you think you have. His love never changes no matter the mistake you may make or what your past looks like. God loves you no matter where you are at in this very moment. He is willing to leave the 99 to come get the one. Are you the one?
His love doesn’t just stop at me, it doesn’t just stop at you…he uses all the things we’ve been through for the good. He uses it to help others that may be struggling. To me, that is so beautiful. How his love just travels and travels through people and for all generations to come.
Like I said, I can speak about God’s love for you all day long, but it’s for you to decide to get to know him on that intimate level.
I know we will never reach the depth of his love here on earth…and I think that’s one of the things that really sets a fire inside of my soul. I can just keep reaching out to him and he keeps pouring his love back upon me. We can never outgive God. His love is overwhelming to the point of tears of joy. His love is reckless and is unstoppable. His love is constant. His love is everything I’ve ever needed and more. Thank-you Abba for who you are.
