Good Shepherd

"All will be redeemed in God's fullness of time...All the strayed and stolen sheep. All the little lost ones."

Madeleine L'Engle

"If a man has a hundred sheep and one of the 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??

Luke 15:4 (NLT)

Jesus is our Good Shepherd who gave His life for His sheep. He cares for us as a perfect shepherd would care for the sheep, always looking out for us and rescuing us from danger. If even just one little sheep gets lost, what does He do? He searches for it, He goes after it to find it and bring it home. How long does the Good Shepherd search for the lost sheep? He searches until He finds it. He will keep going out after the little lost sheep of humankind until He finds every one of them, right down to the very last little one that has gotten lost. He will search for us and find us. He will never give up till He brings each of us safely home, carrying us home on His shoulders and rejoicing that we are safe and sound again!

A Thought: No matter how far I may wander, He will always come for me and bring me home.

Perfect Prayer

Christ is praying the perfect prayer for me today.

"Father,... I know that You always hear Me."

John 11:41-2 (PHILLIPS)

Sometimes we don't feel we know how or what to pray. We may feel so empty and so alone, and we may wonder if God hears ours prayers. We may feel we don't have enough faith, or dedication, or holiness to 'get' our prayers out right or 'get' them answered. We may forget to pray or feel we are not diligent. But it's okay. It's okay because Christ lives in us and He is praying for us and through us right now. He always prays the perfect prayer for every need we have. He always has enough faith, and dedication and holiness as He prays. He always remembers to pray and is always diligent in prayer. And He always sees His prayer heard and answered perfectly by His Father. Isn't it wonderful to know that we don't have to have some perfect prayer because the perfect prayer is already being prayed in and for us by Christ! He has joined us into the perfect relationship He has with the Father, and we can be sure that every prayer we pray is through Him and with Him and by Him, that He is giving us the prayers to pray, helping all our prayers along and praying the prayers we don't even have words to pray. And those prayers will be answered perfectly by our heavenly Dad!

A Thought: When I can't think of how to pray, He prays for me.

We're All Coming Home

"You have made us for Yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in You."

Augustine of Hippo

"All humanity will come to You."

Psalm 65:2 (CSB)

His love draws us all home to Him. We were made for Him and something inside us is always longing for God, longing for His love, longing for our true home in Him. No matter what, that desire and longing is within us, because God put it there when He made us. The child naturally longs for the parent, longs for relationship, longs for love. Nothing else but Him will satisfy us, His children. The Bible says people are God's offspring, so we are literally His kin. We belong with Him. Humankind is also the Godkind. We are ever drawn back to the source from which we came, our true origin, our true Father, God Himself. And so we come to Him, eventually, whether down the short road or the long road home. But He is making sure that we all arrive safely, that we all make it back home, that we all end up in His loving arms. In His mind, we never left. He has always been holding onto us. He has always been the anchor for our soul. We have always been tethered to our Maker. When we come to Him, we finally feel we are home where we belong, and we find the love we've been longing for all our lives!

A Thought: I'm running to Your open arms, because that's where I've always belonged!

Love That Outlasts Anything

His love will bring us home, no matter how far we roam.

"Love knows no limit to its endurance, no end to its trust, no fading of its hope; it can outlast anything. It is, in fact, the one thing that still stands when all else has fallen."

1 Corinthians 13:7-8 (PHILLIPS)

The strongest, best, most wonderful thing of all is the love of God our Father. This is a no-matter-what kind of love that outlasts anything and everything. He loves us through all our failures and confusions, our rages and humiliations.  He loves us beyond all our mistakes, doubts, fears, and confusions. His love keeps holding onto us when all else is lost. This is the love of a Perfect Parent for a beloved child. This is the love that won't give up and won't give in till the last one of His children is safely home. He will never stop loving us, never stop believing in us, never let us down and never let us go. He knows He will bring us to the place of fully experiencing His love, and He will never give up in bringing that to pass. His love is what we have always longed for and always hoped for, a place where we are fully embraced, wanted, cherished and known. His love for us will last forever!

A Thought: Thank You for loving me without fail, and thank You for loving me all the way home!

God Believes in Happy Endings

There's going to be party and we are all the guests of honor!

"On Mount Zion the Lord who rules over all will prepare a feast for all the nations. The best and richest foods and the finest aged wines will be served. On that mountain the Lord will destroy the veil of sadness that covers all the nations. He will destroy the gloom that is spread over everyone. He will swallow up death forever."

Isaiah 25:6-8 (NIRV)

God believes in happy endings!

God believes in you more than you believe in yourself.

God believes in making our deepest wishes for love come true.

God believes in His Son's work to rescue everyone in the kingdom.

God believes all sorrow will be turned into joy.

God believes all death will be swallowed up by His life.

God believes in everyone enjoying His hugs and kisses.

God believes in fairy tales turning out to be real.

God believes in eternal parties at the castle.

God believes love wins!

A Thought: I am guaranteed a seat at His table! I am guaranteed a place in His heart! I am guaranteed a happy ending with Him forever!

What God Believes

I'm going to believe what God believes.

"At present we are men looking at puzzling reflections in a mirror. The time will come when we shall see reality whole and face to face! At present all I know is a little fraction of the truth, but the time will come when I shall know it as fully as God now knows me!"

1 Corinthians 13:12 (PHILLIPS)

How wonderful God's reality - that all are His beautiful and innocent children, safely tucked into His arms forever, unconditionally loved and completely accepted, whole and holy, perfect and pure, belonging and beloved. God's reality is the only real reality and that it will prevail. Love never fails, God never fails, His truth wins out over every lie every time. Love drives out fear of punishment and torment! Light drives out darkness and 'not seeing!' Life drives out death forevermore! 

God believes His reality will outlast any of our delusions.

God believes His grace will succeed over our law thinking.

God believes His mercy will triumph over our self-judgments.

God believes His acceptance will drive out all our shame.

God believes His love will overcome all our defenses.

God believes His gentleness will win all hearts.

God believes His joy will infect us all!

A Thought: Dear Father, let me see as You see! Thank You that Your truth will defeat every illusion!

Never Separate

"We never were separate, never can be and never will be. We come from Him and forever remain in Him... We are already in this safe place, safe in Papa....and we don't have to do a jolly thing to earn it."

Fay Gillbanks Lagerwall

"For in Him we live and move and have our being."

Acts 17:28 (NKJV)

So often we can feel alienated or separated from God, or think that we are far from Him and must somehow move closer. It is such a relief, then, to know that we are always in God! We live in Him, we go through every day in Him, we exist in Him. The whole of creation is in God. Everything, including all humanity, was created and is sustained in God's own being. He is everywhere, all around us and all inside us. There is nowhere we can go where He is not. How safe and secure we are to have our whole existence in Him! 

A Thought: I have never been apart from God and He has never been apart from me.

Everything is perfect

"We are more in heaven than on earth."

Julian of Norwich

"Set your mind on things that are above, not on things that are on earth."

Colossians 3:2

What is it like to see as God sees, to set our minds on things above? It's like closing your eyes on one world and opening them in another, the heavenly world that is more real and close and true than this visible world.  He gives us the clarity of heaven, so we see everything that's going on in the visible world all from His perspective. And from His perspective, somehow all is well, and everything is perfect. That is what the presence of Christ in us brings to every moment, and it's heaven on this earth.

A Thought: From God's viewpoint, all is well.

His Most Wonderful Love

"Before God made us, He loved us, and this love has never diminished and never shall."

Julian of Norwich

"How great is Your constant love for me!"

Psalm 86:13 (GNT)

His love for us is almost unbelievable, truly unfathomable, and yet it is TRUE and REAL! We really are infinitely cherished, cradled, and loved - without condition, from before there ever was any 'condition' - by the Most Wonderful Being in the universe!

His love is so great, so vast, that we can never fully comprehend it or come to the end of it..His love is so tender and sweet that it melts all defenses...His love is so gentle and peaceful that it calms every fear...His love is so powerful that it shelters us from every lie of the enemy as he tries to tell us we are not loved...

This love is so alive, so magnetic, so beautiful, so fulfilling that in this love we actually see ourselves as He sees us and it is mindblowing! And we find ourselves starting to believe that we really ARE the special, innocent, chosen, and beloved children that He says we are!

This love can't be defeated, stopped, or driven away..This love is here with us, for us, no matter what...This love will never, ever fail us, never let us down, and never lose us - we are safely home in His love for all eternity!

A Thought: His love is better than we could ever imagine.

Holy Rant: His Life in Me

With Christ's life inside me, I can't lose. In fact, I've already won.

"His life can never be destroyed."

Hebrews 7:16 (NIRV)

Let's have a holy rant about Christ's life in us: His life in me can never fail!  His life in me is unchangeable!  My circumstances may stink, I may feel low, I may not enjoy all of life, but His life in me is PERFECT!  It can never be diminished, defeated, or destroyed. It's always reigning over every circumstance. It's always full of joy!  It's always fulfilled!  Always free!  Always at rest!  Always in victory, always enjoying true joy and happiness, always lived to the fullest!  Never fearful, never lonely, never troubled, never down - His life in me is perfect and I enjoy that life as MY life forever!  That's where I am today!

A Thought: Dear Lord, I love having Your life in me!

Holy Rant: Secure

He will never abandon or reject me.

"He has said, "I will never [under any circumstances] desert you [nor give you up nor leave you without support, nor will I in any degree leave you helpless], nor will I forsake or let you down or relax My hold on you [assuredly not]!"

Hebrews 13:5 (AMP)

Let's have a holy rant about how secure we are in Christ: My security in Christ CAN'T be moved!  His love over my life is immovable.  NOTHING will make Him stop loving me!  He's not going anywhere - nobody can change what Jesus has ALREADY done - and He's already set me with Him in the heavenly places!  He's already put me in union with Him, cemented us together so that we can never be apart, put us so close that we are "in" each other.  He said He'll NEVER leave!  He'll NEVER leave! (Heb. 13:5)  No matter what sin I commit, no matter what struggle I can't overcome, no matter what life throws at me, no matter what doubt - He never leaves!  He never abandons me!  He never, never, never stops loving me and He never ever will!  He holds me in His hand and will never drop me, never lose me, never discard me, never reject me, never, never, NEVER!

And that's where every single one of His children is today, too!

A Thought: Thank You, Jesus, for always being there for me. Thank You that Your love will never let me go!

Anchor

 You are my anchor.

"There has never been a storm that was bigger than His love for me."

Susana Turner

"We know that our life is safe with God. It is like an anchor that keeps a ship safe."

Hebrews 6:19 (EASY)

The storms and trials of life can toss our little boats every which way on the turbulent seas. It can seem like we are at the mercy of our problems. But God is our anchor. We are held fast by something strong and firm, solid and immovable. So we are safe and kept securely through any storm. We do not have to navigate these storms alone. It is not up to our own power or wisdom to see us through. It is up to Him, and thus there is never any doubt - we will make it through. He will never fail. He is our anchor!

A Thought: Thank You, Papa, that You hold me firmly and get me through any trial or storm!

He Cleansed the World

I see every person as holy because of what Christ has done.

"What God has cleansed, no longer consider unholy...God has shown me that I should not call any person 'unholy' or 'unclean.'" 

Acts 10:15, 28 (NASB)

Christ took away the sin of the world. That means the world is washed clean by Christ. God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their sins against them. God has forgiven the whole world through Christ. That means there is no sin on them. The world is cleansed, each person is made clean and holy and pure by Christ's death on the cross. So we can see every person through the lens of the finished work of Christ, who forgave and cleansed the world of sin. So even though on the outside people's lives are messy and their behavior is often impure, we can see through Christ's eyes and see each person the way He does, clean and pure and holy. And we can see ourselves that way, too!

A Thought: Thank You, Jesus, for your precious blood that cleansed us all of sin and made us holy!

Heavenly Reality

See God's reality.

"So we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are unseen; for the things which are visible are temporal [just brief and fleeting], but the things which are invisible are everlasting and imperishable."

2 Corinthians 4:18 (AMP)

God sees from a heavenly perspective. It isn't that He is blind to the pains, injustices, and sufferings of this world. That is one reason He took on flesh and lived among us and gave up His life for us - to enter into all those sufferings, pains and deaths and bring us forth from them into a better place, His reality, eternal reality. God sees that eternal and heavenly reality, the only world that is ultimately real in the end. And in that place all tears are dried, all pain is gone, all wrongs are righted. In that place goodness reigns and kindness flows like a river. In that place enemies are friends and all is complete and love never ends. We live in this earthly world of pain and sorrow right now, but through Christ we also live in that other world of pure beauty and light, where all is well. And that is what is truly real for us, that is our true home. It's not only where we belong but also where we are at every moment. In all we go through here on this planet, God keeps seeing the ultimate truth of love, peace, innocence and wholeness, and He keeps opening our eyes to see it, too - and He radiates that heavenly reality through us! Heaven is touching earth at every moment, every moment that we live and breathe. And it's only a matter of time before heaven's reality is earth's reality, too!

A Thought: I'm living in God's eternal reality where all is well!

Awareness of Oneness

"True worship is simply our awareness of our oneness."

Lydia du Toit

"Then you will know I am one with the Father. You will know you are one with Me, and I am one with you."

John 14:20 (CEV)

Oneness with Christ - Christ in each of us and each of us in Christ - is so beautiful and makes everything so easy and delightful! When we see we are one, all struggles cease, all longings are fulfilled, and our whole being comes to rest in awe at how beautiful He is and how beautiful we are to Him.

A Thought: I am one with Christ.

As Christ Accepted You

"To love someone is to strive to accept that person exactly the way he or she is, right here and now." 

Fred Rogers

"Honor God by accepting each other, as Christ has accepted you."

Romans 15:7 (WE)

Jesus honored God the Father in His life. And the way He honored God was by loving and accepting all people. Jesus welcomed sinners and seekers. He ate with outcasts as well as Pharisees. He warmly embraced everyone - whether children, lepers, tax collectors or fisherman. He spoke with the rejected and noticed the forgotten. He met people right where they were and accepted them. 

And He is doing that with us right now, in every moment. Every moment we are accepted completely, just as we are, with all our hangups and struggles, dreams and quirks - accepted and loved, valued and cherished. That is what it means to be truly loved - to be taken in, embraced, valued and accepted just for who you are. 

And because we have been so loved, we can accept ourselves, just as we are right now. And we can accept others just as they are right now, too. We are freed to take off our masks and let others know they can take off their masks, too. We are freed to extend understanding, to give people grace, to look past defense mechanisms, to love people just for who they are. We are freed to see the uniqueness of every person, honor their dignity, and celebrate their true beauty. For that is just how Christ has treated us! 

A Thought: May the love of Christ, that is nonjudgmental acceptance without the possibility of rejection, keep spreading to more and more people!

Not Judging

I am never being scrutinized or judged by God. I am always being embraced and accepted by God!

And if anyone hears My words and does not believe, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world.

John 12:47 (NKJV)

Jesus came accepting and embracing every person. He accepted those who believed in Him and those who did not believe. His great heart welcomed all people. He didn't come here to judge; He came here to heal, to help, to serve, to love, to save. He came to calm our fears of being judged by God, showing us instead a God who is our Daddy rather than our Judge.

Acceptance and non-judgment! This is what God gives us and we can pass it along. Knowing He doesn't judge us but instead accepts us unconditionally helps us to give the same gift to others, the gift of acceptance and non-judging. Judgment is really the 'wrong tree' isn't it? Acceptance is the tree of life! Jesus is acceptance, not judgment, what a relief! He is grace, not law, always and forever!

A Thought: Because He accepts me rather than judging me, I am freed to accept myself and others without judging.

Always Our Friend

"The mercy of God and the forgiveness is in order to abate and consume our wrath, not His."

Julian of Norwich

"Love... keeps no record of wrongs." 

1 Corinthians 13:5 (NIV)

We can see sin and offense, guilt and blame, forgiveness and reconciliation. We can think God is keeping a record of our wrongs and that we must 'do' something about them to get back on His 'good' side, get Him to be okay or favorable toward us again. But that is our human story. That is not God's story. 

God's story is all love, gentle, embracing, accepting love. This love keeps no record of wrongs. That means God is not offended by our wrong acts. He is not turned away from us or holding back His favor till something is 'done' about sin. He doesn't list, keep track of or remember any of our sin. He sees no sin on us! He says, there is nothing to forgive. He is always facing us, always loving us, always favoring us, always seeing us as innocent children. He is always our friend, never angry with us, never changing in His total embrace of us.God's story is that we are friends and nothing can change that. God's story is of a perfect bond of love between us that can never be broken. God's story doesn't even see sin; it only sees goodness and purity and oneness! 

We are the ones needing help getting past the sin issue, with its shame and blame, not God. God isn't playing the shame and blame game! His only game is love!  After all, at the cross God was in Christ reconciling us back to Him, not reconciling Him back to us. So the forgiveness we feel is to help us get over OUR shame and blame. He pours out a waterfall of forgiveness and reconciliation through Christ to reconcile OUR minds back to the truth of His forever friendship with us, to appease OUR wrath at ourselves and others, to take away OUR blindness to His love! What an amazing God and what an amazing Friend!

A Thought: Thank You, Jesus, for never being angry with me, never turning away from me! Thank You for always looking at me with friendship and love!

Eternity in the Heart

We naturally long for love, long for God.

"He has also planted eternity [a sense of divine purpose] in the human heart [a mysterious longing which nothing under the sun can satisfy, except God].."

Ecclesiastes 3:100 (AMP)

He is the only One who can satisfy the deepest longings of our heart. We find within ourselves a deep longing, a "knowing" of the eternal. There is something placed in us by God Himself that naturally knows the truth, knows of God, longs for and wants God. When we hear the truth of His love, when He speaks to us, we find something deep within us leaping up in joy as the truth resonates in our hearts, and we know this is the One we have always longed for! Deep down we all long for God and we all know love is the truth of God.  Deep down we all know that we truly belong with Him. Deep down we all want God. His love finds us and satisfies this deep longing of our soul. The creature hears the voice of its Creator and finds the place it has always belonged!

A Thought: Hearing about God's love for me awakens my heart to God and I know deep down it is true!

Pouring Forth Love

He keeps on loving us.

"Lord, You're so kind and tenderhearted and so patient with people who fail You! Your love is like a flooding river overflowing its banks with kindness."

Psalm 103:8 (TPT)

His love is always pouring over us, like a waterfall flowing, always, no matter what. Nothing we do will ever change His pure love for us, delight in us, or approval of us. It doesn't matter how many times we fail or how many ways we let others down, we will never fail in God's eyes and never let Him down, because He constantly sees us as His pure, perfect, sweet little innocent children. He is always seeing us that way, always flowing with love towards us, always smiling at us with such pride and joy. He is an ever-bubbling, overflowing fountain of joy and peace and sweetness and kindness. 

A Thought: He is a river of delight that is flowing with love for me, His innocent child.

No Conditions At All

What unconditional love means is that there are absolutely no conditions on His love for us. That means there is no condition at all that could ever stop His love from flowing to us.

"I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God's love."

Romans 8:38 (NLT)

Love says, "You are always with me, and I'm always with you - I'm sticking with you no matter how you treat me, no matter what you give or don't give in this relationship, I'm in for keeps and I'm holding onto you, supporting you, on your side no matter what!... And ALL that I have is yours, right now, no conditions, no questions asked..I lavish ALL of myself and ALL of my love, support, blessing, help, and care on you, whether you ever love back, whether you ever commit yourself wholly to me or not!"

His love has no conditions...it is freely poured on us all, all the time, in every way, before we ever surrender and even if we never do have perfect surrender, trust, behavior, or commitment. Love gives because that's what Love does! Love is giving of oneself to the other, without any stipulation or expectation!

A Prayer: Praise You, Papa, you love us without asking a thing from us! That is a love I CAN trust, that is a love I CAN commit my whole being to, that is a love I CAN sink down into and rest in - forever!

Already Full

You are already full of God.

"Be filled with the Spirit."

Ephesians 5:18 (NIV)

You don't have work, try, struggle, pray, believe or do anything else in order to be full of God. You already are full! You have all of God inside, filling you to the brim. You are complete and full in Christ, filled with God through your union with Christ.

Be filled with the Spirit, the scripture says. It doesn't require any effort to just be! Be! Exist just as you are - full of God, filled with the life and presence of God.

No other person has more of God than you.You have just as much of God as anyone else - with no work or effort needed! You wake up filled with God, face everything in your day filled with God, and go to sleep filled with God. He's filling you at every moment. He is living inside you, filling every nook and cranny of your being. You cannot get any more of God or get any more filled with God.

A Thought: Be yourself - a beautiful person full of God.

Like the Sun

God radiates only love towards us, all of the time.

"All sunshine and sovereign is God, generous in gifts and glory."

Psalm 84:11 (MSG)

The sun is only one way - it is always radiating light and warmth, with no darkness or coldness. Our wonderful God is like the sun. He is only one way - always radiating light and warmth, always pouring out gifts, grace, and love. There is no dark side to God, no cold side. Only tenderness, gentleness, friendliness, peace, love and joy are coming from God. At all times He is loving us, helping us, embracing us! He is only one way: LOVE!

A Prayer: O God, You are my constant: You will always be on my side, You will always be smiling at me, You will always be loving me!

The River Within Us

God is an ever-flowing stream within us!

"There is a river whose streams bring joy to the city of God, the holy place where the Most High lives."

Psalm 46:4 (GW)

We are the sacred dwelling place of God. He lives inside us, and flowing out from Him is a river of life, the Holy Spirit pouring forth constantly in an ever-flowing stream. It is a stream of blessing, a stream of love, a stream of strength, a stream of wisdom, a stream of peace, a stream of joy. We do not have to work up enough good deeds, determination, or even faith to get this stream to flow. It is already flowing. It is always flowing! He is taking care of all our concerns right now. He is being more than enough for all our situations. All that we need is found in Him, and He is pouring forth all that He is in us right now. He is bringing us His fullness of joy, His fullness of peace, in the midst of everything we are going through in this life, and nothing can stop the flow of His life in us, welling up in such joy and peace. And He will keep on gushing forth in us, pouring Himself out for us, no matter what.

A Thought: God is pouring His overflowing blessing, comfort, strength and joy in my life at all times, like a stream whose waters never fail.

Just To Be Loved

"Perhaps you were born just to be loved."

Rachael Cannon

"Long before He laid down earth's foundations, He had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of His love."

Ephesians 1:3 (MSG)

We think that we are here to be servants and serve God, doing our duty. But Jesus said He came not to be served but to serve us and give His life up for us in self-giving, other-centered love. We think we must revere, honor God, yet He reveres and honors us, calls us precious, adores us.  We think we must be humble and grovel before God, yet He humbles Himself to take care of us, even to the point of washing dusty feet. We hear the command to love God and others, but He says that we only love because He first loved us. 

Long before the world began, long before time began, we were already the object of His affection. We were already loved. That is the whole purpose of our existence - not to work for God as His servants but to be loved by God as His children. All He wants is to love on us! We are loved, just as we are, with no conditions, forever and always, with the infinite love of a Perfect Father. 

A Thought: I exist to be loved by God!

The Freedom of Grace

"The lightness of grace...sets loose the lightest feeling of life: being accepted; totally, unreservedly accepted."

Lewis Smedes

"You live under the freedom of God's grace."

Romans 6:14 (NLT)

There is such a freedom to living under God's grace.  It is the freedom of knowing we're completely secure in His love.  It is the freedom of total acceptance. It is the freedom of knowing that nothing we do could ever change what Jesus did for us. It is the freedom of knowing that nothing can take us out of Him. It is the freedom to simply be ourselves without fear of rejection or judgment. It is so safe here. We can relax. We can laugh, run, play and dance in the sunshine of God's forever love. We can know His smile is always upon us, and we can fall asleep in the warmth of His embrace, totally at rest, knowing we are completely understood, unreservedly taken in, and loved with no possibility of being unloved!

A Thought: I am free to be myself in His presence.

Love, Not Punishment

God's love and mercy towards His creation triumph over any notions of judgment or punishment. 

"Mercy triumphs over judgment."

James 2:13

People may hear that "God's justice demands that He punish sin." Actually, His justice (righteousness, fairness) demands that He heal sin, since He is responsible for creating this world and allowed the option to sin to exist here, thus allowing sin and suffering and death to happen. If God allowed sin to happen in His creation, it would only be fair and responsible that He repair the damage caused by sin to His creation. So whatever goes wrong with us humans, who were just born into this broken world, He is responsible for bringing restoration and healing. God is a good, kind, committed caretaker of His creation!

The truth, then, is that God is Love. And His Love demands that He heal and remove sin from His beloved humans and His beloved creation! There is no way He would let sin keep hurting us, His created children who are called His own offspring. There is no way He would let confusion, lies, and suffering keep His created offspring from enjoying Him and His presence!

A Thought: God's love demands that He liberate us from sin, and it is only just and fair for Him to do so.

Safe with God

I can be vulnerable before God because He would never hurt me. He would only help me.

"God is a safe place to be." 

Psalm 62:8 (MSG)

God's heart is a haven of quiet rest from the rebukes, pointing fingers, and rejection found so often in this world.  He will never belittle us, ridicule us, or think us odd. We are totally accepted by Him with all our thoughts and emotions.

He is a safe Person.  We can dare to open up to Him and share our real feelings without fear of a rebuke or rejection of our feelings.  He won't be mean but kind.  He wants to build us up, not tear us down.  He always leaves us feeling better, not worse.  He words don't wound, they heal.  He doesn't rebuke but affirms! 

We have been so used to thinking all He wants to do is angrily point out what's wrong with us, but He is busy pointing out what is right with us!  We wait for the "hammer" to fall, but instead grace falls like a waterfall, love pours down like rain, assurance washes over us like a river.  Jesus won't preach law to us but will minister grace every time!  With Him we are truly safe.  His heart is the safest place in the world! 

A Thought: His love makes me feel safe.

Sea of Grace

There is an uplifting quality to God's grace. It is like floating in a vast sea of peace and love that constantly buoys you up.

"He will sustain you."

Psalm 55:22

We are floating in the sea of grace, floating in our Father's endless love. We are light and carefree, buoyed up by His life, resting in the peaceful rolling waters of the living Holy Spirit. Everything is good. Everything is right. We are just where we are supposed to be - in His presence, in His great loving embrace. We have no worries, no cares, no troubles. God takes care of everything. We are floating in the sea of grace.

A Thought: I'm swimming in the ocean of God's love and will never come to the end of it!

Like a Forest Sanctuary

No matter how crazy life gets, we are always in the peaceful presence of God.

"God is our refuge."

Psalm 62:8 (ESV)

We are in the sanctuary of His love, like being in a cathedral of trees deep in the forest. It is peaceful here, shady and cool and refreshing. There is no danger here. His giant love towers over us like the tree sentinels, sheltering us, shielding us from harm. We are safe and protected, cared for and enfolded. We are enfolded in God like being enfolded in the hovering branches of the trees, gently touched by His love like the streams of sunlight gently touch us through the dappled leaves. We are in the quiet place of His presence. We are in the sanctuary of His love.

A Thought: We are always sheltered by God.

One Thing

Thinking about His love for me is so much better than thinking about my problems and worries.

"There’s only one thing you need."

Luke 10:42 (GW)

Worries sometimes swirl about us, cluttering our minds with fear and stress. Our minds can start racing, trying so hard to analyze and solve our problems. We can be like Jesus' friend Martha, worried about so many things, when really only one thing is necessary. We only need one thing, and that is the position of Martha's sister, Mary - she sat with Jesus and listened to Him. That is all that is needed - just to be still before Him and hear His words of life to us, soaking in the truth of His grace, love, peace, joy and wisdom. It's wonderful to know we don't have to 'fix' our problems or spend all our time thinking about them. He is taking care of our concerns, so we can sit with Jesus and think about happy and heavenly things, soaking in His words to us of love and grace. And the even more powerful thing to know is that we don't have to 'get' into that position of sitting before Jesus and looking at Him..we can simply know we are already there, for through Christ's finished work, that is exactly where He has placed us permanently! We are permanently in the position of Mary, permanently in the circle of Love of the Trinity, continuously looking onto the face of Christ, hearing His words of grace as He continuously pours love and encouragement onto us!

A Thought: I hear His word to me, and that is all I need.

Peace Be Still

"He makes me live without worry."

Rachael Cannon

"My peace I give to you."

John 14:27 (NKJV)

At times it can seem like worry overwhelms us and that it is impossible to live without anxiety. But Christ is never worried or anxious. Though the storms toss our boat in life, He is resting and peaceful in our boat! And He is standing up in authority and calming the stormy seas of our life and of our heart. He is always working to bring peace to us and to let us feel the peace He has within us. It's true, Mr. Peace Himself is within us. His peace in us is big enough and strong enough for any situation. It is not up to us to find, access, stir up or deserve this peace. It is already here, for He is already here. He will manifest His peace in us without our help, without us doing one solitary thing! It's His job, not ours. We can simply BE in His presence of peace while He takes care of everything!

A Thought: Right now Jesus is saying to my heart, "Peace, be still."

A God Who Serves

"When Jesus wraps a towel around his waist and washes the feet of his disciples he gives us a portrait of the unseen Father, who holds all things together—visible and invisible—as an unassuming, humble servant...God is....kneeling on the floor of the universe, towel in hand, ready to do the menial work that holds all things together, the work of a love that does not seek attention, does not boast, is not rude or jealous, that keeps no record of wrongs, that does not fail..."

Kenneth Tanner

"I am among you as one who serves."

Luke 22:27 (NLT)

We do not need to ever fear our God, because He came to us as a vulnerable, helpless little baby, and He always lived in tenderness, humility and service - holding little children, taking time for outcasts, washing dusty feet. Jesus came and showed us what God is really like - a humble caretaker of humanity, meeting our needs and always pouring out love and devotion on us. He is a God who does not seek the spotlight but works behind the scenes to take care of us all. He identifies with the poor, the lonely, the vulnerable, the weak.  He stoops down to love, dignify and serve the littlest, the lowest and the least. We are safe in the care of this gentle God!

A Thought: God kneels down to serve the world!

Christ in Every Moment

"Christ is there inhabiting every moment.. He's leading you beside still waters..making you lie down in green pastures..He's restoring your soul. And He doesn't do anything halfway."

Therese Reece

"My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest."

Exodus 33:14 (NIV)

There is a place of absolute stillness and peace inside us, and it's in Christ. We can stop at any moment and look to Him within. We look to Him and our faces are radiant. We look to Him and we are living in glory while still walking on earth. Our weary souls are refreshed in Him, our troubled hearts are soothed in Him, for everything is fresh and new in His eternal reality, like a fresh spring morning. He tells us the words we need to hear. He renews us with His loving presence. He brings us to perfect peace. And He gives rest to our soul as He hugs us close to His heart.

A thought: In every moment, He is everything I need Him to be.

Greater

"There is something inside of you greater than you."

Therese Reece

"The Spirit in you is far stronger than anything in the world."

1 John 4:4 (MSG)

There is Someone inside us stronger than we could ever be, stronger than our problems could ever be. That Someone is perfect peace that goes beyond our comprehension. That Someone is joy that can't be put into words it is so full of glory. That Someone is the Light that overcomes all darkness, the Life that overcomes all death, the Love that overcomes all fear. You do not have to figure everything out. You do not have to be strong. You do not have to go through anything on your own. He is here inside you saying, "Just look at Me, not at the problem." He will handle it. He will carry you through. He is here in you. He is holding you. He is sustaining you with peace and joy. You are safe in His arms!

A Thought: He is greater than anything I face today.

The Ultimate Reference: Christ and His Cross

The ultimate revelation of God is in Jesus Christ. And the ultimate revelation of Jesus Christ is the cross.

"For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified."

1 Corinthians 2:2 (ESV)

There are so many confusing passages in the Bible. There are verses that make God seem harsh and wrathful. There are accounts of events that seem vindictive and unkind. There are even sections that can cause people to be afraid God will judge, punish or reject them. But the truest understanding of God, the most perfect revelation of Him, is Christ. And the epitome and ultimate revelation of Jesus is at the cross. At the cross, when people killed God's own Son, that Son cried out for His killers to be forgiven. That is what Jesus is about, that is what God is about: self-giving, other-centered, forgiving, vulnerable, unconditional love. It's a love that keeps no record of wrongs, a love that only pours out goodness and friendship, a love that extends kindness to the unkind, a love that embraces all with open arms, having peace and goodwill toward every single person, no matter what! When we come across confusing passages in the Bible, we can remember the highest truth and reference point is the love of Jesus displayed on the cross. Other parts of scripture are incomplete pictures; Jesus' amazing love at the cross is the complete picture! Every other portion of scripture yields to that revelation!

A Thought: I will interpret the Bible through the love I see in Jesus at the cross.

His Own Life in Us

His life in me is the source of everything.

"God has now made [us] to share in the very life of Christ."

Colossians 2:13 (PHP)

We have Christ's own life in us to be our very life. We have Christ's  own peace as our peace, Christ's own joy as our joy, Christ's own love as our love! We're not trying to work these things up. We are full of these things because we are one with Christ, full of Christ, sharing in His very life, and He has all those things naturally and in abundance! We are riding the wave of His life as He lives it in and through us, enjoying the peace, the joy, the love that bubbles up in Him at all times. Everywhere we go, we are expressing that life of Christ to others, with all His love and presence and glory exuding from us! This is our natural state. 

A Thought: I am full of God and He is shining through me to light up this world.

Best Friend, Holy Spirit

"I've found a Friend who is all to me, His love is ever true;

I love to tell how He lifted me and what His grace can do for you."

Jack Scholfield

"The amazing grace of the Master, Jesus Christ, the extravagant love of God, the intimate friendship of the Holy Spirit, be with all of you."

2 Corinthians 13;14

The Holy Spirit within us is our wonderful Best Friend who loves us like we've always dreamed of being loved.  What a grace gift - the gift of God's own Spirit to dwell inside us, to be the heart of our heart, to be one with us, to be in perfect relationship with us!  We've been given a Best Friend always within. What a relief that we do not have to try to 'get' the Holy Spirit to be with us. We simply find our beautiful Best Friend there inside us, like a spring continually bubbling forth in our innermost bring..

Present, never leaving us alone, always available..
Supporting, always having an uplifting word for us, always helping us..
Never holding a grudge, never offended, humble, gentle..
Perfect, always acting in grace, always on our side..
Strengthening and empowering us, always building us up..
Sympathizing, listening, encouraging, always caring about our needs..
Always speaking truth to us when we're confused..
Joyful, bubbling over, ever happy with us, delighting in us..
Calming and comforting, peaceful, a shelter in the storm..
Fighting for us, standing up for us against the enemy..
Accepting us no matter what, freeing us to grow and thrive and bloom..
Safe to open up to, not put off by our problems or doubts..
Kind, beautiful, sweet, wonderful, loyal to us, faithful and true..
Loving without any conditions or expectations..

A Thought: The Spirit of Christ dwelling within us is the Best Friend we could ever have!

Not Trying, Just Resting

Rest, rest, rest.

"Rest in the Lord."

Psalm 37:7

We don't ever have to try.
Not try to stop sinning.
Not try to do good.
Not try to have faith.
Not try to "let Him live through us."
Just rest.
Rest, rest, rest.
Rest in His arms today.
He takes care of it all.
Always has for us.
Always will.
He's been carrying us since our birth.
He'll still be carrying us through all our tomorrows.
Rest and even slumber in His arms.
And wake refreshed to look into His eyes
As He says, "Rest, my dear little child.
I've got you.  I hold you.
Always have.  Always will.
Rest."

A Thought: God is taking care of everything, so I can relax and rest.

Holy Rant: Hope

There is no hopeless situation with God.

"Through Him we have confidently entered into this new relationship of grace, and here we take our stand, in happy certainty of the glorious things He has for us in the future."

Romans 5:2 (PHP)

Things aren't hopeless.  Satan isn't winning.  And it isn't all up to me to be some victorious Christian with my amazing faith or acts.  No, the truth is that it's all up to God to work, and that He IS working. I don't have to assume that despair will control me.  Nor do I have to try to fix all my problems.  He is responsible for our life now.  We're in His hands.  And He is doing something good! 

He gives me hope and joy, not as a result of my efforts, but as a grace gift.  My problems may not immediately go away, but they shrink in proportion to the bigness of my God.  I have never been alone. In the Spirit, there is just me and Him in union, and everything is okay in that place.  Nothing can touch that union.  Nothing can touch the perfect way He sees me.  Nothing can affect our relationship.

There is hope in my life. There is the possibility and even the reality of joy and peace, dancing and exuberance. I can embrace life! Life is worth living because He is in it. I am NEVER alone in facing any problem. He is there to fight the fear, the anxiety, the despair, the loneliness, the anguish. He is there in every situation to bring me through. Nothing is difficult for Him; everything is easy! He has already conquered ALL my problems and will bring that victory to light!

A Thought: HE is our hope!