Hello there! Here I am, posting again. God is speaking and I just have to tell you what He's saying to me, mainly because He's telling me to, but I'm not going to lie, its kind of hard to open my heart up like this on a blog. I'm only doing it because Jesus told me to so He can encourage some of you who read this. But ask my close friends,and they'll tell you its hard for me to open up my heart to just anyone, but who ever is reading this blog- God wants you to know that you're not just anyone. Oh and this might be more a girl-ish post, but I believe God can use it in the masculine soul of some of you men out there!
I love how God brings teachings and lessons back around full circle, and connects them in new ways. Let me explain. So last week- during Bible study, we studied Ephesians 3:16-21, but verse 17 is what I want to focus on this morning:
"I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen"
- All through-out this evening of studying God's word, when I looked at this passage, I only saw what Christ wanted to accomplish through us, to empower us to love others the way He loves us, and I still think its a very imporant message in this passage to us as believers in Him.
Yes, we have His love in us (check!); yes, God's love is more vast that we can even imagine (check!), now lets go out and share this love that Christ has put in us with others! They NEED IT!!- and to be honest this train of thought is so like me, it drives me crazy to just sit around and talk about how great God is and then go about my daily life after a conversation like that, as if nothing happened. I've always been an "actions speak louder than words" kind of girl- and that same way of thinking has not escaped my relationship with Christ. - I definitely dont believe in works salvation, but I often I find myself asking, " Lord if I love you like I tell you I do, what am doing to show you that? You see my heart and how I feel about you and what I believe about you, but if from love springs action, where is my action?"
And the message in this blog is so fighting my nature, because I wish I could just turn this post into a call for action!!! A call to rise up as a generation and serve the poor, the hurting, the lonely, the widows, the orphans, and to break the human sin cycle that so many lost souls cant find their way out of! "Dear friend, do not imitate what is evil but what is good. Anyone who does what is good is from God. Anyone who does what is evil has not seen God." 3 John 1:11
OK- now that I've gotten that out of my system, back to the point of this post! Focus, Kate. So this whole night, that's all I saw from this passage, I need to love others, we need to love others. Jesus doesnt fill us with His love for nothing.- it must be so we can completely pour ourselves out for others. Sounds Christ-like, right? Wrong. Over the past two days Jesus has been teaching me in His quiet way, gently nudging me, and it wasnt until this morning when I woke up that I could even put the words together that my Spirit has been hearing from the Holy Spirit. It goes a little something like this: "Daughter, my love for you is deeper than you can comprehend. Sometimes I just like to rain down my blessings on you. Dont move, dont act, just be still and welcome them with an open heart. Let me cover you with my love. Let me blanket it around you and hold you. Soak in my presence, enjoy my love, for I love you in a way that truely surpasses all human understanding."
WOW- I now fully know what Zephaniah 3:17 was talking about, "The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing."
- I have memorized this verse since high school, but I always saw this verse as a means of shutting me up when I was trying to take control of situation. Once again, wrong Kate, wrong! It doesnt mean that one bit!-ok maybe sometimes ;) But truly it's just a verse about God wanting to love on us! He is the most loving God- I mean He stinking sacrificed HIS SON FOR US!!! Talk about not being able "to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ." It is the ultimate kind of love, self sacrificing, but that doesnt always mean, that He is calling us to act. -oh that sentence is hard for me to type. But we cant forget the romantic side of Christ; the side that sometimes just wants to rejoice over us with singing, embrace us with His love, and quiet our souls so we can soak in His presence. He wants to fill us up to the brim with His love and let it run over the sides of our hearts and seep into every nook and cranny of our souls!- I think this is the kind of fullness of God that Ephesians 3:17 is talking about!
Dear friends, I hope this has reached your hearts this afernoon. Spring break is just around the corner. Take some time out of this fun filled week that is upon us and just soak in His presence. Let Him consume you with His love. God, didn't JUST come to save you, but He wants to love on you, right now- regardless of if you feel worthy of it. Thats what is so wonderful about Him, none of us are deserving of His love, and yet He is desiring to cover you in it, this very moment. He wants to quiet you and wrap you up in His arms. Dont get so busy that you miss that, that you miss Him yearning to bless you. Take time to thank Him and to open your heart and allow Him to fill the empty and calm the crazy places of your soul.
Praising Jesus for His unceasing love,
Kate
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