When Jesus was baptised by John, God opened up the heavens and told him how much he loved him.
Don’t we just wish that God will say that he loves us just like that? Breaking open the heavens for us and a big booming voice jumping out? That’s the kind of validation I would love to get. I don’t think the heavens will open up just like that though.
However, God does speak to us in other ways. He uses other people and situations to show us just how much He loves us. We just need to look out for them.
Signs of God’s love
If we think carefully, we can probably name some instances in our life where God showed up. We may have had one of those moments where we felt His love penetrate us. In His own way He was telling us He loves us and was well pleased with us.
We may have felt His love work through us when we have been praying. Maybe we heard a specific word or had an image given to us. Perhaps we have had an answer to prayer. It may be a friend has shown up at the right moment, or better still, a stranger showing up at just the right time.
Sometimes, it may take a while to notice when God is showing His love. This may be because we have experienced hurt in our lives. The hurts we encounter hinder us noticing those moments.
Isaiah 43 mentions numerous ways God works when He loves His people. He also asks us to not dwell on the past because He wants to do a good thing in us.
Something to think about…
We need to soften our hearts to what is around us in order to receive God’s love fully. It takes time and being intentional. It’s hard at first as sometimes we don’t know what to trust.
I want to encourage you to write down any encounters you experience. Do you notice any signs of God’s love?You can look back on them at the end of the day when it’s quiet. Take in what you have experienced and let it sink deep into your heart.
Prayer
God, thank you for your love. Please touch my heart right now and give me a sign of your deep love for me. Help me to open my heart to receive the love you have for me. Help me to be open to the signs you give me. Amen.
I have written previously about the unconditional love God has for us because we are His children. Part of God’s unconditional love is His disciplining love. Just like our children get it wrong sometimes and we teach them the right way to live, so must God do that with us.
When raising children, we have certain standards we expect them to keep. It helps them to learn what they need to achieve later on in life. Life lessons are not easy, but with a little guidance and discipline, we hope they turn out ok.
Disciplining love hurts
It’s not the best type of love I like to receive from God. After all, who enjoys being told off? I know my kids don’t. Although the amount of times I tell them off I may have to question that thought.
My children don’t seem to learn sometimes and often make the same mistakes. Time and time again I tell them not to do something, but they still keep on doing it. They think they know best.
They don’t know what I know. I’ve been a child before and I know how their minds work. I’ve been there and done it! They think they know best, but in reality they don’t have a clue.
This is the same with us and God. We make mistakes too in God’s eyes. Maybe it’s a certain habit we need to break from which doesn’t help us to grow in God’s love.
Time and time again we get a nudge that maybe what we are doing is not what we should be doing. We start to feel guilty. This is God’s Spirit working in us prompting us to turn back to Him.
Sometimes we think we know best though and we ignore the prompting. We carry on our own sweet way trying to figure it out ourselves. Maybe our situation starts to get worse and something happens which causes us pain. What do we then start thinking?
Where is God in all this?
Has He abandoned us? Does He not care if we are suffering? Why has He let this happen to us? Does He not love us anymore? I’ve often had this response from my own children.
“Do you not love me mummy?” They will shout.
“Of course I do” I will reply.
“Then why are you being so mean?” They cry.
Disciplining love teaches
I have told them time and time again what not to do. I gave them consequences if they chose to carry on. Why are they then shocked? They think because I love them I will not carry out my punishment. But I love them and they need to learn.
My children know deep down I love them just like I know deep down God loves me. Sometimes God does not step in to relieve us because we need to learn. If we keep doing the same thing over and over again, maybe God wants to teach us something.
In these moments we need to not be scared and to work through the suffering. Let the suffering we experience help us to turn to God and not away from him. He wants us to come running back to Him. Surely, it’s better if we do this with Him and not against Him?
Something to think about…
Have you noticed if there is a part of your life that doesn’t line up with what God wants for you? Are there any areas where you need the Gardener to come in and do a little pruning? God is here to help you and he will gently cut away the dead branches, if you let Him.
Prayer
God, I know I have sinned and I am sorry. I know I keep making the same mistakes. Please come into my life and show me where I am going wrong. I want to do what is right and grow in your love. Amen.
“Reckless Love” by Cory Asbury is a well-known worship song. It is a beautiful song with its well meaning words. Also, it is one that people could resonate with very well.
However, there is something about this song which meant I found it really hard to sing the words. I disagreed with them as I just could not apply them to my life.
Imagining God leaving the ninety-nine to chase after me, the one who is lost, was something I could not grasp. I couldn’t imagine God busting a gut to chase after me, let alone climb mountains and tear down walls. It made me cry to think God would do any of this:
There’s no shadow You won’t light up Mountain You won’t climb up Coming after me There’s no wall You won’t kick down Lie You won’t tear down Coming after me
The story behind Reckless Love
The word reckless comes from the Old English word receleas, which means careless. If your attitude is reckless you aren’t worried about your actions. It could also have a big impact on you and others around you. Reckless, in contrast, is the opposite of considerate or careful.
“Reckless Love” has caused a lot of controversy due to the use of the word reckless. A lot of people don’t agree with the word being associated with God. However, Cory has written on his Facebook profile why he used the phrase, “reckless Love of God”:
“When I use the phrase, “the reckless love of God”, I’m not saying that God Himself is reckless. I am, however, saying that the way He loves, is in many regards, quite so. What I mean is this: He is utterly unconcerned with the consequences of His actions with regards to His own safety, comfort, and well-being. His love isn’t crafty or slick. It’s not cunning or shrewd. In fact, all things considered, it’s quite childlike, and might I even suggest, sometimes downright ridiculous. His love bankrupted heaven for you. His love doesn’t consider Himself first.”
He then goes on to say…
“His love isn’t selfish or self-serving. He doesn’t wonder what He’ll gain or lose by putting Himself out there. He simply gives Himself away on the off-chance that one of us might look back at Him and offer ourselves in return.”
God’s reckless love in the past
God wants a relationship with us. Furthermore, he will pursue us and seek us out. His love is not what is reckless but how He wants to engage with us maybe considered as so.
The parables which Jesus told about the lost son and the lost sheep are a prime example. The father accepted his son back into his family. This would have been seen as reckless, especially after the father himself was rejected. Even more so, as his son had spent all his inheritance and didn’t want to help his father out.
It would have looked like the father is being reckless, but Jesus showed this is exactly what God’s love is like. God would give up everything all over again to receive the son (or daughter) back into his arms.
In addition to this, it is the same with the lost sheep. Why worry about one sheep and risk all the others being lost? In His eyes, the ninety-nine sheep are safe and he is willing to seek out those who are lost – no matter what the cost is.
This is, without a doubt, quite a reckless action. However, saving the one person who is lost can have such dramatic consequences. Think of Saul on the road to Damascus and how God met him and changed him. Look at the effect then Paul (who was Saul) had on the increase of believers.
God’s reckless love now
Who would have thought? God’s reckless love for Saul changed the lives of many people to come. Even now, as scripture is read, lives are still changing.
The reason why I struggle singing Reckless Love goes back to what I have written previously about being worthy. It’s the same old story of not feeling worthy enough to receive His love.
I think cory Asbury captures perfectly what God really does. God loves you and will risk anything to save you, and He saves you because you are worth it!
Something to think about…
Listen to “Reckless Love” by Cory Asbury and meditate on his words. Let it sink deep into your heart and start to believe the words he has written.
Prayer
Dear God, thank you for still believing in me and still chasing after me. Even when I have sinned against you, you still love me and want me back. I am sorry if I have ever turned my back on you. Please never give up on me. Amen
I often go through these cycles. You know, where everything is hunky dory and then bang, you come crashing down to Earth. Everything comes tumbling down around you because you forget Who you are in a relationship with.
Do you ever feel like that?
I struggle. Big time.
When I go through these periods of when I don’t feel God around me, I find it hard to worship Him. The words that appear on the over head projector resonate so much with how I feel, but I just can’t get them to come out of my mouth.
What blocks God?
I have this block that is so heavy it holds me back from praising God. That block…is me! I turn up every week to church, but I don’t show up. I’m so caught up in my own world I don’t see what is around me. God wants to love me so much but I put up this barrier to stop Him from coming near me.
Why do I do that? It’s because I am scared. When God starts to do something good in us, sometimes it is a little scary. When change occurs and something new is taking place it’s daunting.
We are afraid because we are unsure. We do not know what the future holds. Shutting ourselves off to what God wants to release in us seems the best course of action because we are fearful of what God wants us to do.
When I get into this cycle of blocking out God I forget what being a Christian is all about. It’s about a relationship with God. A relationship is a connection between two people. It’s not something that can be done on our own, and God wants a relationship with us.
In order to strengthen a relationship, time and energy has to be put in by both parties. I think we pretty much know that God invests a lot of time and energy into us. So when we feel like God is not around or that He is a bit distant from us, it must be us that is not investing enough.
There are two ways we can strengthen our relationship with God:
Pray – Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. Jeremiah 29:12
Spend time in His word – “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17
The more we spend time with God, the more it will strengthen our relationship. The time we spend with God will help to soften our hard hearts so that the love and mercy of God can seep in.
God wants to spend time with you. If you’re anything like me you probably struggle to get two words said to Him. First thing in the morning for me doesn’t work because of kids. I would have to get up at some unearthly hour, and I do that already with my babies.
Instead I try and find the time when I am busy. There is always time. When I am washing up, when I am driving back from school drop off or when I am loading the washing machine. Why don’t you find some time when you are busy to talk to God?
As for spending time in the word, why not sign up to an app that sends a Bible verse directly to your phone? I have signed up with YouVersion. It’s a great way to focus on a verse each day.
Prayer
Dear God, I am sorry for the times I have put up a barrier between you and me. It is not my intention to block you out, but sometimes life gets hard. At these times God, be persistent with me. Please never let me go. Amen
In my previous post, I wrote about God’s love and how He loves us as a father. I’d like to imagine that I would receive a love letter from God, my father. If I did, this is what it would say:
To my beautiful daughter,
Yes, that is what you are. Beautiful. Don’t ever let anyone tell you differently. I want to tell you something that will blow your mind. It will be the most important message you will ever hear in your entire life.
I love you!
You don’t realise just how much I love you. I loved you before you were born. Even before you were knitted in the womb. And when you were born, what a good day that was. I looked at you and I was pleased with what I created. After all, not that I am one to boast, but I did make you in my own image.
You are perfect in every way and I love you.
I love you even when you feel you shouldn’t be loved. You don’t need to do anything to make me love you any less. Nothing in this world would ever tear me away from loving you. Nothing. Not even the evil that was done against you. In fact, what you endured makes me love you even more.
Yes, I know what you went through. I was there. I have always been with you. You thought I abandoned you, but I didn’t. I could never abandon you. I would never leave you or disown you because of what someone has done to you.
You are my precious child and I love you.
You may be ashamed of what happened, but I am not. I could never be ashamed of you. You are my beloved daughter. You are so precious to me and I sing songs of joy every time I think of you.
One day, all this pain will be gone and I will wipe away all your tears. I am so sorry for the suffering you have endured. Rest in my arms dear one and I will hold you tight. I will comfort you and I will make sure that you will receive more for the pain you have suffered. The suffering you experienced will be rewarded.
But for now I need you. Oh, how I need you! I have a plan for your life that you are not able to see. One that will make you thrive. Everything you have been brave to withstand I will turn it around and use it for a good purpose. You will be a light to those who are afraid in the dark.
In all this, my precious child, remember that I love you.
