Month: July 2013

Unrequited Love

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Sometimes we forget God is passionately pursuing our hearts. Day after day He’s pouring out love. Here’s a poem written from the vantage point of the One who is love.

Unrequited Love
By Erin Lamb

Waiting,
waiting for you to respond to the pursuit of My heart for all of you.
I do not seek partial love
or part time affection.
I desire the fullness of your heart and your pure undivided devotion.
I sacrificed all that I am to save you.
The nails in My hands,
the thorns on My head,
the lashes that tore My flesh,
the pain that seared through My chest,
it paid for your freedom.
I died and rose again so you could live.
My love was poured out as a painful offering of love.
You are the object of My affection and for love I suffered loss and scorn.
Every moment of every day My heart is eager,
longing to be with you.
Day after day,
I patiently wait.
Standing in the present with passion bursting forth from My chest.
You are the one I love,
and the one I adore.
No one can or ever will love you more.
My heart aches.
My heart anticipates.
My voice cries out, “I chose you. Won’t you choose Me? I am the only one who can meet your deepest needs.”
I watch as you choose other loves that will only wound your fragile heart.
They promise you the world,
but leave you emptier than the start.
I watch you chase dreams, ambitions, and set your own life course.
I stand with abundant life for you,
having done all that was needed so you would not be lost.
If only you knew you were forfeiting paradise.
What I have for you far exceeds what you could imagine in your wildest dreams.
You trade a palace for cabin.
Trade beauty for what will be consumed or turned into ashes.
You take counterfeit love instead of everlasting love.
My heart aches
for I know what I created you for.
You were created by Me and for Me.
Without Me,
you will not know who you are or all that you could be.
You were created to find fulfillment in Me.
No matter how many times you walk away or even refuse My love,
I will still be love.
My love for you is here to stay.
When and if you turn to Me,
I will come running with delay!
I can live without you,
but I’d rather have you here with Me.
I created you to love you!
In the center of your life and heart is where I want to be.

We can say we love God and still have other loves, something or someone who takes higher priority than Him in our lives. Truth is He belongs in first place. May we receive His great love and pour it back on Him first, then others. There’s no greater love than God’s love. Blessings friends, you are deeply loved.

From My Heart to Yours

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The reason I began writing was to express my heart to God. I never imagined I would write a book or write for three blogs. Knowing God, not simply knowing about Him, has been my desire since I was a child. God is beyond amazing. I don’t know of anyone worth more devotion or worship. So, here’s the intro from I Thought I Knew What Love Was. I hope it inspires you to dive deeper into the depths of God’s heart. He loves you, and He longs to be with you more than you could ever want to be with Him.

I Thought I Knew What Love Was is a series of poems and reflections about God, about life, and about life with God. Over the years, the view of God has changed. He has broken out of every box in which He was placed. His love transforms all other loves into what they were meant to be. Once we receive His love, we view the love of others so differently. He changes our worldview as we receive more of Him. His love is the foundation for the truest, purest love. His love is the glue that holds all other loves together. His love is the most amazing of all loves. The title of this book should be I Thought I Knew Who Love Was. Love is who God is. It is impossible to understand even a fraction of who He is without first looking at love. Our human love may fail, but God’s love does not fail.

 
I have found that love is a journey, not a destination. I will never say I have God or love all figured out. Until I meet Him face to face, He will continue to remain a bit mysterious. I also cannot say the love in my heart can even compare to His. I am simply learning day by day how to pour out what He pours in. What I can tell you is that walking with Him is an adventure. He is better than any person I have met. He is kind, compassionate, gracious, a gentleman, truthful, and always seeks our best. He loves justice and truth. He loves people. So if you have not encountered the love of God, I pray these poems speak to you. He loves you. It isn’t based on what you do, or fail to do. He simply loves you. If you invite Him into your heart and into your life, you won’t regret it.

 
Yes, life will still present challenges, but now you can face them with the most powerful being in the Universe. You will have a friend who sticks closer than a brother. He will bring about the internal changes in your life as you submit your life to Him. The more I grow to know Him, the more I realize that I say, “Yes” and He does all the hard work. I can always depend on Him to provide what is needed.

 
If you’ve already met Him and invited Him into your heart, I pray you are encouraged to dive in a little further. God wants to wow you. He wants to surprise you. He wants to stand by you. He longs to continue His pursuit of your heart. He never grows tired of being with you. He never wants the flame in your heart for Him to go out.

So here’s to you, the reader. I am praying for you. I hope you will never forget that you are deeply loved.

 

You’re not an Orphan

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Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine,~Isaiah 43:1b.

Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God? But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: you are of more value than many sparrows,~Luke 12:6-7.

“I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb. Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my prophet to the nations.“~Jeremiah 1:5.

I will start out by saying you cannot know who you are and your purpose in life without knowing God. He is the Creator of all things. Nothing we see would exist without Him. He holds it all together. Though He gives humans the right to choose, He is still Sovereign. You are here because God allowed you to be here.

“Who but God goes up to heaven and comes back down? Who holds the wind in his fists? Who wraps up the oceans in his cloak? Who has created the whole wide world? What is his name–and his son’s name? Tell me if you know!” Proverbs 30:4.

God knows why you were born, and He has a great plan for your life (Jeremiah 29:11). You are not an orphan (without a father or parent). You are an extension of His heart and His plan. Even if your earthly mother or father forsake you, God never will (Psalm 27:10). You must forsake Him. He doesn’t send anyone to hell, if we end up there, we chose to live life without Him. Without holiness (salvation) no person can enter heaven. He’s a loving Father who says, “I made you for Me. Come be with Me. You are invited to enter into My Royal Family. Everything I have, I want to share with you. I want you to be united with Me. I gave My Son so you can be set free. I want to give you life abundantly.”

You are invited to belong to Someone great. I heard someone say, “When God looks at the earth He sees two groups of people, repentant and unrepentant. He loves them both. He, like the Prodigal son’s father, is working to bring lost sons and daughters home.” It’s true. God wants you! You were created to be united with Him for eternity. He longs for you. Many are deceived or willingly reject Him, which I am sure hurts His heart. No parent likes to see their child headed for destruction.

God hates what’s aimed at destroying us, sin is aimed at destroying us. The wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). The devil wants to take as many people as he can to hell with him. His fate is sealed, there is no redemption for him. He will burn in the lake of fire being tortured for eternity. He hates people, for humans can be redeemed. Humans can be saved. Humans can worship and love God. Humans are the recipients of God’s grace, love, and made in His image.

So, dear friends, if you want to know who you are, why you were born, who your Father is, go to God. If you want to know your purpose, go to God. He knows all, sees all, and has a great plan for your life. If we want to know the purpose of something, we ask the One who made it. You are of Divine Design. Don’t allow the world or even your own thoughts to define who you are. God is perfect and I am certain His thoughts towards you and your life will exceed your expectations. You are and will always be, deeply loved.

If you have not accepted the gift of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ, I invite you to come find life. God longs to bless you. He says, “No matter where you have been or what you have done. I paid for it all.” If that’s you and you want to know God, follow along in this prayer with me.

Prayer for salvation:

God I confess that I am a sinner. I have done things to grieve Your heart and sought to live life my own way. I believe that you sent Your Son Jesus to pay the price for all my sins. I place my faith and trust in You. I ask for Your forgiveness for all my sins, and I invite You into My life. I want to commit my life to You and turn from the life I’ve been living. In Jesus name.

If you sincerely prayed that prayer, know heaven is rejoicing. Heaven celebrates every single time we repent (say God is right and decide we don’t want sin in our lives). If you sincerely prayed this prayer, expect life changes. Find a Gospel centered church and get connected. Pick up a Bible and start reading it. I recommend starting in the New Testament and  asking God to speak to you through His word. Start praying, talking to God. You can comment here if you want more information. Know that being in God’s family is a tremendous blessing. God LOVES you!

You can find more resources and teachings on what it means to be in Christ on my devotional blog (http://morena242.wordpress.com). Whatever you choose in life, I hope you choose Jesus! He is the way, the truth, and the life. God bless you.

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Chosen

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From now on I call you not servants; for the servant knows not what his lord does: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known to you. You have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that you should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatever you shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you. These things I command you, that you love one another,~John 15:15-17.

Oh, to be chosen. There is a security that can be found in being chosen. We don’t have to be insecure. God  desires and loves us. His love is not based on what we have, or what we do. There’s nothing we can do to make Him love us more or less. God’s love is independent of our weakness and on full blast towards us.

While we were still sinners and enemies of God, He chose us. Romans 5 gives us some sweet news and affirms our security in relationship with God.

You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! Not only is this so, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation, ~Romans 5:6-11.

You were, are, and will always be the object of God’s affection. You were chosen! You were selected by the Creator of the Universe to be loved, cared for, and cherished. There is security in knowing at our worst state, God said, “I want to save you! I want to love you! I want to be with you.” We are His choice.

  • When you’re feeling unloved, recall God chose you!
  • When you are uncertain of your future, know that since God chose you He will take care of your future.
  • When you think there is no way God can use you, rest in the truth that He knew what He was getting into when He chose you.
  • When you can only see devastation, know God’s promises wrapped up in Christ extend to all His children.
  • When you feel alone, trust that God is always with you and wants the best for you.

When someone selects you, there is comfort in knowing they saw someone worth choosing. We don’t pick up or select things we don’t deem valuable.

You matter to God, enough for Him to pay the highest price to be with you. He gave His very best to have a relationship with you.

If you are not investing in an intimate (close) relationship with God, I highly recommend Him. No one will love you better. His love is the most powerful. His love is life changing. Make Him the number 1 priority of life and watch your life be radically transformed. You are and will always be deeply loved.

Love in Christ,

Erin

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