Tag: God is Love

God Speaks Your Love Language

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I have loved you with an everlasting love;I have drawn you with unfailing kindness,~Jeremiah 31:3

Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful;it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things,~1 Corinthians 13:4-7

I’ve said it once, and I will say it again and again, “God is not cold, stern, aloof, distant, or unloving.” I echo the words of Mother Teresa, “God is kinder than you think.” God is love. You can take those verses in 1 Corinthians 13 and exchange love for God. He is love. He loves you.

I challenge you to believe that God speaks your love language. If you are unfamiliar with the popular book, The 5 Love Languages, it is an enlightening book. Basically we all receive love in a different ways. God did not make us all the same, so what works for me, may not work for you. I am not really a gift person. If someone gives me a nice gift, I appreciate it, however the words people speak are important to me as well as their willingness to be there (acts of service). I care far more about how a person treats me than the gifts they have to offer. I am also not reward driven. I do what I do from internal motivation, not for rewards. God knows this about me. Therefore, my interactions with Him are tailored to my love languages. God responds to my individual needs. He does not offer blanket love. He is creative and perfect in the ways He interacts with His children.

I do not have children, but I do have younger siblings. What works for one, does not work for the other. My sister loves quality time, the more time you spend with her the better. My brother could care less about quality time, but delights in gifts. They both respond very differently to discipline. If I try the same thing for both of them, the results are not guaranteed to be good. God knows you. He knows every hair on your head, every tear you have ever shed. He knows more about you than you know about yourself. Why would He attempt to love you in a way you could not receive? Love seeks what is best for the other person.

We have many people saying they are speaking for God and some times what they have to say is negative. It makes it seem like God hates us until we accept Christ and then He only cares for us because of Jesus. This is untrue. While we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8). Before Christ, after Christ…God sees someone He loves. No one gives their life to save something they consider to be junk, nor do they invite someone into relationship to mistreat them, ignore them, or simply put up with them. God loves you! He wants to love you in a way that is tangible and real to you.

My prayer:

Papa, I ask that every person who visits this site will have a life changing encounter with You. We can not fully grasp the great love You have for us. It is personal. It is beautiful. It is wonderful. I ask that we would know the height, the width, the breath, and the vast expanse of Your great love for us. Anything hindering us from receiving Your love, I ask it be removed. Thank You for Your great love. In Jesus name, Amen.

Encounter with the Risen Christ (from the book I Thought I Knew What Love Was)

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I Thought I Knew What Love Was

I would love it if you check out, I Thought I Knew What Love Was. You can purchase right here on the site there’s a link entitled Get Your Copy or you may purchase through these wonderful sites: http://www.westbowpress.com, http://www.barnesandnoble.com. and http://www.amazon.com or iTunes store.

I thought I knew what love was until I encountered the King of the Universe. This book is filled with prayers, psalms, letters to God, and encouragement from God. I hope it blesses your heart. Here is an excerpt from the book.

Encounter with the Risen Christ, Copyright 2011 © Erin Lamb.

I kneel my heart before the risen Christ.
He stands so perfectly
with the glory of our Father
surrounding Him.
He is Holy.
He is King.
His reign is eternal.
He has risen,
for death could not hold Him,
and the grave could not keep Him.
He has risen with all power in the palm of His hands.
His hands are marked with scars of where they pierced Him.
I see the nails He took for you and for me,
so we would no longer have to carry the weight of our shame.
He seeks to reconcile the entire world to His Father,
knowing that His Kingdom is the only kingdom
that will last forever.
I kneel before the risen Christ.
I take in His sweet fragrance,
the fragrance of love.
He laid down His life,
so He and I could live in paradise.
One tear I shed, leads to many,
for I understand I have nothing to repay Him with.
So I commit to Him for life.
My tears of adoration bathe His feet,
for there is no greater gift than the one He’s offered.
He has offered a new life.
I gaze upon Him
dressed in fine white linen,
in breathtaking radiance He stands.
There are flames of eternal fire in His eyes.
His presence is so overwhelming and captivating.
If only we could truly encounter the risen Christ,
the same Christ who with one touch
healed the woman with the issue of blood.
He is the One who heals our diseases
and delivers us from the penalty of our sins.
He was bruised for our transgressions,
and the price for our peace rested on His shoulders.
He stood blameless,
taking on the weight of sin from the entire world.
The burdens of all people He carried.
He still carries our burdens and our ailments today.
He was there in the beginning.
He is here, now.
He is there in the end.
He is in complete communion with the Holy Spirit and the Father.
There is nowhere we can go
where we are out of His reach.
There is nothing that can separate us from His love.
Though we may not feel loved,
we are loved.
I see love every time I gaze on the cross,
for God so loved the world that He sent His Son,
to die for us,
and to be the payment for all our sins.
He knew we had no ability to pay.
If only we could encounter the risen Christ,
who delivers the tormented
and sets all captives free.
He brings complete liberty,
so people are no longer chained and shackled.
He brings freedom so we may live the abundant life He has promised
to give us.
We bow before the risen Christ
who, alone, can change a sinful man
into a holy man.
He is the One who can take something completely broken,
and make it whole again.
If we could only encounter the risen Christ,
who still walks on the water and has the ability to calm all storms.
The winds and the waves are still subject to Him.
He is the same yesterday, today, and always.
He has not changed, nor will He ever change.
If we could only encounter the risen Christ
and see Him in the fullness of His glory;
to have that mighty power that was at work raising Him from the dead,
at work in our lives
and at work in our hearts.
If only we could encounter the risen Christ
and have that transforming power
changing us into the image of the Father.
We were purchased by Christ’s blood
and set apart to do His bidding.
We are no longer slaves,
but God’s children.
We are the children He loves.
We are the children He adores.
What a perfect sacrifice!
With acceptance of His sacrifice and belief in Him,
we become a part of His family forever.
We enter into a royal priesthood,
and we are set apart for His glory.
If only Satan knew
that on the third day
Jesus would rise again.
If only Judas knew that his betrayal
was a part of the plan.
The plan was to reconcile the world to the Father.
That one act
would help lead people to encountering the risen Christ.
He is risen.
Death could not hold Him.
Death has no power over Him.
He took the keys of death and hell.
He proclaimed victory over all who believe.
If only we could encounter the risen Christ,
who spoke and it was.
The truth of His words
permeate and saturate the soul.
His words are sharper than any sword
and able to divide the bone from the marrow.
If only we could encounter the risen Christ;
walk in holiness,
with purity of heart and purity of mind.
He walked the earth,
tempted,
yet, He did not sin.
He proved that sin did not hold Him,
and there is freedom from sin for all who believe.
He is our hope,
our salvation,
and our Deliverer.
He is Faithful and True.
He came to save the world,
cleanse the world,
and change the world.
If only we could encounter the risen Christ,
who has defeated death,
who has defeated sin,
and who has reunited us with our loving Father.
We do not accept defeat,
for He has already won the battle.
So let us rejoice
that Christ is RISEN!

All rights reserved. No part of the material may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, without the written permission of the Publisher, Westbow Press (www.westbowpress.com), or Author, Erin Lamb. The only exception is in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

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Misunderstanding the Father’s Heart

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So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask Him, Matthew 7:11.

I will tell of the kindnesses of the LORD, the deeds for which he is to be praised, according to all the LORD has done for us– yes, the many good things he has done for Israel, according to his compassion and many kindnesses, Isaiah 63:7.

He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all–how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Romans 8:32.

Sweet friends, I wanted to talk about our heavenly Father. He is probably one of the most misunderstood members of the Trinity. He is often represented as out to get people, cold, stern, or everything He is not. Some say we must cling to Jesus for He protects us from our grumpy Father. Well, nothing could be further from the truth. The Father loves with the same intensity as the Son. They are one.

Some things to ponder.

  • You were the Father’s idea. Every person was a thought in His mind before conception (Psalm 139).
  • The Father sent His Son. I don’t know about you, but I would not send my son to die for people who were guilty.
  • Jesus only did what He saw the Father doing; the good we see in Jesus is also in the Father. Jesus gave them this answer: “Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does, John 5:19.
  • The Father wants us to have good gifts. Ephesians 1:3, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.”
  • Good gifts come from God. “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning,” James 1:17.

There are people who have taught that poverty and suffering is a sign of humility. Think about it this way. If you have/had children, how would them being poor, sick, hungry, depressed, or suffering make you look? It would make you look like a dead beat parent. Children’s services would probably come and take your kids if you did not feed them, clothe them, or care for them. Why do we believe God is a dead beat dad? Why do we think God wants us to have less than what we would give our children? Why do we think God is delighted with our sufferings?

The Bible says we will suffer for living in a sinful world. The Bible also tells us that we are more than conquerors through Christ who gives us strength (Romans 8:37). Jesus tells us in John 10:10, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.“

Sometimes we take on the mind set that the will of God for our lives is to be miserable, poor, sick, and hurting until heaven. We are just making it through. There is a difference between suffering for preaching or teaching the Gospel and the suffering that comes from sickness, disease, poverty, lack, abandonment, abuse, or injustice. God isn’t sitting in heaven going, “10 million more of my kids died today from sickness, let’s party angels.” We read that the Father delighted in Jesus taking on our sins for we could be saved and He knew the grave would not hold His Son. The death and resurrection of Jesus brings life to many. Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand, Isaiah 53:10.

I am not hear to state God is our genie in a bottle and whatever we ask, He is obligated to oblige. Nor am I stating walking with God is a guarantee of a life free of problems. It isn’t. In the world we do and will have trouble. I am stating God is a good Father. He wants to bless us. He cares about us. He wants us to dream. He wants us to enjoy life. He wants us to be a blessing…

If I am poor, I can not help the poor.

If I am unhealthy, I can not serve others well. My sickness brings no glory to the Healer.

If I am always depressed, I can not give hope to others.

If I hate life, I am not going to encourage anyone! Nor will I have the joy Jesus paid for.

If I am always in need, I can not effectively help those in need.

I know God does not want us consumed with the desire for things or blessings. He wants us to be consumed with passion for Him. He is the greatest blessing and reward. We cannot believe that in any way that it glorifies Him for His children to be poor, in need, in lack, sick, full of disease, hurting, or depressed. It sends a message to the world, “God doesn’t take care of His own.”

As we prepare for Easter, I pray we thank the Father for all He does and has done for us. I also hope we cling not only to our salvation, but embrace all Jesus paid for. We have a Father who gave His very best to save us. May we be free to dream with Him, embrace the beauty of life with Him, and enjoy Him. May we ask for more so we can bless more people. May we believe God is the Perfect Father and our desires touch His heart. Bless you friends, in Jesus name, Amen.

Looking for Real Love…

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Love is one of the most common used words in our vocabulary. In English we have one word for love. In the Greek there are several words for love. There is philia which is described as brotherly love; love for family or friends. Eros is an intimate love; a passionate desire often used to describe affection between lovers. Agape is unconditional love used to describe God’s love for mankind, it is sacrificial love. Storge is used to describe the love a parent has for their offspring.

Outside of relationship with God many of us will encounter philia, storge, or even eros love. We will be hard pressed to find agape love. The love God has for us is agape love and it is independent of us. God gives sacrificially because of who He is, not who we are. His love is not based on our performance, or merit. Even if we reject Him, He never stops loving us. Even some parents reject their offspring. Some parents can base their love and affection for a child based on their behavior. God does not. People base their love for others on their beauty, behavior, performance, attraction, or family ties. God loves because He is love. He loves the wicked, vile, and evil.

When God says, “I Love You,” it means more than what we could imagine.  It is not something He simply does. Love is who God is. He cannot be anything other than love. Before the first humans were created, God was love. He created mankind knowing we would rebel against Him. Since, He is not limited by time or space, He knew everything there was to know about us before we were ever formed. He still made provisions to save mankind from the penalty of sin. He sent His very best to rescue us.

The world is looking for love. Looking for real love. I can say God is the best place to start. He knows everything about us and will never reject us. He cares more about us than we care about ourselves. He was willing to endure the worst pain to save those He loves.

We can spend our lives looking for love in all the wrong places, with all the wrong faces, or we can set our eyes on the One who is love. He is available 24/7 to be there for His children. He is 1 Corinthians 13 love. I replaced love with God’s name below.

God is patient. God is kind. He does not envy. He does not boast. He is not proud. God does not dishonor others. He is not self-seeking, or easily angered. God keeps no record of wrongs. God does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth. God always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.  God never fails.

God’s love for us is not blanket love. Nor does He love us out of obligation. We are here because God allowed us to be here. He knows every hair on our heads (Luke 13:7). If we are following Him, it is because He pursued us. For no person can come to the Father unless He draws them (John 6:44).

Real love, genuine love can be found in God. It’s a love that does not fail. Don’t look for people to meet your needs. Go to the One who is love. He will change your life.

I leave you with Psalm 139. I hope it blesses you and sinks into your heart. You are deeply loved.

Psalm 139:1-18

For the director of music. Of David. A psalm.

You have searched me, Lord,
and you know me.

You know when I sit and when I rise;
    you perceive my thoughts from afar.
You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways.
Before a word is on my tongue
you, Lord, know it completely.
You hem me in behind and before,
and you lay your hand upon me.

Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too lofty for me to attain.

Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.

If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,
even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast.
If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me
and the light become night around me,”
even the darkness will not be dark to you;
the night will shine like the day,
for darkness is as light to you.

For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place,
when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
Your eyes saw my unformed body;
all the days ordained for me were written in your book
    before one of them came to be.
How precious to me are your thoughts, God!
How vast is the sum of them!
Were I to count them,
they would outnumber the grains of sand—
when I awake, I am still with you.

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I Love You More

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All the world seems to be looking for love. We were created to desire love, affection, affirmation, relationship, and the void in us is not easily filled. God set it up so no person on this planet has to be alone. People are born into families. Not only are we born into families, we are birthed with a great opportunity to know the Creator of the Universe.

I am often amazed that God, as perfect as He is, wants to be friends with us. He wants us to be recipients of His great love, forgiveness, and to adopt us as His children. I mean seriously, He can do whatever He wants. He could create the world’s perfect best friend or person. Yet, He chose and chooses to dwell with sinful man. God was not lonely before creating man. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit all existed long before we did. God did not need us, He wanted us. 

There’s something to be said about being wanted. No matter how awful we are or have been, we are here because God loves us. We are here because He cares for us. We are here because He had and has a great plan for our lives. We are no mistake!

He created us to be recipients of His great love. We were made to be loved by Him.

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For He chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight. In love He predestined us to be adopted as His sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with His pleasure and will—to the praise of His glorious grace, which He has freely given us in the One He loves. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding, Ephesians 1:2-7.

No matter who we meet on this journey, there will not be anyone who loves us more than God. There will not be a person who will sacrifice all that they are for our best interests. It’s not going to happen. My earthly father is wonderful. I have no doubt he would do all in his power to protect, provide, and be there for me. However, I do not believe he can or would do all that God has done for me. While I was a sinner, Christ died for me. No greater love in the entire world, than the love God has lavished on us.

We may not always feel His love. We may not always see His love. We may not always believe in His love, but the truth is, God is love. Every day He pours out His love, mercy, grace, forgiveness, compassion, and wisdom on a world that rejects Him, denies Him, abuses His name, and blames Him for all that goes wrong. If that’s not love, I don’t know what is. I as a human, I grow tired of loving people who I know will never love me. I grow weary in turning the other cheek and responding in kindness to people who are cruel. God, however, is infinite in patience and love. Love is who God is.

The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love, Psalm 103:8.

You are forgiving and good, O Lord, abounding in love to all who call to you, Psalm 86:5.

I will tell of the kindnesses of the LORD, the deeds for which He is to be praised, according to all the Lord has done for us–yes, the many good things He has done for the house of Israel, according to His compassion and many kindnesses, Isaiah 63:7.

Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet My unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,” says the LORD, who has compassion on you, Isaiah 54:10.

God’s after relationship…with us.

Some don’t hear God’s voice; it’s challenging to be in a relationship with someone you can’t hear. I will say if you are a born again believer, you can hear from God. Pray and ask God for the ability to hear from Him. You can have a relationship with Him that is as close and intimate as you would like it be. As Jesus said, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow Me,” John 10:27. Even if you don’t hear from God directly speaking to your spirit, you can hear from Him through His Word (which is the best place to start and He does not violate His Word. He increases our understanding, but does not violate His Word). God also speaks through dreams, visions, others, and sometimes our circumstances.

Lastly, here are the words God deposited in my heart today.

I love you more…I love you more than you can imagine. You are My workmanship, created for My glory. I chose you. I wanted you. I have never left you, and I will never leave you. You are an extension of My heart. Where you are, there I am. You are a part of Me. There is nothing that can separate you from My love. There’s nothing you can do to make Me love you less or more. My love for you extends from before the world was made into eternity. It is a love that cannot be broken. Your name is written on My heart. You name graven on My hands. I move heaven and earth to care for you. You are My beloved. You will always be My beloved.

Sweet friends, these words apply to you as well. God loves you. He is for you. His heart cries out again and again, I Love You More….Praying God blesses you richly and abundantly this year, above all you could ask or imagine. Love, Erin.

Agape

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Beautiful friends, I Thought I Knew What Love Was contains numerous reflections on the love of God. Many times we explore the depths of God’s love only to find out that there is so much more. On this journey with Him, each day provides more insight into His love. God is love. His very nature is love.

God is agape love. Agape love is self-sacrificing in nature, unconditional, and unwavering. Agape love is not based on the merit or behavior of the recipient. There is nothing we can do to earn this love. It is the very essence of the One we worship.

God demonstrated agape when He sent His one and only Son to die on the cross for us. He sacrificed for the lovely, the unlovely, the wicked, and for those who will never reciprocate His love. I might choose to lay down my life for someone I thought was innocent. I might even surrender my life for a guilty person, if I thought they would eventually be saved. However, I am certain that it would take an act of God for me to sacrifice my only child for the world knowing some would still reject my love.

God loves us more than we can imagine. Here is an excerpt from I Thought I Knew What Love Was.

Agape

by Erin Lamb © Copyright 2011

“God’s message of love.”

I see you in your place of laughter,

your place of happiness,

and your place of hurting.

I see also your places of sorrow.

I embrace you in your times of tears,

and I dance with you in your times of jubilee.

I watch over you in the nighttime

and every second of the day.

I adore you,

despite any of your shortcomings.

I am in your past,

your present,

and in your future.

I delight in all that I have made.

I know you.

I am closer to you than any other being.

I have placed My covering over you,

and that covering is “Love.”

My name is Love;

that love is agape love,

an unfailing love.

I am the love that forgives you,

intercedes for you,

and I am the love that willingly took your place.

I am the love that has compassion for you,

wants to give you My best,

and so many wonderful things.

This is My love for you.

A love that seeks to fill you with more and more,

so your heart’s cup overflows.

I am the love that can never be replaced.

I invest in you.

I wait to meet with you.

I have given My life,

so you may live free.

I took the blame.

I took your shame,

so you could be with Me for a time without end.

My love for you will never disappoint.

My love does not fall short;

it cannot fail, and it can never be destroyed.

Even when you cannot see My love or sense My love,

it encompasses everything that surrounds you.

I have chosen you;

I selected you just for Me.

I cherish you.

I take pleasure in you.

You are My heart’s prize.

Every hair on your head,

I know them,

and I can tell you the length of every one.

Even if the entire world walks out on you,

please know that you are loved.

You cannot fathom

the way love was truly meant to be,

but if you ask for revelation,

I will tell you what I mean.

I love you

more than your achievements,

or lack thereof.

I love you more than your social standing.

I love you in your place of being outcast and feeling forgotten.

I love you past your points of weakness

and insecurity.

I love you past your imperfections,

though I can see each one.

I love you past your sinful nature.

My love is the reason I sent My only Son.

I watched Him hang there.

I watched Him suffer there;

the burdens of the world were weighing on His soul.

I placed Myself in harm’s way,

so you could find new life in Me.

You won’t find this love for you in any other place.

People have searched and searched,

only to still have emptiness in that place.

It is the place that was meant for only Me.

A God-shaped void cannot be filled

by frivolous earthly things.

I want to love you.

I long to love you.

Even if you turn and walk away,

I love you now, and I will love you always.

All rights reserved. No part of the material may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, without the written permission of the Publisher, Westbow Press (www.westbowpress.com), or Author, Erin Lamb. The only exception is in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Book available: http://www.westbowpress.com

Photo taken from Microsoft Clip Art.

You Were Made for Love

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Below are encouraging words God deposited into my heart. They settled in my soul, watered my heart, & delighted my spirit. I hope they do the same for you. You are deeply loved.

“You were made for love!

You are My great idea, a grand idea. I smiled from ear to ear when I thought of you. I gathered the angels for them to see, what beauty the world would behold. My heart danced. There was a sparkle in My eye. I thought to Myself, ‘What a genius I am; I will create mankind.’

I made you for Me, and I made you for love. A love that is richer, deeper, purer, and more fulfilling than any love you will ever experience in this world. I made you with a deep longing for intimacy that could only be fulfilled in Me. You won’t find a greater love anywhere. You may try to fill the void in your heart with other things, or even with people, but you will not be complete until you rest in My love. The most precious of all loves.

Your identity is rooted in Me. You won’t know fully who you are until you look into Me. Look into the depths of My heart and there you will find the key. There you will find the answer to your life’s destiny. No one can tell you who you are except for Me. I made you. I made you for Me. I made you to fit into a mold that was custom made for you. You cannot fit into anyone else’s place, nor can they take your place. You are unique, set apart, different, made from heavenly stock. You were not meant to be like anyone else. You were meant to be who I set you apart to be. Someone bold. Someone courageous. Someone who bears the image of their Father. You are an extension of Me. You are My workmanship created for My glory. When they see you, they will inquire of Me. I have placed My seal on you. I have placed My name on you. You are the child of the King. I made you to be loved, honored, cherished, and treated as the object of My love. I made you for love, to be deeply loved. So let My love come and settle in the cracks, sealing your foundation so it is unbreakable. Let My love restore all the devastation and stains left from years of disappointments. Let My love heal any place where fear has come to steal promise and destiny.

I am the One who loves you. I am the One who is for you. I am the One who heals you. I am the One who adores you. I am the One championing your dreams. I am your biggest cheerleader. I am your most loyal friend. No one can take your place in My heart. As the sun rises, so My heart rises to rejoice over you with love. I eagerly await any second I get for you to look My way, for you were made for Me. You were made for love. So, dance under the waterfall of My love. Frolic in the river of My grace. Bask in the radiance of My glory, and let Me put a smile on your face. I love you today, and I will love you always. My love is not based on what you do, what you have done, or what you will do. My love is based on who I am, and I can’t help but love you. Look not to your lack or inadequacies, they are covered by My sufficiency. I define you by who I made you to be. My opinion is not swayed by your behavior, by your weakness, nor by other’s opinions. I thought of you and said, ‘What I made is good.’

So, My child, live loved. Live cherished. I am always here with arms wide open. Nothing can separate you from My love.”

My dear sweet friends, you are deeply loved. May God saturate your hearts to overflowing with His unfailing love. A love that is rich and vast beyond measure. May He wreck the walls that separate you from receiving even more.

There is no end to His love. It’s wider, deeper, purer than any love in this world. God bless you and keep you. May His righteous face shine brightly on you. May He bless you with love, joy, peace, hope, and deeper intimacy with Him. He is the greatest lover of your soul. Have a wonderful week.

A Compassionate God

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Today I took some time to simply thank God. Despite what life throws at us, God is there. His presence brings a peace that is unexplainable. I also spent time today meditating on one of my favorite promises from Him. He promises that He will never leave or forsake us. Not only does He promise to never abandon, He also states that He cares about our needs. He is a compassionate, loving Father. And He considers us valuable.

“Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds?”
Luke 12:24

God’s heart overflows with love, compassion, and concern for us. His love and compassion yields His heart to meet our needs. What I need from Him so far this week is wisdom. I also need His comfort.

What is your need this week?

Is it for comfort? Come to Jesus. He is the world’s best comforter.

Is it for a listening ear? Come to Jesus. His ears and arms are wide open. 24/7 He is available for you.

Is it for encouragement? Come to Jesus. He is your biggest cheerleader.

Is it for a miracle? Come to Jesus. He is all powerful.

Is it for resources? Come to Jesus. He has unlimited resources.

Is it for friendship? Come to Jesus. He sticks closer than a brother.

You might be saying, “I’ve tried to cultivate a relationship with God and it seems like I’m talking to dead air.” Well, that’s where faith comes in. God hears you. Don’t let what you see or feel hinder your journey. Faith is not seeing and believing. Keep pressing in. He’s there.

Sometimes we miss Him because we look for answers and solutions to our problems outside of Him. The things and people that we cling to can never replace Him. The God shaped void inside us can only be filled by Him. He uses people to fulfill His purposes, but He never wants to be replaced by them.

Sometimes He doesn’t answer as quickly or the way we would like, but I promise He is love. I promise He cares.

So, I pray this week our hearts are overwhelmed by the truth that God sees, God cares, and has the ability to meet all our needs. No one does it better than Jesus. Carrying you in my thoughts and prayers.

Love,

Erin

Do You Know Who You Are? (from the book I Thought I Knew What Love Was)

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Do You Know Who You Are?

by Erin Lamb Copyright © 2011
written May 12, 2008

Do you know who you are?

Do you know who you really, truly are,

without the name of your natural father,

or the labels given to you by man?

For I have given you My name,

and I call you, “Chosen.”

If you knew who you were;

the integrity of the kernels of faith

and spiritual gifts I have placed inside you;

you would no longer bow your head in shame.

You would understand that for all your sins I stood in your place.

Do you know who you are?

You are not defined by your past,

or even your present.

Each day is just setting the stage to tell your story;

where you are,

is not where you are going.

I do not define you by what you have done,

what you are doing,

or what you will do.

I have placed My name on you.

Your body is My temple,

and I long to always reside with you.

When you sleep and rest in the night hours,

I am awake.

I am watching over you,

waiting enthusiastically until you awaken.

I am longing to meet with you

and shower you with My love.

My love is constant, steadfast, and as enduring as the sun.

Do you know who you are?

I have set you apart to be holy;

for I am Holy.

You are clothed in My righteousness.

You cannot earn My redemption.

It is freely given by your faith and obedience.

My love for you is not dependent upon what you do,

or what you fail to do.

What I accomplished on the cross is finished.

The veil was torn

and your access granted to the most sacred of all.

When you confess your sins

and forgive others,

you are forgiven.

Your slate is wiped completely clean.

My blood covers each and every sin,

so you no longer have to feel guilt or shame.

Do you know who you are?

If only you could see,

what I see.

I wish you could view yourself through My eyes,

the eyes of love.

I have embraced you in the darkness of the night,

knowing that I wanted you.

My heart’s desire was, and is, to search for you,

to look for you,

to pursue you;

what I have for you is beyond your wildest imaginings.

I long to give you more of Me.

I know that My love can satisfy even your most profound needs.

I created you,

looked upon you,

and smiled on who I had made.

I am shaping and molding you into the person I created you to be.

I want the world to get a glimpse of My glory.

I long to radiate from you,

for all the world to see

My glorious splendor.

I am the One who created everything.

There is not one who can rank above Me.

I am above all,

in all,

and I have the power to change, create, and breathe life into any dead thing.

Your right now is simply an infinitesimal step along the journey

which leads you closer to Me.

No matter what label the world chooses to place on you,

the only significant one

is the one I have given,

and I have called you, My child.

I call you My friend,

My co-laborer,

My dearly loved one,

My family,

and most of all, I call you redeemed.

Do you know who you are?

If only you could see what I see,

for you were birthed with a purpose;

a story uniquely written for you.

I have the ability to turn even the fine particles of the earth

into something that is living and breathing.

Won’t you surrender your identity to Me?

Trust that I am the One who will make you complete.

You are not to be compared to any other human being.

I made you to be you,

and I have placed on you My fingerprints.

I placed together your DNA,

and there is no one exactly like you.

You are My masterpiece.

Don’t look to this world to define you;

look to Me.

I am the One who designed you.

I know everything about you.

I know every breath you take,

and your life is not in vain.

Into you I breathed life,

so I might use you

to reflect My image.

You are My image bearer.

Do you know who you are?

Do you understand the authority you have been given, in My name?

You were created to be about My business.

You were created to reach out to the least, the last, and the lost.

You were created to worship the Creator

and not created things.

Your life is not your own;

it was purchased with My blood.

I took your lashes.

I carried your infirmities.

I took the nails for you.

I took your shame.

You no longer stand condemned,

but freely can receive My grace.

Do you know who you are?

Chosen one,

you are set apart to bear the image of the King.

You are My child.

You are the one I love.

You are the one I adore,

and I know you personally.

Each breath you take is sweet music to My ears.

It is the sound of the breath I Myself have placed there.

I know you.

I made you for a reason.

Each gift, placed inside you, is to play an integral part

in reflecting My kingdom,

in reflecting My creativity, and My love.

You are not a mistake,

a mishap,

or a blip on the screen of life.

You are not insignificant;

I knew you before the foundations of the earth.

Before your parents knew you,

I called you by name

and said, “This one belongs to Me.”

I know your name,

and I will always know your name.

I cannot forget you.

I know the measure of your days;

I have them numbered,

and your time is written on My hands.

Your end will be better than the beginning,

if you will trust Me,

even with the things you don’t understand.

I am the God of all creation.

If you cannot answer who you are,

look to Me.

Do you know who I am?

I have created you in My image,

and I delight in all that I have made.

I do not make mistakes.

I love you, now,

and I will love you, always.

*Copyright © Erin Lamb. Excerpt from, “I Thought I Knew What Love Was.”

All rights reserved. No part of the material may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, without the written permission of the Publisher, Westbow Press (www.westbowpress.com), or Author, Erin Lamb. The only exception is in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Book available: http://www.westbowpress.com, http://www.barnesandnoble.com. and http://www.amazon.com