Two words that matter

You matter.

If we could ever grasp the depth of God's love, we would never question His love for us.

More importantly you matter to God.  Yes, He cares that much, and He has told us so.

How do I know?

Because I stand at the empty tomb opening and it glows with new life.  His love rushes in and resurrects my sometimes cold faith and gives it hope again.

I can feel the glow of Easter morning still shining in my heart and in my soul.

I can hear Him say..."you...yes...you my child, YOU matter to me.  I sent my Son to prove it."

No one else has kept a promise like what Easter morning brings.  I can put  my faith and trust in the only One who would.

In the One, true God who thinks that much about me and about you.

Yes, I matter.  And you matter.

Never doubt that, even if you don't feel it.  You do matter.  Believe it.

God says so as the empty tomb glows.

My Lender Be

Couldn't we all use a hug of grace?

 

They filed in one by one.  So politely and obedient with their manners packed in the pockets.  Grace was showing.  The children were so excited for VBS day as their smiles gave it away.  Surely they had experienced a Vacation Bible School day before.  Surely...it was obvious that some of them knew of Grace.

On the other end of the room something else was showing.  The tears gently fell as my heart was easily moved.  I leaned into my friend's shoulder and whispered..."How easily our hearts are lent to the things of God."  She nodded silently.  She was moved too.

There was something about their faces that moved me.   It doesn't take much to move my heart in the compassion-mission things of God.  It seems that mine is so easily lent and bent on loving kids.  "May this heart's mission never move."  Then it hit me....I had prayed for them.

Jesus had a deep compassion for people.

His heart was easily lent to love.  His ministry was easily bent on compassion.

In the three short years Jesus dispensed more grace-filled ministry than a church ever thought of, or could plan for.  More than a world wide partnership could ever reap, or the globe could contain.  His heart was and is bigger than all of that.  So when my heart crumbles a little while watching the innocent file in...I shouldn't be surprised.  I had prayed for this bending of my heart.

I pray for His lending.  I pray for His spending.  

As His follower I have to keep praying my eyes  to be open to see the broken, the oppressed, those that need a hand.  And most days God will bring someone to mind to pray for or bring a crossed path to help, or spur a written note or message.  That is an answer that God will always answer with a face or a name.

Couldn't we all use a love touch from Jesus?  Couldn't we all use a touch of  grace  and compassion?

I think back about those precious faces filing in with true joy and it reminds me of His love-bending grace that He gave me from the One who lent His blood.  Even before grace was spent.  Even before my "I need a Savior" prayer. 

Even before....I had prayed for Him to bend down and spend some grace on me.

How could I turn a cold heart to the hurting?  How can I become calloused to the crying?  How could I not be moved by such a single loving Heart?
 

Jesus was moved.

"When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd."  Matthew 9:36

May I be like the Gentle Shepherd, the Lender of love.

And may my heart be always bent on the things above.
May this be my never ending prayer,
to be the lender of His great love.

Oh the Wonder of God's great love for each of us!

 

One Thing You Don't Need To Worry About

Unchanging God

I have been on a little writing hiatus. It's good to do that to keep my words smelling fresh like a box of Tide.

I haven't stopped thinking, pondering or processing my thoughts, in fact, quite the opposite has happened. Jesus isn't the background at all.

There have been some very "in your face" prayers that have been heard....on both sides.   And with all the words exchanged between me and God...

One thing remains written on my heart...God is unchangeable.  

The word unchangeable gives me comfort. Nothing more, nothing less.

The Bible is full of God's people telling their story about how God showed up, or delivered, or just revealed Himself. And the God of the Bible, is the God of today. The God of today is my God. Sometimes I just need to write that.

He loves me in His unchanging way.   In an unchangeable way.

Knowing that God is unchangeable is my reassurance that as I journey through this life with or without words, and as He changes me, that He is the same yesterday, today and forever.

God can't break his word. And because his word cannot change, 

the promise is likewise unchangeable. ~ Hebrews 3:18(MSG)

God is the stable, even-keeled, trustworthy, all-knowing God that I have read about.

God doesn't change with the direction of the wind or the unwillingness of my heart.

He loves me the same from day one until this minute. 

He loves you with His same unchanging love too.

That means He can't change how he forgives or how He loves, or His character.

He doesn't change with the seasons like the leaves on my very dry Maple tree, or my almost dead bug-munched clematis vine. He is consistent, he is timely, He is sovereign.

When the unchanging God brings change in my life, that means He also brings His tried and true nature. God sifts with His tested, approved and unchanging will at work for my best.

He can't change His purpose for me or decide to crumble my plans up in His hands like a post-it and say..."ah...never mind about her!" That means His promises are true, and He won't let you go.

The fact that God is unchanging means I can count on God to be exactly who He says He is, even when...it seems like change hits me like a cold, north wind.   

And knowing God like I do, I like what I know Him to be. In the good times and not so good times. His unchanging nature shapes my ever changing adoration for Him.

And knowing an unchanging God is life-changing...

How has your view of God changed as you see Him as unchanging?