And to those visiting, I say welcome! I post every Wednesday and my sole purpose is to nourish your soul along the way. Each month I give away a $10.00 Starbucks gift card to someone who posts on my blog and it's time to announce the winner for July. Drum roll please...
Heidi Jo Darin, congratulations! And thanks for your post. Just email me your mailing address and the card will go out in the mail within the next 7-10 days. My email address is: info@susielarson.com And thanks to everyone who posted. Love to hear from you!
Now on to my topic...
Today on Live the Promise we have one of our favorite guests, Will Davis, Jr. We're talking about his new book, '10 Things Jesus Never Said: And Why You Should Stop Believing Them' - this is going to be a great show. (Just a side note: you can listen online here: Will Davis interview).
Here are some of the chapter titles from Will's book (things Jesus never said):
I'm so disappointed in you.
This wouldn't be happening if you were a better Christian.
You've gone too far to be saved.
I've given up on you.
You missed My will for your life.
While it's true that God is opposed to the proud, He gives grace to the humble. He was toughest on the pharisees and the prideful folks who refused to see their need. Yet He was abundantly gracious towards those who knew they could never jump high enough to hit the mark.
You know, there is just nothing like God's love. Nothing heals, restores, motivates, inspires, or changes things like God's love. Nothing convicts, redirects, and corrects like the precious upward call of God's love. He loves us so much that He gave His Son to die in our place. He loves us so much that He gave us the Holy Spirit to guide, empower, direct, and comfort us. He loves us so much that He made sure we'd have more than enough mercies waiting for us with each new day. He loves us so much that He has gone ahead of us to carefully and lovingly preparing a place - perfect for us. Wow, and that's just a portion of God's gestures of love towards us.
Why then, do we put more stock in what others say about us? Why do we put more weight in how we feel than we do on the very words of God? Proverbs 9:10 says this: Knowing the Holy One results in understanding. The more we know Him, the more we'll love Him, and the more we'll trust Him.
Hear Him today, my friend: I have loved you with an everlasting love. I have always loved you. I never breathe a heavy sigh, or wonder why you're not someone different or better. I love the you I see in front of me. I have great plans for you and it's my job to work them in and through you. I"ll do it. I'll lead you, love you, prepare you, and plan for you. Trust me, trust me, trust me. I am for you, so who can stand against you? And guess what? Nothing can separate you from my love. I'll never let it happen. Freedom begins when you believe that you lack no good thing, you're already loved, already provided for, already called. Just possess it all by faith. It's yours. I love you.
Isn't is just something that He's so taken with us? That He would bother with us at all? Oh, how He loves! Wrap yourself up in the knowledge of it today! Walk in it, speak of it, and live out of that great love. Nothing else compares.
Bless you, my friend.
~Until next week