"Two Things You Told Me"

"Two things you told me:

That you are strong,

And that you love me.

Yes, you love me."

I want you to read this verse^

Now read it again...

One more time...

Did you catch that? Don't miss it! The love of our heavenly Father is strong--that means that he is able to do for us (save/transform/change/rescue/redeem). And that it is US that he loves! In the last couple of days, I have been wrapped in the blankets of this truth. Let me encourage you, my friends: his love is enough. No matter where you are at, his love is strong, it is you that he loves, and it is enough. Don't feel it? Let me encourage you: There are plenty of times when we have to hold to what we know versus what we feel. There are many times when I do not feel the strength, or the love that I need, but I know that it is there. I repeat it to myself until it affects my feelings, like talking yourself out of a bad mood: you may not feel like being respectful to your parents because you are cranky, but if you repeat the truth ("honor your father and mother, for it is the first commandment with a promise..."), you will do the right thing and your feelings will follow.

You see, the world has it backwards: people will tell you to "go with your gut" and "follow your heart" and "do whatever you feel like." But God has a different view: "The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?" (Jeremiah 17:9) I'm not saying that your gut and your feelings are ALWAYS wrong (c'mon people, let's have a discussion here!). But I think that there are times that we need to embrace truth despite our feelings, especially when it comes to God-sized matters. You know the ones I'm talking about: "God, where are you in my heartbreak?" "God just tell me what direction I should go!" "Why don't I feel you near me?" "Where were you when I suffered?"

We are prone to walk away from God when we get no tangible responses from him--I speak from experience! I walked away from trusting/following God in high school during a particularly difficult year because I did not "feel" him close, "feel" his answer, "feel" his comfort when I thought I needed it. I can look back now and see that God had a plan for my life much bigger than my own--redemption that led to the return of the prodigal daughter, leading me to Pepperdine, to nutrition, to Young Life, to my blessed friendships today, and to so many other things I do not have space to say now!

So I encourage you friends: KNOW that God's love is strong, and it is strong FOR YOU. No matter where you are in life, you are not forgotten, not alone, and able to be rescued/redeemed/saved. Ask, and don't doubt! Then look to the horizon and wait, just one hour, for your Savior to appear. And guess what? He WILL appear. Watch, pray, and hold on to HOPE :)

Be reminded of this awesomely strong love: "Your Love Is Strong" by Jon Foreman