This post is # 2 in a series of posts I've entitled "From the Archive" where I am posting earlier writings from the last three years or so.
Ok, I know this is from The Notebook. Girls swoon, guys roll their eyes. But imagine a different story.
Someone willing to give up everything for you. Someone who willingly leaves their throne and glory just to prove their love for you. Someone who created you willing to serve you. Someone who doesn’t say that line just to satisfy their own fleshly desires and boost their ego because of their need to be needed. But someone willing to give up everything because they know that without their relationship you will always be unsatisfied, lonely, hurt, and condemned. Someone who really thinks you are “to die for” and proves it. By dying in the most agonizing way possible- slowly, suffocating- and that’s after being whipped to where he is unrecognizable. Who could reject this display of perfect love? Someone willing to die because He truly wants “all of you, forever, everyday”.
Fact is we reject him everyday.
We are too easily satisfied with quick fixes and cheap substitutes that we’re sure will meet our needs. We dare to turn away and say to him “actually, even though you created me, I know better…THIS will satisfy me”. And pretty soon, we’re right back where we started- lonely, hurt, humiliated, and unsatisfied. We need to stop looking around and look up. Open up the book by your bed that is just waiting to reveal how loved you are- loved to your core by the one who created those desires you so long to be fulfilled. Jesus never stops pursuing us. He is waiting to heal our wounds and our loneliness with His perfect love. Ladies-you want to be pursued- you already are- receive it. Men- recognize that you are loved and can be satisfied- in Christ, and then, with His example, pursue the woman (one ;-) ) He directs you to.
This truth broke me this weekend. Of course, it took several different ways of conveying the same message- but that is just an example of how much Jesus pursues us- He is willing to do what it takes for us to see our complete need for Him. He truly is amazing, astonishing, and awesome (as my pastor proclaimed today). He truly does want to seal our hearts with His perfect love. For the first time I have been able to truly get a taste of this perfect love that casts out all fear. See, I’d been anxious in the past- always asking God for “his heart” for a situation or person- without even considering the prayer of asking Him to first take all of my heart. My prayer is that from this moment on this truth is branded on my heart. That I am saved, and loved with perfect love that cannot be taken from me. Will I forget, and like Peter let fear and uncertainty cause me to look around instead of above, most likely. Will Jesus change, stop pursing me, and give up- never. Hear that- NEVER.
My prayer is that each of you who reads this will be rocked by Jesus’ love for you. His perfect love that casts out fear and proves its steadfastness- all the way to the cross. Receive it. Ask Him to reveal it to you. Be freed from the pursuit of idols and cheep imitations that, as Lewis rightly articulated lead to an “ever increasing desire with an ever diminishing pleasure”. Entrust your heart to the only one who can truly satisfy. Repent from your distrust and guarded hearts- and receive the love from the only one who truly does “want all of you, forever, everyday”.
Someone willing to give up everything for you. Someone who willingly leaves their throne and glory just to prove their love for you. Someone who created you willing to serve you. Someone who doesn’t say that line just to satisfy their own fleshly desires and boost their ego because of their need to be needed. But someone willing to give up everything because they know that without their relationship you will always be unsatisfied, lonely, hurt, and condemned. Someone who really thinks you are “to die for” and proves it. By dying in the most agonizing way possible- slowly, suffocating- and that’s after being whipped to where he is unrecognizable. Who could reject this display of perfect love? Someone willing to die because He truly wants “all of you, forever, everyday”.
Fact is we reject him everyday.
We are too easily satisfied with quick fixes and cheap substitutes that we’re sure will meet our needs. We dare to turn away and say to him “actually, even though you created me, I know better…THIS will satisfy me”. And pretty soon, we’re right back where we started- lonely, hurt, humiliated, and unsatisfied. We need to stop looking around and look up. Open up the book by your bed that is just waiting to reveal how loved you are- loved to your core by the one who created those desires you so long to be fulfilled. Jesus never stops pursuing us. He is waiting to heal our wounds and our loneliness with His perfect love. Ladies-you want to be pursued- you already are- receive it. Men- recognize that you are loved and can be satisfied- in Christ, and then, with His example, pursue the woman (one ;-) ) He directs you to.
This truth broke me this weekend. Of course, it took several different ways of conveying the same message- but that is just an example of how much Jesus pursues us- He is willing to do what it takes for us to see our complete need for Him. He truly is amazing, astonishing, and awesome (as my pastor proclaimed today). He truly does want to seal our hearts with His perfect love. For the first time I have been able to truly get a taste of this perfect love that casts out all fear. See, I’d been anxious in the past- always asking God for “his heart” for a situation or person- without even considering the prayer of asking Him to first take all of my heart. My prayer is that from this moment on this truth is branded on my heart. That I am saved, and loved with perfect love that cannot be taken from me. Will I forget, and like Peter let fear and uncertainty cause me to look around instead of above, most likely. Will Jesus change, stop pursing me, and give up- never. Hear that- NEVER.
My prayer is that each of you who reads this will be rocked by Jesus’ love for you. His perfect love that casts out fear and proves its steadfastness- all the way to the cross. Receive it. Ask Him to reveal it to you. Be freed from the pursuit of idols and cheep imitations that, as Lewis rightly articulated lead to an “ever increasing desire with an ever diminishing pleasure”. Entrust your heart to the only one who can truly satisfy. Repent from your distrust and guarded hearts- and receive the love from the only one who truly does “want all of you, forever, everyday”.
Elise - you have so much wisdom to share. Thank you my friend! Thank you for sharing!
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