GO AHEAD, MAKE MY DAY!!

Romans 8:35 (MSG)  Do you think anyone is going to be able to drive a wedge between us and Christ's love for us? There is no way! Not trouble, not hard times, not hatred, not hunger, not homelessness, not bullying threats, not backstabbing, not even the worst sins listed in Scripture 

As we sat waiting to get into the conferences a few weeks ago, I was busy people watching.  I love to people watch.  Anyway as I watched I saw people of different race, different ethnic backgrounds and different religious backgrounds.  There were believers and non believers but we were all women.  I sat there thinking and wondering how many of these women had no idea of how much Jesus loves them.  How many of these women had been homeless?  Hit by hard times?  Been the victim of hatred?  Felt hunger? how many were victims of bullies and backstabbing?  How many of us need a reminder of the love of Jesus?  To be honest we all do at times. We get so wrapped up with what is wrong in our little corner of the world that we lose track of the truth and forget about how much we are loved.  Life is hard, and it seems like every day the news is filled with another disaster, another shooting rampage, another case of bullying and another hatred filled attack.  (That's why I seldom watch the news.)  We are constantly bombarded with half truths, lies and deceptions that make some question not only the existence of Jesus, but His love.  Our minds are filled with doubts and questions that only He can answer.  We chase after the truth, we chase after love but when we find it, it seems just too impossible to believe.  There has to be a catch, there has to be unreadable fine print somewhere.  

We are so used to being lied to.  How many promises have ever been fulfilled in our lives?  People mean well and make promises, then back out because "something suddenly came up" or work called or someone got sick or basically life happened and threw us a curve ball we weren't expecting.  So we have become immune to promises.  "Yea, right!  I'll believe it when I see it!"  How many times have we heard those or maybe even said those words?  It's sad really.  We tend not to believe the good things and we believe the bad things. We tend to look at all that is wrong with our life and take an inventory of everything we don't have.  We feel totally undeserving and inadequate so we never expect to get anything.  We feel so totally unlovable, maybe because that is what we have been told, that we cannot nor will we ever believe Jesus really loves us, if in fact Jesus is real.  We doubt, we fear, we worry, we dread, we become depressed and anxious, why?  Because of something we overheard, because of something we saw, because of a word spoken over us in anger.  We are sitting ducks during duck hunting season.  We become victims and we lose not only our identity but we lose our capacity to receive the love of Jesus because of the unworthiness we feel.  We have believed the lies of the devil, instead of the truths and the promises of God.  Why?  Well to be honest they just seem too good to be true.

No one could love us that much right?  Wrong!  In fact you couldn't be more wrong!  Listen to be honest I truthfully do not know how Jesus could love me.  With the sins I have committed, with the mistakes I have made, with the words I have spoken in anger, how could He love me?  After all God is love and if I am not a loving person, or at least as loving as I should be or could be, why would He waste His love on me?   I have neglected Him and put Him last on my schedule many times.  Yet He still loves me!  Why?  I'm not sure I could love someone who put me last on their list of priorities.  Daily I am bombarded with guilty feelings of the difference in who I really am and who I should be to measure up to God's standards.  Then I feel guilty for feeling guilty.  Am I the only one here who feels this way?  I doubt it.  Let's get real here.  There is no doubt that I do not deserve Jesus's love.  I have done nothing to earn it.  I am a sinner!  Like many of the women standing in line to get into the conference, I am weak and pathetic.  Yet He loves me.  I get lost in a sea of poor pitiful me, yet He loves me.  I doubt myself and I doubt Him, yet He loves me.  Why?

I don't know why.  What I do know is that no matter where I am in my journey with Jesus, He loves me.  I do not have to do anything in order to receive His love.  I do not have to complete a list of prayers or any other requirements in order to receive His love.  No matter what certain religions say, there is only one requirement, simply believe in Jesus Christ!  Can't be that simple right?  Oh yes it can be and in fact it is!  Jesus Christ is the true essence of love, grace and peace.  He loves us so much that He died for us.  He loves us so much that words cannot contain or explain the depth of His love for us.  No matter what lies anyone else tells us, His love is eternal and ever lasting.  No one and nothing can drive a wedge between us and His love for us. We overcomplicate this.  "There has to be more we have to do or say to receive this love." Let me tell you there is not anything more we can do or say.  It is simply believing in Jesus Christ.  He gives us this live freely.  In fact if you still don't believe, let me tell you He still loves you.  He's holding his arms open to welcome you into His kingdom, will you believe?

Today I chose to receive your love.  Jesus Christ, I believe in you.  I believe you died for my sins.  I want you to infuse your love into my heart and soul today.  Help me to love like you and heal me and forgive me from every sin in my life.  Make me new in Jesus name I pray, amen!