Beautiful & Refreshing Truth

Such a beautiful song and reminder by Casting Crowns.

Oh Father, you are so good. Please come and live your life through us. Please overflow your love and the fruits of your character through our hearts. Father, please make us what you want us to be. Give us your eyes, your ears, your heart, no matter the cost. I pray that we may be your hands and feet to the earth, but only through your Spirit, your guidance, your will. Thank you for wanting us. For LOVING us. Thank you, precious Father. You are ALWAYS GOOD. 

"If You ask me to run
And carry Your light into foreign land
If You ask me to fight
To deliver Your people from Satan's hands

I'll go, but I cannot go alone
Cause I know I'm nothing on my own
But the power of Christ in me makes me strong
It makes me strong

Cause when I'm weak, You make me strong
When I'm blind, You shine Your light on me
Cause I'll never get by living on my own ability
How refreshing to know You don't need me
How amazing to find that you want me
So I'll stand on Your truth, and I'll fight with Your strength
Until YOU bring the victory, by the power of Christ in me

To reach out with Your hands
To learn through Your eyes
To love with the love of a savior
To feel with Your heart
And to think with Your mind"
Father, by your power alone

Help me to fight and come alive in You.

Boundless Love.

A beautiful song my friend Rachel played on the guitar last summer at camp. Titled "Sovereign Father," it was written by Wade Holmes and John Messner from Nashville, TN. 

"Sovereign Father, You are wise beyond compare

And so faithful, though it seems that life's not fair.

Help me to sing of your endless acts of mercy

Boundless freedom for the slave

And of healing for the broken-hearted

And resurrection from the grave

Gentle Savior, I've been swept off my feet

And I can't fathom how you could be so good to me

How you turned my mourning into dancing

Restored the eyesight for the blind

And your vast forgiveness for the sinner

Your compassion is my song

Why am I afraid of my sin and doubt

That this indifferent heart won't love you back

That this joy won't last, that I'll fail you, Lord

But in my helplessness, may your power bring rest

May I be still and know that You are God

May I sing of endless acts of mercy

Boundless freedom for the slave

And of healing for the broken-hearted

And resurrection from the grave"

Love Letter.

To my beloved, 

You may not know me, but I know you. I know everything about you. I know when you sit down and when you rise. I am familiar with all your ways. Even the hairs on your head are numbered. For you were made in my image. In me you live and move and have your being. For you are my offspring. I knew you even before you were conceived. I chose you when I planned creation. You were not a mistake, for all of your days are written in my book. 

I determined the exact time of your birth and where you would live. You are fearfully and wonderfully made. I knit you together in your mother's womb. And brought you forth on the day you were born. I have been misrepresented by those who don't know me. I am not distant and angry, but the complete expression of love. It is my desire to lavish my love on you. Simply because you are my child and I am your father. Do not fear. I have called you by name and you are mine.

I offer you more than your earthly father ever could. For I am the perfect father. Every good gift that you receive comes from my hand. For I am your provider and I will meet all of your needs. My plan for your future has always been filled with hope. I love you with an everlasting love. My thoughts towards you are countless as the sand on the seashore. I rejoice over you with singing. I will never stop doing good for you, for you are my treasured possession. I desire to establish you with all my heart and all my soul. I want to show you great and marvelous things. If you seek me with all your heart, you will find me. I will never hide from you, trick you, or play games with you. When you knock, I will answer.

Delight in me and I will give you the desires of your heart. For it is I who gave you those desires. I am able to do more for you than you could possible dream or hope. I want to give you infinitely more than you could wish for yourself. I am your greatest encourager. I am in your heart, right here, pleading for you and wanting the best for you. I am also your Father who wants to encourage you in all of your troubles. When you are brokenhearted, I am close to you. As a shepherd carries a lamb, I have carried you close to my heart.

One day I will wipe away every tear from your eyes. I will take away all the pain you have suffered on this earth. I am you Father and I love you, even as I love my son, Jesus. For in Jesus, my love for you is revealed. He is the exact representation of my being. He came to demonstrate that I am for you, not against you. His life will show you that I am not counting your sins. When I look on you, I only see a pure and beloved child because of what Jesus did on the cross. He died so that you and I can be reconciled. His death was the ultimate expression of my love for you. I gave up everything I loved, my perfect and blameless son, so that I might gain your love. If you receive the gift of grace through Jesus, you receive me; and nothing can separate you from my love again. Please come home. I can't wait to throw a huge party in your honor. You are mine and I love you. I have always been your Father and will always be your Father. There is nothing too bad or too good that you can do to change the way I love you. -God

These truths are found all throughout the Bible. I have to cling to God's promises daily, even minutely, so I can claim them and remember my true identity in Him. Remember this God of love and what you mean to Him. It'll change your life. It has mine! 

(Psalm 34:18, 37:4, 71:6, 139:1-3 & 13-18, Matthew 5:48, 6:31-33, 7:11, 10:29-31, Genesis 1:27, Acts 17:26,28, Jeremiah 1:4-5, 29:11, 31:3, 32:40-41, 33:3,  Ephesians 1:11-12, 3:14-15 & 20, John 8:41-44, 17:23 & 26, 1st John 2:23, 3:1, 4:10 & 16, James 1:17, Zephaniah 3:17, Exodus 19:5, Deuteronomy 4:29, Phillipians 2:13, 2nd Thessalonians 2:16-17, 2nd Corinthians 1:3-4, 5:18-19, Isaiah 40:11, Revelation 21:3-4, Hebrews 1:3, Romans 8:31-32 & 38-39, Luke 15:7 & 11-32)