Traditions

Wednesday, February 20, 2013

God Delights in You

Lately I’ve been reflecting on the verses I’ve stumbled upon that talk about how God delights in His children. The Almighty Creator of the universe delights in our poor, broken, wretched little souls...that blows my mind! We serve a beautiful God, folks.  Listen to this while you’re reading the Scriptures; it’s a beautiful song that's from God's perspective in how we are His beloved. Here are the lyrics also. I hope these verses are an encouragement to you as they were to me. Never forget that you are loved and delighted in.



·         Isaiah 62:4-5. It will no longer be said to you, “Forsaken,” Nor to your land will it any longer be said, “Desolate”; but you will be called, “My delight is in her,” and your land, “Married”; for the Lord delights in you…And as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so your God will rejoice over you. Definitely one of my favorite passages in the Bible.

·         Zephaniah 3:17. The Lord your God is in your midst, a victorious warrior. He will exult over you with joy, He will be quiet in His love, He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy.

·         Psalm 145:9. The Lord is good to all, and His mercy is over all that He has made.

·         Isaiah 43:1,4. But now, thus says the Lord, your Creator, O Jacob, and He who formed you, O Israel, ‘Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are Mine! Since you are precious in My sight, since you are honored and I love you, I will give other men in your place and other peoples in exchange for your life.’

·         Deuteronomy 30:9-10. Then the Lord your God will prosper you abundantly in all the work of your hand, in the offspring of your body and in the offspring of your cattle and in the produce of your ground, for the Lord will again rejoice over you for good, just as He rejoiced over your fathers; if you obey the Lord your God to keep His commandments and His statutes which are written in this book of the law, if you turn to the Lord your God with all your heart and soul.

·         Psalm 147:11. The Lord takes pleasure in those who fear Him, in those who hope in His steadfast love.

·         1 Peter 5:6-7. Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.

·         John 17:13 (Jesus praying for us…gets me every time). “But now I come to You; and these things I speak in the world so that they may have My joy made full in themselves.” Jesus knows that the ultimate Joy is Himself, and so He wishes that we would have that Joy. It's beautiful how much He loves us.

If y’all know other verses that talk about God delighting in us, please feel free to share them in the comments. Happy Wednesday!

Sunday, February 10, 2013

Taking a Breather

What I love about Sarah Young’s devotion “Jesus Calling” is that for those of us who are constantly on the go, it’s a chance to take a breather and be reminded of what’s truly important. Praying for more days full of stillness so I can treasure my God’s goodness. Here’s the February 10 entry:

Trust me enough to spend ample time with Me, pushing back the demands of the day. Refuse to feel guilty about something that is so pleasing to Me, the King of the universe. Because I am omnipotent, I am able to bend time and events in your favor. You will find that you can accomplish more in less time after you have given yourself to Me in rich communion. Also, as you align yourself with My perspective, you can sort out what is important and what is not.

Don’t fall into the trap of being constantly on the go. Many, many things people do in My Name have no value in My kingdom. To avoid doing meaningless works, stay in continual communication with Me. I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with My eye upon you.

Luke 10:41-42 But the Lord answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her.”

Psalm 32:8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go; I will counsel you with My eye upon you.

*bold added by me for the things that stood out to me*