God's Love

 I've been struggling a lot lately with God's love for me. I know he loves me but sometimes its just so hard for me to believe because, honestly, sometimes I don't love me. His love seems too good to be true. I've been reading 1 Samuel and I came across something this morning that kinda hit me hard.

The back story is this....Samuel is a prophet and he had set up his sons to be judges over Israel and kind of run things. The people were not happy with this so they came to Samuel and demanded a king. They wanted to be like all the other nations around them. They wanted a king to judge them and lead them into battle. Up until this point, God had done this for them. He had brought the Israelites out of Egypt and rescued them from the Egyptians and all the other nations that were oppressing them, but this was no longer enough for them. When Samuel went to speak to the Lord about this the Lord told Samuel that they weren't rejecting him but that they were rejecting God and that they didn't want God as their king any longer. So God told Samuel to warn the people ahead of time about what a king would do once he had rule over them, but the people were so fixated on having a king and being like the other nations they didn't care. They wanted a king and that was that. So God gave them a king..Saul...he is a whole nother story all together...but God said this to Samuel when he was telling him of Saul's arrival..."He will rescue them from the Philistines, for I have looked down on my people in mercy and have heard their cry." (1Samuel 8-10)

Don't you think this broke God's heart? The Israelites were his chosen people; his special possession but they didn't want him any more. His rule as king wasn't enough. So how do you think God would respond? I know how I might respond...I might be hurt and angry and draw away emotionally and physically, but that's not what God did. God heard the cry of his people and looked on them in mercy....MERCY, not anger, or contempt or resentment. Heck, he's God, creator of all the universe, he would have been completely justified to wipe these people off the face of the planet for rejecting him...but that's not who God his....God loves us unconditionally...no matter what. He gave the people what they wanted. He heard their cry. Even though they rejected him, he still loved them and saw them through the eyes of mercy and heard their cry. How amazing is that!
This is true of God even today...I can assure you that I am not perfect and I have failed God in many ways and still do, I have rejected him and wanted things of this world as my king and not him, but he loves me anyway not matter what I have done or will do. Which brings me to this...God sent Jesus, who was completely rejected and hung on a cross even though he never committed a crime or sin of any kind. Jesus loved all of us enough to die a brutally painful death and God allowed this to happen. He gave up his ONE and ONLY SON, so that we could be made right with him and so that we could have fellowship and relationship with God again. If all God ever did for anyone was to save them in this way, it was enough for all eternity. God owes us nothing, but we owe him EVERYTHING! He loves us at our highest highs and lowest lows. He loves us when we are absolutely unlovable; when we are dirty and covered in sin and rejection of him. Now that is a love that I would call unbelievable...but the amazing part is that its not too good to be true.. IT'S REAL! And even though I struggle with it sometimes, I know and believe it to be true. God loves you and wants relationship with you...you'll never find another love like on earth. No human love can compare to God's perfect love.

<3 Lauren

Confession Time

Ok, it's confession time...the honest to goodness truth...over the last few months I have not been very good at all. I have been having a really hard time battleing with fear and anxiety over the past several months. It has been a really big issue for me bc it has been interfering with my every day life...nothing seemed to matter bc the future seemed so bleak that I just didn't care about anything. My relationships were affected and so was my worship to God...but allow me to let you in on a little secret. . . . GOD IS SO AMAZING!!!! Over the past month he has COMPLETELY restored me and my heart. It so amazing how He can just bring complete peace and restoration.

I know I'm not super consistent with my blog but I share when I feel moved to do so...right now there are a few things on my heart at the moment that I feel compelled to share. So here it goes...I hope you enjoy but most of all I hope you feel God tugging on your heart as you read and maybe this will be of help to someone out there right now....

I've been reading over the past couple days about the story of Joseph in Genesis. His story has always been a favorite of mine b/c of all the turmoil he goes through and how God was with him and brought him out of it a prosperous man - far greater than he could ever have imagined. Throughout Joseph's story, this line is repeated "the Lord was with Joseph"...not matter what happened to Joseph, God was with him...in Potiphar's house, in prision and when he was made second in command to Pharaoh over all of Egypt. He caused things to prosper because he was with Jospeh. God set it all up for a purpose..His purpose. Joseph's brothers, who sold him into slavery, end up coming to him for food becuse a horrible famine had struck the land. Then we get to Genesis 45:5, after Joseph reveals himself to his brothers and is telling them to not be upset for selling him to the Egyptians. He says, "It was God who sent me here ahead of you to preserve your lives." Isn't it cool how God had planned everything so perfectly and had a solution for Jospeh's family's suffering before they ever knew a famine was coming? It's the same in our lives...God has a plan and even if I can't see it or understand it doesn't mean there isn't one. Focus on God in ALL circumstances NO MATTER WHAT...seek him in prayer ALWAYS and ask for guidance. For him to show you HIS WAY not your way. (Romans 12:12, 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)

Also in the story the Pharaoh hears that Joseph's brothers are here and decides he is going to give them everything they need to return and get their family. He is going to set them up with the finest land in all of Egypt. He tells them in v. 20, "Don't worry about your personal belongings, for the best of all the land of Egypt is yours." When I read this today it made me think of God and his promises to us as heirs with Christ. Don't hold on to the things of this world (our "belongings" so to speak). God has so much more in store for you and me. All the treasures and beauty of heaven await those who seek after God with their whole hearts and lives - so leave the world behind- LET IT GO!! The most beautiful things on earth are only a shadow - a faint shadow - of the beauty that awaits us in Heaven. The more you let go of this world, the closer you can get to Him...so fall into His arms. He's waiting with them wide open...give him your life - ALL OF IT - He can do far more with it than you ever could.