Tag: restoration

Watching

Published on by amylinneaLeave a comment

God is watching.

Always.

He is always watching for you.

You.

He waits for your return.

Longs for it.

Like the prodigal son’s father watched every day for the return of his wayward son, God watches for your arrival.

For your restoration.

If you are completely lost, when you decide to return to God, He’ll scoop you up the second He sees you, forgiving you completely.

If you are wandering away, stepping off into self-focus, not relying on Him, the moment you decide to return life’s burdens to Him, He’ll take them back in an instant.

Because He’s always watching for you.

Watching out for you as you walk with Him, guiding you around the rocks so you don’t stub your toe.

Showing you which path to take, when the path splits in two.

And protecting you with His umbrella when the dark storms arrive.

He’s also watching for you when your choices take you apart from Him.

When you’re determined to make it all on your own.

When you selfishly trudge on alone, thinking the entire world is against you.

It’s not, and God’s available to give you His peace.

He longs to have a relationship with you.

What are you waiting for?

God, who created you and all things, craves a relationship with you.

He can make all things new.

He can cross your every t and dot your every i.

Effortlessly.

Why wait?

Whenever you are ready, God will be there.

Always.

Because He is forever watching for you, His precious child, to return completely unto Him.

What on earth are you waiting for?

Photos by Edu Grande, Mantas Hesthaven, Aaron Burden, & Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash

Empty Tomb

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But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. Luke 24:1-3

I came today.

I came to see my Lord.

With me I brought the best spices I could afford to place upon His body.

I still cannot believe He died for us.

For me.

He gave His life for us.

He literally paid for my sins.

I owe Him my life.

I pause at the bottom of the hill, catching my breath.

My Lord and I had such wonderful talks.

He taught me so much.

So many truths.

He valued me like no one has ever valued me before.

He gave me hope.

Purpose.

And now He’s gone.

I can’t think about that as I am in a hurry to bring my spices to the tomb.

I cautiously approach, not wanting to unnecessarily disturb the guards.

Suddenly, I stop.

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The tomb is open.

There are no guards.

Wait, what?

I run into the tomb, spilling the spices onto the floor.

His body is not here.

Where is it?

What have they done with it?

I look down.

His cloth is here.

But He isn’t.

I stand, dumbfounded and still.

Suddenly I remember His story.

The one about His resurrection.

Could it be?

No.

Yes?

I sink into a heap upon the floor.

Yes.

If Jesus said He would rise from the dead, then yes, He has.

But where is He?

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Putting one foot in front of the other, I exit the tomb, searching the surrounding countryside with my eyes.

Peter, one of His disciples, runs up to me, so excited he can hardly breathe.

Catching his breath, he announces to me Jesus is not here, because HE HAS RISEN from the dead!

What?

Searching his eyes, I realize he is telling the truth!

I hurry with him to join the others in the upper room.

As we gather, the empty tomb is excitedly discussed .

Then, all of a sudden, there He is.

With us.

He is here with us in the room.

In the flesh.

Alive.

Jesus.

My Jesus.

He extends His hands to Thomas, who doubted from the beginning the entire story.

Thomas is instantly convicted, ashamed he ever doubted His Lord.

Filling with compassion, Jesus embraces Thomas and then all of us, one by one.

My Lord and My God is alive.

Fully alive.

Literally.

He has conquered sin and death once and for all.

Hallelujah!

I run from the room unable to contain myself, shouting to anyone who will hear, “Jesus is alive!”

This news is too good not to share.

Everyone needs to know.

Everyone.

And now you know.

You are reminded that Jesus, your sweet Savior, is alive.

Fully.

Now and forevermore.

He has paid for our sins.

All of them.

Yours and mine.

How will you share the good news ?

Because share we must.

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Photos by Brooke Lark, Rod Long, Autumn Mott Rodeheaver, Aaron Burden, Irina , & simon wood on Unsplash

Securely Loved

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And you will feel secure, because there is hope; you will look around and take your rest in security. Job 11:18

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Are you securely loved?

By anyone here on earth?

Have you the pleasure of knowing you are completely surrounded by that love?

Completely safe through the knowledge you are absolutely securely loved?

Do you have that from your folks?

From your spouse?

A dear friend?

Securely loved means you don’t have to perform to earn it.

You can mess up, even royally, and stay in peace, knowing you are loved for who you are, not what you are.

Securely.

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Have you lost that security?

Ever?

Have you lost the undying love of your folks?

Has the spouse you vowed to love left you through death or divorce?

There are few earthly relationships God has designed to provide love.

Secure love.

Love that doesn’t measure your worth based on what you are, but loves you for who you are.

Love from parents and spouses are the two that come to mind.

Unfortunately, our broken world produces lives that fall apart from the lack of secure love.

Our one and only hope of secure love rests in the loving arms of God.

In the One who created us for love.

Who designed our hearts to love.

His love is secure.

It will never fail.

If you’ve never felt securely loved, it’s time to place your trust in God.

His love for you will astound you.

You mess up, but He still loves you.

You put other things before Him, but He still loves you.

You recommit, deciding to get serious with God for the 110th time and He still loves you.

God loves you.

How much?

He sent His one and only son to die for you.

For you.

His love predates you and will go on for ever.

Rest securely in His love.

You can never earn it, so He gives it to you freely.

When you trust in Him, you are absolutely securely loved.

Forever.

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My Rock

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There is no one holy like the Lord; there is no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God. 1 Samuel 2:2

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Jesus is the Rock upon which I stand.

He is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow.

He is evermore.

Everlasting.

Secure.

Safe.

He stands tall, unmovable, unshakable.

Even on stormy days, He stands fixed.

On my own, I waver with the wind.

My own strength fails me over and over.

Lies creep into my brain, training me to believe Satan’s identity of me instead of God’s.

There is more.

There is life.

Renewal.

Redemption.

Restoration.

When I hold onto Jesus’ hand, clasping His hand in mine –

His strength becomes my own.

His peace floods my soul.

His identity for me becomes my own.

Stormy days still come.

And will continue the rest of my days.

But holding onto God and clinging to Him changes everything.

His anchor keeps me grounded.

Grounded and rooted in love.

His love.

Choose to grasp His hand and dwell in His love.

Choose.

Then once you have chosen Him,

Choose to stay.

Always.

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Rising From the Dead

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I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. Psalm 121:1-2

Not literally rising from the dead.

I’m talking about spirit crushed, gut wrenching grief.

When you are overcome with grief from the very depths of your soul and you cry until you cannot cry anymore.

That kind of dead.

Times like those are when you feel like dying yourself.

Life really doesn’t matter anymore.

What’s the point of living when life is so gut wrenchingly painful?

Or maybe you’re dead in other ways: spiritually, emotionally, selfishly, or you’ve become callous towards life.

What’s a person to do to gain freedom from these prisons?

Turn to Jesus for healing.

Restoration.

Sounds simple enough.

But here’s the catch: you must reach out to Him.

He gives us free choice.

We can choose Him or not.

God wants to free us from a life or season of pain, but we have to reach out our hand to His forgiveness and love.

His healing touch.

Remember the man in the Bible with the withered up hand?

Jesus healed him.

But first the man had to stretch out his hand.

The man had to take the initiative.

He had to choose to obey.

Jesus said, “Stretch out your hand”.

As soon as the man did that, Jesus healed him.

Set him free.

So we have a choice.

Do we want to rise from the dead things in our life or not?

Do you want Jesus to fling wide the doors of your prison walls?

Just ask.

Be willing to do the work of whatever He asks of you.

And He will be faithful to heal all of your wounds.

How fast?

Not sure.

But I can promise you God will be faithful to you.

He’s done that with me over and over.

Sometimes I walk right back into those prisons.

Willingly.

Stupidly.

But every time I ask, every time…God shows up and frees me.

Every time.

Photos by Eric Ward, James Cousins, & Floreser on Unsplash