John 11:3 …”Lord, the one You love is sick.”
I have read this verse before and not thought too much of the wording, but one of the daily devos I’m reading, Max Lucado’s Grace for the Moment, gave me pause this morning. I’ve always read the verse in relation to Lazarus. “Lord, the one You love, Lazarus, is sick.” Lucado posits that the power of prayer comes not from the love of those in need but from the love of the One hearing the request, Jesus. We are all the “one He loves.” Lucado goes on to say that “We can and must repeat the phrase in manifold ways. ‘The one You love is tired, sad, hungry, lonely, fearful, depressed.’” Lord, Hear our prayer.
Psalm 17:8 Keep me as the apple of Your eye; hide me in the shadow of Your wings….
I know that I am a deeply loved child of God, but sometimes I have a difficult time truly FEELING His fierce love for me. The problem isn’t Him. It’s me. I get stuck in the “not enough” rut—I’m not smart enough, not good enough, not worthy enough, etc etc. And here is the amazing truth of Christ: I don’t have to measure up to some preconceived mark. He doesn’t love me because of what I can do for Him. He loves me because I am His, because He created me, because He knows me inside and out, all my idiosyncrasies. I am the one that He loves. And so are you. Lord, Let that truth penetrate our stubborn hearts.
Isaiah 49:16 See, I have written your name on the palms of My hands….
Lord, Thank You for this day and for the reminder of my worth to You. Thank You for all the quirks in my personality and for the people I can reach for You because of those quirks. Thank You for claiming each of us as “the one You love.” Help us to never lose sight of our worth IN You and our worth TO You. Draw us closer. Amen.
Isaiah 30:21 Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.”
Have a blessed day.
My faith, my life, my teaching–it's all a work in progress.