Month: February 2021

I will rejoice greatly in the Lord, my soul will be joyful in my God; for he has clothed me with garments of salvation, He has wrapped me with a robe of righteousness…

Isaiah 61:10

Have you ever struggled with the concept that God loves you as an individual?  Since I was a baby, I have been in church nearly every Sunday. From a very early age, I knew the songs like “Jesus Loves Me” and verses like John 3:16, For God so loved the world…  But it wasn’t until many years later that God made His personal love for me a reality – one I now experience in my heart as well as know intellectually.

            I always believed God loved the whole world.  I never questioned that.  But for a long time, I thought, “Therefore, God loves me since I am part of the world.”  But sometimes when I tried to imagine what heaven would be like, I visualized millions of people crowding around the Lord, leaving me on the edge of the crowd trying to get a glimpse of Him. 

            I was reading the Bible one day, struggling with thoughts like that, and I came across this verse in Isaiah 61:10 He has wrapped me in a robe of righteousness.  I was 45 years old at the time but had graduated from college only a couple months earlier.  I thought about graduation day and exactly how it felt to put on my graduation robe and walk into the stadium with more than 6,000 other students to receive our college degrees.  That day, even though there were thousands of other students robed just like me, I felt like a unique individual, like the ceremony was just for me!  I suppose not all college graduates experience that same magic, but I did. 

            So, when I read the verse in Isaiah, the picture became delightfully clear – Jesus wrapped me personally in His robe of righteousness.  And just as no one can ever take away my college degree, no one can ever take away my salvation, my robe of righteousness, my assurance of His love for me personally.  I also began to understand that no one can ever earn that righteousness. The Bible teaches that “there is no one righteous, not even one” (Romans 3:10). And Romans 3:23 tells us “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” The only way to be righteous in God’s sight is to receive the forgiveness of sin through Jesus’ death on the cross. He paid the penalty for the sins of the world, and as we receive His gift of salvation, we are wrapped in His robe of righteousness.

I began to really understand that heaven will bring uninterrupted intimacy with the Lord.  It is still difficult to conceive with my finite mind how unlimited numbers of people can all experience intimacy with Him at the same time.  But since I can see clear evidence of it happening here on earth, it can only be even better in heaven. 

Think of the verse that says, Things which eye has not seen, and which have not entered the human heart, all that God has prepared for those who love Him (1 Corinthians 2:9). We can’t even begin to comprehend in our wildest imaginations the wonder of what it will be like to be with Him without the limitations of time and space and finite minds and sin.

            If you have not yet grasped the reality of God’s love for you personally, ask Him to reveal it in a way that you can understand.  You may have been a Christian for many years and still not fully grasp it.  But it is truly life-changing when God’s love becomes a reality.  Ask God to let you experience it in your heart as well as in your mind.

PERSONAL REFLECTION

Have you experienced in your heart the truth that God loves you as an individual?  Describe how you came to that knowledge.

If you haven’t personally experienced God’s love, or you only understand it intellectually, ask God to reveal it to you in a way that will be meaningful to you and touch your heart.

What does it mean to you to be wrapped in a robe of righteousness?

…He rescued me because He delighted in me.

Psalm 18:19

The truth of this verse amazes me!  God delights in us while we still need rescuing! – before we even know Him as our Savior, while still entrapped in sin, while we still suffer consequences of our own sin or the sin of others against us.  He rescues us!

When I read this verse a few years ago, I thought, “How is it possible that a holy God, creator of the entire universe, can delight in me?”  As I pondered, I thought about how much I delight in my grandson, Marshall.  Of course, I delight in all six of my grandsons, but Marshall especially came to mind at that moment.  It was not great intellectual accomplishments, not amazing athletic ability – he was only 2 years old!  What delighted me was his love for me, his delight in coming to Nana and Papa’s house, his “thank you” for everything we give him, his trust in me as he jumped off the edge of the pool into my arms, his charming attempts at “swimming” as I held him taught him to kick his feet and reach with his arms.  I loved his great joy when we sat and read together and when he was learning to play baseball in our back yard.

So I believe the Lord delights in me when He sees my heart longing to be nearer to Him, my love for spending the early morning quiet times with Him.  He sees my desire to know His Word and live in the center of His will, my trust growing day by day as I take steps to follow wherever He leads, to encourage others in their faith journey.

            God understands our weaknesses.  If we stumble and fall into sin, it never changes the fact that God loves us.  The words of Psalm 103:10-14 comfort and encourage me:

He has not dealt with us according to our sins nor rewarded us according to our guilty deeds.  For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His lovingkindness toward those who fear Him.  As far as east is from the west, so far has He removed our wrongdoings from us.  Just as a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him.  For He Himself knows our form; He is mindful that we are nothing but dust.

It is life-changing to realize God has always loved me, even before I knew Him.  I learned there is nothing I do that makes Him love me anymore than He already does.  Nothing I do makes Him love me any less. His unconditional love truly amazes me and fills me with security and gratitude. 

This is my prayer: “Lord, help me to delight in you, in your constant presence, in your clear direction as you design each day for me, as you take my hand and walk with me through it. Help me to experience your pure delight in me. Help me to come to you each day in child-like love, joy in your presence, being with you and enjoying the wonders of your creation, enjoying the people you bring into my life, the simplicity and purity of devotion to you.  I trust in your love and goodness, your sovereignty, absolute control over all the events of my life.  Lord, as I meditate on your Word and the truth you share with me, give me a heart that wants to share my joy and delight with you over the new things you teach me.”

PERSONAL REFLECTION

Think of specific times when God rescued you.  Meditate on the fact of God’s love for you, even when you sin and need to be rescued.  His love is not something we can ever earn or deserve — it is a gift!

Have you discovered God’s limitless unconditional love for you?  Have you experienced it, not just intellectually but in your heart? 

Remember, if you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, He has removed your sins, as far as east is from the west! (Psalm 103: 12). Take time to thank Him for that gift of unconditional love and forgiveness.  Consider writing your prayer of gratitude.

How are you experiencing God’s delight in you?  What an incredible thought, that we can bring delight to Almighty God! 

But You, Lord, are a shield around me, my glory and the One who lifts my head.

Psalm 3:3

One morning over breakfast, I shared with a friend a difficult situation I was struggling with.  She said the verse she had read in the Bible that morning might help me.  “But You, Lord,, are a shield around me, my glory and the One who lifts my head.”  To be honest, I didn’t find it very helpful right then, but I thanked her for listening and sharing with me.

            When I got into the car to drive home, I turned on my Christian radio station.  The words of the song that immediately came on said: “Thou, O Lord, are a shield about me.  You’re my glory and the lifter of my head.”  I realized it was not mere coincidence that I would hear those same words twice within a half-hour period. So, I turned off the radio and prayed, “Lord, this must be a message you want very much for me to hear.  But I really don’t understand what it means.  Please show me.”

            A mental picture came right away of a hand reaching down and gently touching my chin, lifting my head upwards.  A question came to mind: Where are your eyes directed when your head is lifted upwards?  They no longer look at the surrounding circumstances, but instead directed toward God.  I was reminded of Peter when he jumped out of the boat and began walking on the water toward Jesus.  As long as Peter looked at Jesus, he could walk on the water — he could do the impossible. But as soon as he took his eyes off Jesus and looked at the waves surrounding him, he began to sink (Matthew 14:29-30).

            Life is like that for us, too.  If we let our eyes focus on the difficult circumstances around us, we can easily become overwhelmed and begin to sink.  Are you feeling desperate or hopeless about something in your life right now?  Maybe you identify with Peter and feel like you are beginning to sink.  Remember the picture of Jesus, the lifter of your head, reaching down to lift your face toward Him.  A familiar hymn shares the same message: “Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face.  And the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace.” 

PERSONAL REFLECTION

Are circumstances in your life right now causing you to feel like you are sinking in the waves surrounding you? What are these circumstances?

Read Philippians 4:6-7. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.  And the peace of God which surpasses all comprehension will guard your heart and mind in Christ Jesus.  God has told us, “Be anxious for nothing” — nothing!  There is no situation that you are facing that is too difficult for God.

Focus your thoughts on God and choose to trust Him with your seemingly impossible circumstances.  When the anxious thoughts return, and they certainly will, stop what you are doing and consciously ask God to “lift” your head” so your eyes can see Him.