Like the woman at the well, there have been many times were I have depended on other things to satisfy me. Traveling, photography, boys, ice cream, Taylor Swift, Chick Fil A, you name it, yet they are never enough. My stomach may be full, but my heart is always left feeling empty.
Can I begin by telling you this? God is absolutely, head-over-heels, madly in love with you. The God who can wipe out the Earth in one word is jealous for you. The God who moves mountains is lovesick over you. The God who created this whole universe is on an endless mission to do what ever it takes to get your attention, to captivate your heart as much as you have captivated His. Yet we block out this love and fill the emptiness in our souls with things of this world. Why?
While writing this God brought me back to the time when I caught my first fish. I was so proud and so happy. I had so much joy and love for it. Then God sweetly reminded me that those feelings that only lasted for a few moments are the way that He feels for us all the time. We are old, smelly, yucky looking fish, yet He looks at us like His most prized possession. Nothing can rip Him away from us. He does not love out of circumstance but loves out of a genuine love that does not sway or falter, but is steady and sure. Why do we block out this love?
We feel that we are too far gone, that God could never take us back after what we did. We hold ourselves to this human concept of "what we deserve". You're right, we deserve Hell. We deserve to pay for our sins. But Jesus paid it all. He died for those sins that we feel that make us too far gone from God. Sometimes we even think that our sin is greater than God! Let me tell you something, that is a lie straight from the Devil! NO sin is too big, messy, or complicated for God to handle. Run to Him. He is there waiting with open arms. But how do we even start making our way back to Him?
You see beloved, it all starts with God calling our name. He called out our name when we were born. Come to me, He says. He has loved you from your very first breath and will keep loving you until your last. He loved you when you didn’t know Him, and His love will never change regardless of how many times you disappoint Him, because that my friend is inevitable. All we have to do is be willing. Willing to take that one step to Him, and God will take the 99 others.
God is so vast yet He chooses to live inside of you! He chooses to make a home and dwell in your heart! All you have to do is let Him in. Never neglect this glorious source of strength within you! It's quite literally right at your fingertips.
When life gets tough, as it seems to do sometimes, remember that God wants you to stay with Him. Don't give up, don't lose heart, don't think you're too far gone for God's grace. You know who was too far gone for God's grace? Paul when he was killing christians, yet God still forgave him. Or what about Peter when he denied knowing Jesus multiple times, God still forgave him. God wants to forgive you, you just have to forgive yourself.
God says to you: I want to heal you. I want you to be free from the depths of your soul. Would you take a moment now to let My love in?