Beloved

Beloved

2 Thessalonians 2:13 (KJV) – But we are bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord.

You are the beloved of God – greatly loved, adored, cherished, and dear to His heart. No one could ever love you as deeply and as passionately as God does. No one and nothing will ever satisfy your spiritual and emotional needs like He can. You were created for Him and you exist to be the focus of His love. He desires you. He yearns for you.

James 4:5 (AMP) says, …The Spirit Whom He has caused to dwell in us yearns over us…

In his book, Sparkling Gems from the Greek, Bible teacher and Greek scholar, Rick Renner tells us that in this verse, the Greek word for “yearn” is epipotheo. He says, this word “portrays an intense desire, a craving, a hunger, an ache, a yearning for something, a longing or pining for something,” (p. 91).

He goes on to say that James 4:5 conveys this compelling idea:

“…The Spirit has an all-consuming and passionate desire to have more and more of us. In fact, this desire to possess us is so strong that He literally yearns, craves, and pines after us,” (Ibid., p. 92).

Deuteronomy 4:24 (CEB) says, …the LORD your God is an all-consuming fire. He is a passionate God.

How often have you thought about God’s love for you? And even then, did you realize that His love for you is so intense, so strong, so passionate?

One of my favorite verses that I quote over and over in my posts is Ephesians 2:4 (AMP) which says, But God – so rich is He in His mercy! Because of and in order to satisfy the great and wonderful and intense love with which He loved us.

Stop and think about that. The Lord has a GREAT and WONDERFUL and INTENSE love for you! He has an all-consuming and passionate desire to have more and more of you! You are His beloved!

In the Song of Solomon we read a story of marital love, but it is also an allegory of God’s love for Israel, and Christ’s love for the Church (His Bride). This book shows the overwhelming love that God has for us.

In Song 1:15 (NLT) He says to you, How beautiful you are, my darling, how beautiful!

And in Song 5:9-10 (NLT) He tells you, You have captured my heart, my treasure, my bride. You hold it hostage with one glance of your eyes…Your love delights me!

You are beautiful to the Lord. You have captured His heart. You delight Him!

We cannot begin to fathom the vast and boundless love the Lord has for us, but we must begin to meditate on it. Understanding His love for us will cause us to love Him more and more. The more we spend time in His Word and in communion with Him through prayer, the more we can begin to understand His vast love for us.

Jeremiah 31:3 (KJV) says, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee. The Good News Translation of this verse says, I have always loved you, so I have continued to show you My constant love.

The Lord loves you with an everlasting love! There’s nothing you can do to earn it and there’s nothing you can ever do to cause Him to stop loving you. His love is unconditional. His love is boundless. His love is constant – and it belongs to you because you are His beloved!

Subscribe to Flourish so you don’t miss another post!

How to Live Worry Free

How to Live Worry Free

So many people today are living a life of constant worry, anxiety or fear. They are deeply troubled – even depressed – about many areas of their life. They have no joy or peace, and their insides are all knotted up due to the stress, anxiety and apprehension they continually feel.

Does this describe you? Are you worried or fearful concerning a circumstance or situation you are facing? Are you in the midst of a test or trial that seems impossible to make it through?

If so, listen to the words of Jesus in Matthew 6:25, 31 (AMP). He says, Stop being perpetually uneasy (anxious and worried) about your life…do not worry and be anxious…

The Lord Jesus Himself has said to stop worrying.

“What?!? How can I stop worrying???”

I’m so glad you asked!

Remember, Jesus wouldn’t tell us to do something that He knew we couldn’t do. With His help, we can be obedient to His words in this scripture.

The first step to living a life free from worries, cares and anxieties is to know the character and the nature of God. Let’s look at several verses that reveal that nature:

1 John 4:8 tells us that God is love. And throughout the Gospels, Jesus teaches us that we are of great worth and value to the Father – more so than the wildflowers or the birds of the air. God even has the very hairs of our head numbered. (Mt. 6:25-34; 7:7-11; Lk. 11:9-13; 12:7, 22-32)

And Hebrews 13:5 (AMP) tells us, For God Himself has said, I will not in any way fail you nor  give you up nor leave you without support. I will not, I will not, I will not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let you down (relax My hold on you)! Assuredly not! According to this scripture, we can be assured that the Lord will never fail us or let us down.

Psalm 37:23 (NLT) assures us that, The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. This shows a loving, compassionate Father who loves us so much that He cares about anything and everything that concerns us!

In Exodus 15:26, the Lord declares, I am the Lord that heals you. And in Psalm 91:16, He says, With long life will I satisfy you and show you My salvation. These verses reveal a Father who cares for our physical health and well-being, and wants to give us a long, satisfying life.

In Philippians 4:19, the Apostle Paul tells us, But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. So, here we see that the Lord is concerned about any and all of our needs. He has promised to supply whatever it is that we need.

When you truly understand the character and the nature of God – how much He loves you, how He has healed you, provided for your every need, directs your steps, and delights in every detail of your life, then you can cease from worry, because you are trusting in Him to take care of every one of your needs.

The Apostle Peter, who was part of Jesus’ inner circle, understood the Lord’s love, care and affection for His children. That is why he wrote: Cast all your cares [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully, (1 Peter 5:7 AMP).

The second step to living a life free from worry is to cast (throw) your cares – once and for all – on the Lord. That means you give them to Him AND leave them with Him. Once you give your cares, anxieties, worries and concerns to the Lord, you trust Him to take care of them. How can you trust Him to do that? Because you know that He “cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully.” You must trust in His love, faithfulness, and ability.

The third step in living a life with no worries is found in Philippians 4:6-7 (AMP):

Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition (definite requests), with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God. And God’s peace [shall be yours…and that peace] which transcends all understanding shall garrison and mount guard over your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

After you understand God’s love and concern for you, and after you have cast your cares upon Him, you must refuse to fret or worry about the circumstance or situation anymore. You have prayed and asked the Lord for His help and He will answer you.

When you think about the problem, remind yourself of the scriptures concerning what you’re believing for. Also remind yourself that you’ve given the situation over to the Lord and that He is handling it for you. Then continue to thank Him for taking care of the situation – thank Him for healing your body, thank Him for meeting your needs – whatever it is, thank Him that He’s got it all under control. Then you can begin to receive His peace that surpasses all understanding!

I would trade worry, fear and anxiety for the peace of God any day! Wouldn’t you?

Remind yourself of the Father’s great love and concern for you. Then cast all of your cares, worries and anxieties on Him – once and for all. Refuse to fret. Refuse to be anxious. Refuse to worry. Instead, thank the Lord for taking good care of you, and receive His peace that passes all understanding.

He is faithful. He will never fail you, forsake you, or let you down!

 Prayer: 

Father, I thank You that You love me and that You care about everything that concerns me. Today, I cast the care of _________________ on You, knowing that You will take care of me. With Your help, I refuse to fret or have any anxiety about it. Instead, I thank You in advance for meeting all my needs and working out this situation for Your glory. I trust in Your faithfulness and provision. I receive Your peace. In Jesus’ Name.

Subscribe to Flourish so you don’t miss another post!