Filled (Ocean of Your Love) ~ a poem

Tags

Christ, Christianity, Everlasting love, Faith, satisfied

I am Your cradle of clay,
Receptive womb of Your Love,
Filled with You ~ my Ocean,
Inhabit me, shore to shore.

I’m rendered amazed, awestruck,
Astonished by infinite love,
Lord, drench me completely,
Until I’m saturated and generously outpoured.

Fill me height, breadth, width, length,
With Your cascading Living Water,
Toppling, crashing, wave upon wave,
Held fast to You, forsaking all others.

Fill me to overflowing,
As I totally abandon to Your love,
Surrendered…loosed…shipwrecked…
Gloriously freed ~ left totally undone.

You are my sole and singular Life Raft,
My rescue, strength, and stay,
My All in All, Source, and Life-blood,
Consumed by Your Love… forever and always.
( 2/2/22 Sue Justice)

~~~ 💦 ❤️ 💦 ~~~

Scriptures that inspired the poem above ~

Ephesians 3:17-21 The Passion Translation

“…by constantly using your faith, the life of Christ will be released deep inside you, and the resting place of his love will become the very source and root of your life. Then you will be empowered to discover what every holy one experiences—the great magnitude of the astonishing love of Christ in all its dimensions.

How deeply intimate and far-reaching is his love! How enduring and inclusive it is! Endless love beyond measurement that transcends our understanding—this extravagant love pours into you until you are filled to overflowing with the fullness of God!

Never doubt God’s mighty power to work in you and accomplish all this. He will achieve infinitely more than your greatest request, your most unbelievable dream, and exceed your wildest imagination! He will outdo them all, for his miraculous power constantly energizes you.

Now we offer up to God all the glorious praise that rises from every church in every generation through Jesus Christ—and all that will yet be manifest through time and eternity. Amen!”

~~~~~~

1 Corinthians 6:17 “whoever cleaves to our Lord becomes one spirit with him.”

~~~~~~

John 17:21 (Jesus praying) “may they all be one; just as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be one in Us, so that the world may believe [without any doubt] that You sent Me.”

~~~

Beautiful discussion on what it means to “hold fast” to the Lord is found here:

https://www.gotquestions.org/hold-fast.html

Jesus ~ Our Forever Valentine (Poem)

Tags

Christ, Christianity, Faith, poem

“This is my blood, which confirms the covenant between God and his people. It is poured out as a sacrifice to forgive the sins of many.” Mathew 26:2 

“My beloved is mine, and I am His” Song of Songs 2:16 

“Continue to walk surrendered to the extravagant love of Christ, for He surrendered His life as a sacrifice for us. His great love for us was pleasing to God, like an aroma of adoration – a sweet healing fragrance.” Ephesians 5:2 

“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that everyone who believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.” John 3:16-17 
~~~
If you have not yet accepted Jesus as your forever “Valentine”, visit Godlife.com. 

He no longer is dead, but rose again, just as He said. He forever lives and reigns, and will be returning again. 

If you don’t know Him, you are missing out on a relationship with the One who knows you the best, loves you the most, and has the power to meet all of your needs — both now and for eternity! 

He is the one true, forever Valentine that will never fail or forsake us! He is God!

“Higher Perspective” – A Pastel & Devotional inspired by my Hike on the Appalachian Trail.

I entitled this pastel “Fresh Perspective” — inspired by an experience while hiking in the Appalachian mountains. There was a point on the trail where I came up and out of the dense forest, into a place where the trees were bare. It was a stark open landscape, where the air and scenery before me felt so crisp, fresh, and clear.

I am reminded that we are invited to a similar spiritual reality. Often we can feel in the “forest” of life – our vision clouded by the “day to day pressures,” to the point that we fail to see God’s perspective and experience His peace.

God continually invites us to step out from mental distraction and worries that clutter our mental landscape, so we can become aware of His Presence, and let Him fill us with HIS perspective on our life & our concerns…

There is beauty, joy, and “open air” in the Presence of God! We can continually breathe in His love, joy, and peace. He has fresh heavenly wisdom and perspective to share! “Come up here and I will show you…” (Rev. 4:1)

“All praise to God, the Father…who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ.” (Ephesians 1:3)

“I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened… that you may know the hope to which he has called you…” (Eph. 1:18)

Higher Perspective

Seeking the “One Thing” to find rest of soul! (Poem and reflections)

Tags

christian living, Christianity, Faith, focus, God, Jesus, Life purpose, One thing, Priorities, spiritual growth

The world’s system says, “make a name for yourself, rise higher, achieve your goals!” Christ says, “lay your life down, give your very life away, find the purpose and satisfaction you seek by being united with Me in My mission of love.”

St. Augustine is quoted as saying, “our hearts are restless until they find their rest in You.”

There is a beauty of simplicity when we pare down to the “one thing.”

I pray that you might glean insights and engage in your own conversations and reflections with Christ as you read the below poem.

God bless you!  ❤️

Feel free to watch and listen via youtube, by clicking HERE, or read below!

Seeking the “One Thing”

Still trying to make a name?
Still trying to justify?
By stacking up accomplishments,
Ambitious goals for which to strive?

Will I gain more credit?
More value to God and man?
If I can rattle off a list of accomplishments,
To proudly shake in tight-fisted hand?

Is more always better?
Versus one extraordinary thing?
Consider a treasured, trophy-winning rosebloom,
Achieved by pruning to just that one thing!

What about the beautiful example,
of sweet Mary of Bethany,
she chose the “one thing” good and necessary,
Lord, grant me that same epiphany!

I want to be known as in You,
shaking off mankind’s heavy yoke,
it only chafes, irritates, and frustrates,
As a woefully uncomfortable, ill-fitting cloak.

You said a child in Your Kingdom,
simply trusting, dependent, and young,
is what Your Kingdom is made of,
Living naked and unashamed in Your garden of love.

No false props to cling to,
no titles, roles, and such,
But in this earthly world do we think this way?
Not often! No, not much!

Lord, blast away the concrete,
rigid fortresses that encase our minds,
that keep us justified in our reasonings,
Man’s way of thinking is anything but sublime.

Lord, send razor-like clarity
to cut away this carnal mess,
the cancerous infiltrative world-system thinking,
Open our mind-scape with Your largesse.

Enable us to perceive clearly,
walking in purity and simplicity as You,
with the very mind, heart, and approach to life,
That stuck to You as glue.

You were bonded in every way with Your Father,
Unselfish living, outright giving, Your goal,
Holy…zealous…yet unpretentious,
You were mighty God, yet so humble of soul.

Father, take us back to the “one thing.”
Where pursuing Christ is our highest quest,
being fully and solely known as “in Him”,
Knowing that He alone is our righteousness.

Help us lose sight of our very selves,
Embracing humility with its new way of seeing:
Our “high call” is to go ever lower still,
Hidden in Christ, we live, move and have our being. 

Father, help us carry the very heartbeat of Christ,
Embracing the truth: Our life is not our own.
Join us inseparably to Christ’s passion and commission,
To save the lost, love God and others – our life’s goal!

~~~Scriptures for Reflection~~~

“One thing I ask from the LORD, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple.”  ~ Psalm 27:4

“But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. ⁸ What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowingChrist Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ ⁹ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in^[a] Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith.” ~ Philippians 3:7-9

“the Lord answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her.” ~ Luke 10:41-42

“But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”  ~ Matthew 6:33

“I am the Vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in Me and I in him bears much fruit, for otherwise apart from Me [that is, cut off from vital union with Me] you can do nothing.” ~ John 15:5

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.” ~ Luke 10:27

“For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” ~ Luke 19:10

“However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.” ~ Acts 20:24

Glorious Demise of Heart Fortresses ~ Freedom to Love! (a Poem with scripture reflections)

Tags

Communication, free to love, Grace, Love, Relationships, spiritual growth

The Demise of Heart Fortresses: finding freedom to love!

Lord, help us clear communication lines,
Forge fresh passage through stony brick walls.
Brick upon brick we build miniature fortresses,
To encase and guard our hearts.

These walls – thick boundaries – create dark prison cells,
For in truth, we cannot have it both ways.
The walls we build to protect ourselves,
keep us isolated, by holding others at bay.

To become free, let’s forsake anxious self-protection,
Turning to Jesus, our Keeper and Strong Tower,
Let Him embrace us in His arms of unconditional love,
til’ we gain courage to step out and risk, versus cower.

Through Christ’s strength we emerge from our hiding,
We cast off fears, our hurts, and offense.
We’re no longer hiding behind justifications,
Nor do we blame others for our unhappiness.

Jesus won our escape, opening our prison door,
When His own flesh was battered and torn,
Inviting all to find freedom through blood-bought Grace,
His bleeding heart, He passionately opened to all.

He courageously pioneered and persevered,
He paved the way for healthy relations.
Christ on the Cross formed the bridge to our Father’s heart,
Arms outstretched ~ He’s Love’s greatest revelation.

Christ steps into our messy miscommunications,
We’re invited to join His mission of love.
He’ll help us shift and shake it up, in order to work things out,
Relational animosity He’ll help us fully resolve.

So, let’s lay down our pride and our burdens,
Surrendering our fragile, broken selves.
Let’s rise in the maturity of our identity in Christ,
In Him we’re safely and eternally held.

There’s no longer any real danger,
God has removed all our guilt and shame.
Accepting Christ, we’ve become “Accepted in the Beloved”,
Freed from the enemy’s taunts, accusations, and blame!

So just as we’ve been forgiven,
Given grace that washes away all our sin,
Let’s live it, by unconditionally loving one another,
When we break down our walls, through bold love, we ALL win!

(1/16/19 Susan Justice)

~~~ ❤️ ~~~Scriptures for personal reflection ~~~❤️~~~

Ezekial 36:26-28
“I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you, and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put my Spirit within you… you will be My people, and I will be your God.

Ephesians 4:32
Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

Ephesians 2:14
“For he himself is our peace… who has broken down in His flesh the dividing wall of hostility.”

1 Corinthians 13:36
“Show mercy and compassion for others, just as your heavenly Father overflows with mercy and compassion for all.”

Romans 15:7
“Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.”

1 Peter 4:8
“Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.”

~~~

If you are unsure of how to begin a relationship with this marvelous God who loves you unconditionally, wholeheartedly, and continually – please feel free to check out https://godlife.com/!  Search the “know God” tab!  There are loads of wonderful resources on that site to give you all you need to experience a growing, thriving relationship with the One Who knows you the best, and loves you the most!

God bless you!

Choosing Trust ~ Experience God’s love! ❤️

Tags

Christianity, Encouragement, Faith, God, Inspiration, Trust

 

“The Lord’s unfailing love surrounds the person who trusts in Him” ~ Psalm 32:10b

You have an ever-present, strong, capable, all-powerful heavenly Father who is caring for you, desires to guide you, help you, comfort you, and lead you. He unconditionally loves you through thick or thin!

NO detail of your life escapes His loving attention.

A friend shared a blogpost with me (thecrowningjewls.com – blogpost title: “Forever-love”) and here is an excerpt:

Making the choice to trust God is not something that God can do for us. . . when we count on God to be who He says He is, He will open doors for us that couldn’t be opened before and He will make a way for us to have deeper intimacy with Him. So much of what God wants to do in our lives comes through our willingness to trust Him. ❤️ Let down your guard and let Him in. Give God permission to move radically in your life and see what He does!

DECLARATIONS

I am never alone, for God is always with me.

God meets me where I am when I allow Him in.

My future is not dictated by my past.

Trust is a powerful anchor in my life.

*** (end of excerpt) ***

If your trust-muscle is weak, ask God to help you trust Him. He loves you despite how weak or frail you feel. He is the “author and perfecter of your faith” (your trust in Him)… He knows how to help you. You are His beloved child! Forever loved!

If you are unsure how to have a relationship with God – the One who knows you the best and loves you the most, please check out: peacewithgod.net and godlife.com. You will be OH SO GLAD you did!

If you would like to be encouraged about how LOVED you are, please visit my FB page:  http://www.facebook.com/wonderfullyloved

May God bless you with a deep awareness and experience of His loving presence!

A sign in the sky!

Tags

Christianity, Encouragement, Faith, Healing, hope, Inspiration, Miracle

I pray the content in this post will encourage you in knowing just how intimately God knows you and understands what you’re going through.  He is working on your behalf and wants to draw you close into a deep experience of His loving care.

I hope you will check out my YouTube testimony, where I share of God’s amazing demonstration of love and comfort to me before I underwent back surgery. (Pictured above and discussed in below youtube video testimony.)

Here is the link: https://youtu.be/7uFyJmKuoh8

✨🌈✨

For encouragement on just how loved you are, please check out my FB page:  http://www.facebook.com/wonderfullyLoved

If you have any questions, or have prayer needs you’d like to share, don’t hesitate to email me at:  lovedchildofgod@yahoo.com

If you’d like to learn more about how to have a relationship with the One who comforted my heart . . . the God Who gives lasting hope, please check out:  Peacewithgod.net and godlife.com.

God bless you!

Sue

 

“Worth more than many sparrows…” A Poem

Tags

God's faithful provision

This gallery contains 2 photos.

My precious feathered friends inspired a poem this morning . . . Worth more than many Sparrows . . . …

Continue reading →

Root yourself in unconditional love 😊❤️🌳

 

When I was a relatively new christian and in my late twenties, a friend shared Joyce Meyer’s book with me entitled, “Beauty for Ashes: receiving emotional healing.”

I’ll never forget the “aha” moment when I saw the pictures from the book (shown above.) As a christian, I was troubled by some of the “bad fruit” I was seeing in my life. I had spent a lot of energy desperately trying to change the negative feelings, attitudes, and behaviors by sheer will power! I would experience temporary change, but it never lasted!  To my dismay, the bad fruit just kept popping up!

The pictures posted above helped me begin to think about my root systems and their relationship to the fruit in my life.

I had never fully connected the dots regarding how previous painful life experiences had created such deep roots of  shame, condemnation, guilt, and rejection. Growing up, there were unhealthy dynamics in our home – a lot of anger, harsh words and fighting.  As a young child, I was very quiet and shy. In grade school, my face would turn beet red at the slightest hint of undue attention or ridicule.  I was painfully self-conscious, and often felt like I didn’t quite fit in.

When I went off to college, I experimented with my new-found freedom, and made some poor choices.  These only added to the unhealthy “roots” that were producing the fruits of low self-esteem, control, and addictive tendencies that kept popping up in my life.

Not long after accepting Christ at the age of 25, I developed a hunger to take an honest inward look at my life (my roots) in the light of Christ’s own life example, truth, and love.  By the help of the Holy Spirit living within, the great support of other young christian friends, and some sessions with a christian counselor, I was able to begin identifying and uprooting bad roots (i.e. various long-held lies and negative beliefs about myself, my life, my identity) and transplant my roots into the unconditional love of God. I began to see real change.

Surprisingly, these changes weren’t coming by “white-knuckling it” and trying to “change myself” (as I had unsuccessfully tried many times in the past!)  In contrast,  the changes I began to experience seemed to happen more naturally, simply as a byproduct of my growing relationship with Jesus Christ, as well as through supportive friendships with other passionate Christ-followers.

It seems that the more I focused on enjoying and growing in my relationship with Christ,  the more I began to see lasting changes, and  healthier fruit!  (as in picture #1.)

What I was powerless to do, Jesus Christ produced within me!

The fact is, we never “arrive” this side of heaven… we are all a work in progress, but when we plant our roots in God, He will produce growth and the beautiful fruit of His Spirit!

~~~

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit…”  John 15:5

“I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know (experience) this love…” ~ Ephesians 3:17-19

“I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.” ~Philippians 1:6

~~~

If you are noticing some “not so healthy” fruit in your life (as found in picture #2), maybe its time for you to take the inward journey with Christ to look at your roots.

Joyce Meyer’s book is one tool that you might find helpful!

For the link to her book: click here

To get more securely rooted in your identity as a loved child of God, click here.

Other ways to keep your roots and fruit healthy and growing is to get plugged into a loving church family, and get connected with other growing christians who will love and support you, just as you do for them!

To check out wonderful online resources to develop your relationship with God, feel free to visit http://www.godlife.com, and  http://www.peacewithgod.net/

Lastly, if you desire encouragement simply in knowing how deeply and dearly loved you are, check out:

http://www.facebook.com/wonderfullyLoved/

God bless you!❤️🌳  May your roots and fruit be HEALTHY.  May your life be BLESSED!

 

Claiming Your Identity In Christ ❤️

Tags

Identity in Christ

Above scripture portions taken from LIVING FREE IN CHRIST, by Neil Anderson. C. 1993 Regal Books.

~~~❤️~~~

FREE Ebook:  Experiencing God’s Love as Your Father – Mark DeJesus ~ Transformed You (markdejesus.com has tons of great resources for the heart!)  link for book — http://markdejesus.com/experiencing-gods-love-as-your-father/

Above describes how in Christ, a person is 100% loved, forgiven, pleasing, accepted, and complete!  WOO HOO!!!

Above chart from book: Search For Significance by Robert S. McGee. – You can get on Amazon.com inexpensively!  Be sure to get *1987 edition!  It is much more concise and easier read than newer editions. Contains eye-opening self-test evaluations! Fantastic resource to replace lies with TRUTH that will set you free in the identity and unconditional love of Christ!  

~~~❤️~~~

If you are not sure how to have a relationship with Jesus – the One Who knows you the best, and loves you the most — Check out the below sites to help you connect with HIM!  (Experience “coming home” to the One Who made you and loves you to the uttermost!)

http://peacewithGod.net/

http://howtoknowjesus.joycemeyer.org/

http://godlife.com/

For encouragement on how deeply and dearly loved you are, check out:

http://www.facebook.com/wonderfullyLoved/

❤