How's Your Love Life???

This is a devo thought written for our women's retreat this past weekend. Thought I would post it here too, since so many of us women find ourselves in the constant battle of life. Be encouraged & know that Christ can set us free from anything that holds us down!

So, how's your love life?
I know, I know - big question to get your attention so early this morning! I mean, come on, this is supposed to be a "retreat," a time to get away, relax, not dive into more personal matters which are none of anyone's business anyway, right?

But, let me ask you that question a little differently, how is the One & Only True Love of your life loving you and caring for you today? Who is Jesus to you today? Is He some far away, distant God in the sky who you're almost sure has no time or concern for what matters most to you right now? Or is He REAL to you today? Is He truly the LOVE of your life?

Take a moment to look up, look around you, look at the beauty of His creation, breathe in the fresh early morning air...really, go ahead, I'll wait, just take a moment and breathe...1, 2, 3... sit quietly in His presence. Reflect back on last night, think about the words that Marian shared from her heart that connected straight to your spirit, do you think that was an accident? Pure coincidence? Think about the Words from the Bible that God revealed to you in a fresh way last night. Do you think He might have been trying to speak to you? Trying to get your attention? Think about a new friend you've met here, a closer bond you feel with those you've talked with, shared with. Do you feel His encouragement through the warmth & laughter of other women? Think about all of these reminders to you, just in the few hours you've been here, of how very much He LOVES you, adores you, even chases after you because He desires for you to know how much He really does care.

So often at times in my life when I have felt the most "unlovable," because I have just really blown it, yet again, the times in life that seemed the darkest, the times that I've felt the most hopeless, the most desperate, the most brokenhearted, etc.., etc... were the very times that I somehow felt the most LOVED, the most CHERISHED, the most SHELTERED by our Amazing God.
Now, often it didn't feel like that right away, sometimes I wondered just where He was in the midst of my "drama," what in the world He was doing, why He was allowing such pain to be inflicted in my "poor little life," you know the feeling, the "poor me, woe is me" syndrome. But He never failed to keep pursuing, revealing His goodness to me in every situation, even if I didn't at first quite understand it from my minimal "human" perspective.

Think of a mother's heart. Wow! We can RUN so quickly, lightening speed, to the aid of our children when they're hurting (no matter HOW old they are, or HOW old we are!). We can be there in a flash, nothing can stand in our way, we could get over every obstacle, climb every mountain just to get to them, scooping them up and holding them close to our hearts to ease their pain and wipe away their tears. Incredible.
Just think on that a moment. THAT is who Jesus is to us. He runs to us when we hurt, He is there with us, He scoops us up, holds us close to His heart, wipes away our tears, He will stop at nothing to get to us!

I love these verses from Isaiah, who prophesied about the life of Jesus Christ years before He ever walked the earth. Remember, this was written to the Israelites, who definitely had their share of the "wilderness experience!" They endured years of tough times, I mean, talk about trials, whew! These words are written as the Words of Jesus, and are just "some" of the amazing things He wants to accomplish in & through our lives! Why? Because He LOVES us, He CARES for us, He has come to set us FREE!

"The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor and day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion - to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor.
Instead of their shame my people will receive a double portion, and instead of disgrace they will rejoice in their inheritance, and so they will inherit a double portion in their land, and everlasting joy will be theirs."
Isaiah 61:1-3, 7

Wow! So who exactly is He talking to here? You might be asking, "is He talking to me?!" Let's just put some present-day reality into this as we look at it more closely. We can see at least seven types of people listed here that Christ has come to bring freedom to, that He comes to pour JOY into! Now, let me tell you straight up, I can relate to this, I've been in every category here at one point or another in life, maybe you can identify too (you may want to go back through & circle these different people groups in your Bible):

1. The poor - are you feeling weak, lonely, beaten down, discouraged? Financially zapped? Are you physically weak, ill, in need of healing & strength?
2. The brokenhearted - has there been a life event or person whom you've loved that has just totally broken your heart? Maybe it happened 10 hours ago, maybe it happened 10 years ago, but you just can't seem to move past it?
3. The captives - are you being held captive to sin, to an addiction, to an unhealthy relationship, you just can't break the cycle, can't get free? Maybe you're captive to worry, anxiety, fear, anger, frustration, jealousy, selfishness, unforgiveness, bitterness, pride, etc..., fill in the blank...,there's too many to list...
4. The prisoners - not many of you have probably been imprisoned in the literal sense, but how many of us are still "prisoners" in other areas in life? Are you a prisoner to debt or to the love of money? Are you imprisoned in your mind to depression or despair or negative thoughts? Are you still walking in spiritual darkness? Are you bound by sin? Maybe you haven't yet found true freedom in Jesus Christ & have never given your life to Him?
5. Those who mourn - are you mourning? Is your heart in desperate sadness? Are you in need of comfort, of peace?
6. Those who grieve - are you grieving a loss? Loss of a relationship, loss of a dream, loss of a job, loss of someone you love?
7. Those who are feel shame - do you still suffer with feelings of shame? Maybe from a memory of the past, maybe from something you currently battle?

Well, great news, here is the HOPE! This is what Jesus longs to do for us, (you may want to underline these gifts in your Bible):
1. He gives us GOOD NEWS, Himself, Jesus Christ!
2. He binds up (wraps, bandages) our wounds from a broken heart & spirit, He heals us!
3. He frees us from the captivity of addiction & sin!
4. He releases us from darkness, from the "prison cell" and brings us into His wonderful LIGHT! He proclaims FAVOR over us!
5. He comforts us when we mourn.
6. He provides for us when we grieve and just look at what He desires to give us:
He gives us a crown of beauty - instead of ashes.
He gives us the oil of gladness - instead of mourning.
He gives us a garment of praise - instead of a spirit of despair.
He makes us strong & mighty like the oak trees. Oak trees are strong enough to endure the storms, their roots go down deep, just how our God strengthens us in the trials. He calls us "oaks of righteousness" and displays our lives (what He has done in us) before others to bring glory to Himself!
7. He gives us a "double portion" as our inheritance - He LOVES to give to us! He gives generously, lavishly, richly, more than we can even imagine!
And, in addition to ALL of that, He gives us His everlasting JOY! He gives that inner security & peace in the midst of the most difficult of times, I'm not talking about some "Pollyanna type of happiness or fakey, flakey gush," I'm talking about deep and amazing joy, that no matter what happens in life, we know WHO is holding us, we know the God we serve and can fully trust His plans for us.

He desires the very BEST for our lives, even in the wilderness days, even through the difficult times, even in our "captivity." He says He will bring us through the pain and bumps of life's journey in JOY! Whatever your "need" is today, He's ready to meet it, we can trust Him in that. If you remember nothing else today, remember this -
HE IS THERE FOR YOU, HE LOVES YOU - ALWAYS.

Reflect:
1. What "need" do you identify with today? Are you brokenhearted? Grieving a loss? Living with shame from the past? Are you being held "captive" to a sin you just can't seem to beat?
We women can be expert "hiders" of what's really going on inside. You might even be thinking "what would people think if they knew?" Trust me, we all have our "issues" to bring before our King, you're not alone. This is just between you & God...you can be REAL with Him. Write it out, give it to Him, ask Him for release & freedom from whatever is holding you down today.


2. Write down a promise that He is giving you today! Is it His comfort? His healing? His freedom? His joy?


3. Are you waiting on Him for a "double portion," for blessing in an area of life you've been longing to see Him fulfill? God wants to give you MORE than we can even imagine! The answer WILL come in His timing, in His way, not always in the way or timing we expected. Can you release your own expectations to Him & trust Him fully to work in your life? Go ahead, tell Him about it, be honest. Tell Him what your "expectations" are and ask Him for help in releasing those back to Him. Ask Him for help in giving Him complete freedom to work in the way He chooses is best.


4. So, I ask again, how is your love life today?
Close this time by writing out a prayer of thankfulness to God for His AMAZING LOVE over you.




He is singing over you today! Do you feel it? Do you hear Him? Rest in Him.
"The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing." Zephaniah 3:17