“Faithfulness springs forth from the earth, and righteousness looks down from heaven.” Psalm 85:11 (NIV)
As I read this verse just a few moments ago, I was deeply touched by its meaning and the promises locked within it. Immediately, I saw fountains and streams of faithfulness bubbling up from the earth and the face of Christ pouring His righteousness down upon us from the heavens. What a sight...what treasures.
It seems everywhere I look, I find the faithfulness of God. His love is audible in the echoes of children's laughter, it glides through the leaves riding summer breezes, and sparkles along the white-capped waves. The Almighty’s goodness is so evident in the ways only He can move, and in how He proves Himself strong on our behalf over and over again. His unfailing attentiveness and blessings truly spring from the earth like a fountain.
Oh, and righteousness - what a beautiful gift. Our righteousness (right standing with God) has been showered down upon us through the precious sacrifice of Jesus, our beautiful Savior. It is because of His love and redeeming blood, alone, that we have been given the right to be known as sons and daughters of the Most High God. We have been named His Beloved!
So here we are, imagining faithfulness popping up all over the world and righteousness coming down from heaven. Now envision with me these streams of faithfulness forming into a single ribbon upon Earth and righteousness doing the same, coming down from above.
Over two thousand years ago, God reached down to our world with His creative hands and gave us His Son. He then gently tied His faithfulness and Christ’s righteousness together into a beautiful Love Bow that wraps our world to this day. We are His gift, created for His delight and enjoyment...tied in perfect love. We are surrounded by God’s beauty in Creation and are constantly justified as worthy through Jesus.
Perhaps imagining this bow could help us further understand Psalm 85:10 (NIV) where it says, “Love and faithfulness meet together; righteousness and peace kiss each other.” After all, true and lasting love can only be proved through constant faithfulness. And wherever righteousness is found, there, peace will be also. Jesus personified love as He hung upon the cross and the Lord continues to love us, day in and out, in spite of our faults. It is only because He looks down through Jesus’ blood and sees us, His Creation, as spotless and righteous.
If each of us would grasp this concept of being wrapped in a Love Bow, tied together by God’s faithfulness and our righteousness through Christ, we would walk more consistently in lasting freedom and peace. We’d hold our heads high, confident in whom we are and whose we are. So let’s get to it!
Sure, we are not perfect, but we are perfectly loved. True, we do not do everything right, but we are seen as righteous by the very eyes of our Heavenly Father. And nothing could be more important than that.
Open your eyes today to the fountains of God’s faithfulness springing up all around you, and look up to meet the eyes of righteousness gazing down upon you. Thank our incredible God for His unending goodness and the priceless Love Bow securely holding you right where you stand today...
“Faithfulness springs forth from the earth, and righteousness looks down from heaven.” Psalm 85:11 (NIV)
Tied in Love,
Katie Marie
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
EVERY WORD
In the quiet stillness of the morning, I met with God today. And as my thoughts formed silent words only He could hear, I was taken by a realization. I was hit by the fact that the God of the Universe was listening to me at that very moment...He was hanging on my every word. This was certainly not because I had anything profound to say or had any new enlightenment to bring Him. He was soaking in my words simply because I delighted Him and what I had to say was uniquely important.
I sat there in my chair and pondered these thoughts with my Dad Above. I expressed my extreme gratitude for loving and cherishing me so much. But how could this be? Who am I that He would want to turn His ear my way? I am just a woman with a heart turned to God...yet somehow, that means everything to Him.
“...I look at my micro-self and wonder, why do you bother with us? Why take a second look our way? Yet we've so narrowly missed being gods, bright with Eden's dawn light. You put us in charge of your handcrafted world, repeated to us your Genesis-charge, made us lords of sheep and cattle, even animals out in the wild, birds flying and fish swimming, whales singing in the ocean deeps." Psalm 8:4-8 (MSG)
Who is this God who longs to hear the voices of His children? Why would He choose us, above all else He has created? Who is this Supreme One who has chosen mere mortals to be the object of His affections? Look at the courage of horses that never turn from the intensity of battle. Imagine the extreme speed of a cheetah pouncing through open the grasses. Envision the sheer size and power of an elephant staking its territory. Surely, in all of their power, these created beings overshadow the might of a man. And yet, we have been elected above all other living things to be loved and redeemed. We are set in a position to reign over all of the beasts of the air, land, and waters.
"His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse, nor his delight in the legs of the warrior; the LORD delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love." Psalm 147:10-11 (NIV)
God is not impressed by accomplishments, placards on walls, or bank account balances. He is not awed by the physical feats of man nor the power wielded on Earth. This Creator of ours is drawn to those who hope, trust, and authentically love on Him. He finds joy in the ones who take time just to sit and be with Him.
Picture a young child sitting on the knee of her adoring father. Chances are, she won’t offer tremendous insights to her dad but that’s not what He’s looking for. He’s simply longing to be with his daughter...to bask her giggle as she bounces upon his knee, to catch the sparkle in her eye, and soak in every detail of her imaginative stories. He wants to hear the things that riddle her most with fear along with those that paint her greatest smiles.
This is just a peek into the complex heart of our loving Dad. We are infinitely blessed to have such a Father, Savior, and Friend. Who could ever love us more than He? Who else could make us feel more accepted, understood, or welcomed?...no one but the King of Kings, Lord of the Ages, and the lover of our unique souls.
Take some time today to truly appreciate how dialed in God is to your every action. He is concentrated on you, delighting in you, and longing for you to talk with Him about everything - to engage Him with abandon. And as you do this, realize just how profound it is that the Creator of All is sitting right there with you, hanging on your every word...
"I love the LORD because he hears my voice and my prayer for mercy. Because he bends down to listen, I will pray as long as I have breath!" Psalm 116:1-2 (NLT)
Held and Heard,
Katie Marie
I sat there in my chair and pondered these thoughts with my Dad Above. I expressed my extreme gratitude for loving and cherishing me so much. But how could this be? Who am I that He would want to turn His ear my way? I am just a woman with a heart turned to God...yet somehow, that means everything to Him.
“...I look at my micro-self and wonder, why do you bother with us? Why take a second look our way? Yet we've so narrowly missed being gods, bright with Eden's dawn light. You put us in charge of your handcrafted world, repeated to us your Genesis-charge, made us lords of sheep and cattle, even animals out in the wild, birds flying and fish swimming, whales singing in the ocean deeps." Psalm 8:4-8 (MSG)
Who is this God who longs to hear the voices of His children? Why would He choose us, above all else He has created? Who is this Supreme One who has chosen mere mortals to be the object of His affections? Look at the courage of horses that never turn from the intensity of battle. Imagine the extreme speed of a cheetah pouncing through open the grasses. Envision the sheer size and power of an elephant staking its territory. Surely, in all of their power, these created beings overshadow the might of a man. And yet, we have been elected above all other living things to be loved and redeemed. We are set in a position to reign over all of the beasts of the air, land, and waters.
"His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse, nor his delight in the legs of the warrior; the LORD delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love." Psalm 147:10-11 (NIV)
God is not impressed by accomplishments, placards on walls, or bank account balances. He is not awed by the physical feats of man nor the power wielded on Earth. This Creator of ours is drawn to those who hope, trust, and authentically love on Him. He finds joy in the ones who take time just to sit and be with Him.
Picture a young child sitting on the knee of her adoring father. Chances are, she won’t offer tremendous insights to her dad but that’s not what He’s looking for. He’s simply longing to be with his daughter...to bask her giggle as she bounces upon his knee, to catch the sparkle in her eye, and soak in every detail of her imaginative stories. He wants to hear the things that riddle her most with fear along with those that paint her greatest smiles.
This is just a peek into the complex heart of our loving Dad. We are infinitely blessed to have such a Father, Savior, and Friend. Who could ever love us more than He? Who else could make us feel more accepted, understood, or welcomed?...no one but the King of Kings, Lord of the Ages, and the lover of our unique souls.
Take some time today to truly appreciate how dialed in God is to your every action. He is concentrated on you, delighting in you, and longing for you to talk with Him about everything - to engage Him with abandon. And as you do this, realize just how profound it is that the Creator of All is sitting right there with you, hanging on your every word...
"I love the LORD because he hears my voice and my prayer for mercy. Because he bends down to listen, I will pray as long as I have breath!" Psalm 116:1-2 (NLT)
Held and Heard,
Katie Marie
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
