the initiating love of God.

Savior,

Thank You for Your love.

"For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life."  John 3:16

"For them I sanctify (set apart) Myself, that they may be truly sanctified."  John 17:19 

Just listened to a podcast from church, "The Initiating Love of God" from Easter 2013, since I'm not feeling well this morning. After the podcast ended, my iTunes began playing a song from my brother's piano CD called "Coming After You."  It was perfect to worship and meditate on Your love, Lord, right after hearing Your truth preached.

Your love leaves me speechless.

And yet, there are words I must cry out to You.

You set apart Yourself to obey Your rules as Almighty God to take my place, because You love me.

And You initiated our relationship.

You chased me. (John 3:16)
You chose me. (John 15:16)
You cleansed me. (John 15:3)
You planted me. (Hosea 2:23)
You washed me. (John 13:8)
You covered me. (Romans 4:7-8)
You qualified me. (Colossians 1:12)
You clothed me. (Isaiah 61:10)
You loved me on the cross. (Romans 5:8)

You died, because You want me.
Now.
Now, in my mess, in my brokeness, in my imperfection, in my weakness, in my failures, with my pride and selfishness and anxieties and fears.

You rose to life, because You want me to know Who You are.
Now.
Now, You are good and God and holy and powerful and true and faithful and just and worthy.

You stay when I fall, because of Who You are. And You returned to the Father, so You could send me out to proclaim Your truth here and to the ends of the earth.

Thank You for love.
Thank You for coming after me and initiating a relationship with me, when I was chasing worldly things to make me happy.

Savior, teach me more of Your love, and form Your love in me, that people around me do not see some idealized version I have of myself, one that is based in me and not in You. Rather, that they see a woman in need of a Savior and meet the Savior they need themselves.

"He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty." Psalm 91:1

Thank You, Jesus. I need You.
I love You, LORD.

In Jesus' Name,
Amen.