The greatest stories of our life often come from the greatest tragedies, even when it comes to a love story. This is definitely true for me. When I had shipwrecked my life in the raging storms of my own sinful choices—God showed me love like I’d never known. I’d lived in the camp of His enemies and yet, after they had crushed me and spit me out—He still thought I was worth rescuing. Underneath the wretched layers of my sin-ravaged heart, God still saw the beautiful girl He had created in His glorious image:
“My frame was not hidden from You, when I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.
Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed.
And in Your book they all were written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them.
How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them!”
Psalms 139:15-17 NKJV
There at the bottom, when I read this Psalm, for just a moment I glimpsed the greatness God had created in me. It gave me hope. Even though I had been born again years before—because I didn’t understand the vast goodness of God—I needed to ask Him to help me learn to love Him. He was so kind and gracious. He reminded me of His glorious promise:
“I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you.”
Jeremiah 31:3 NKJV
What a promise! At the bottom of my mess, when I deserved God’s judgment–He showed me merciful love. That’s where I began to walk-out my best life—in surrender to God. Today, the more I make my life about God—the more He makes me someone I really like. You see, so many of us believe the lies of our enemies that we must—become more confident in ourselves; we must “look inside” ourselves; we must love ourselves more; we must stand up for ourselves; etc. But the Bible does NOT teach any of this! Rather, the Bible tells us to love God MOST by living in loving obedience to His Word; and to love others like we love ourselves. We must live in humility to be close to God. Jesus served. He gave. He died so we could live our best life.
My friend, Christlikeness is a daily process; and a life of surrender to God is the most beautiful life.
As we surrender to God’s will in every area of our life, we give Him the pen to write our personal love story.
In a life of full surrender to Christ, we experience the miracles of His transforming power and we no longer desire to live in self-destructive sin. It’s not worth it. God’s holy presence gives us our best life and the proof is in our love for each other. Jesus said:
“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.“
John 13:34-35 NKJV
The fact is—we WILL surrender to something or someone—even if it’s just the horrible master of self. But God is so much better at our life than we are! Our most miraculous stories are written when God’s love is freely flowing through us. The first miracle is the salvation of our soul when our inner man is made alive in Christ. Then, the wondrous story continues as we surrender each day in loving obedience to Christ and discipline ourselves to—read His Word, commit to a church, faithfully pray, and learn to grow in our personal relationship with Him. As we find ourselves more and more in the center of His will—loving Him is our greatest narrative.
Indeed, LOVE is the proof of the glorious presence of Christ in us!
“No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us. By THIS we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit.
And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. And we have known and believed the love that God has for us.
God is love, and he who abides in LOVE abides in GOD, and GOD in HIM.
If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?
And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also. “
1 John 4:12-16, 20-21
God’s love FOR us is OUR greatest love story and—our love FOR God—allows HIM to write it.
We would love to hear your thoughts about this devotional. Did God speak to you or challenge your daily walk with him? Or is there a topic that you would like Kimberly to cover or expound on? Please share with us in the comments below.
To learn more about Kimberly Faith and the mission of Faith Strong, click HERE.
Out Now – Essential Faith, Volume II. Find it on Amazon by clicking HERE.
To learn more about Kimberly Faith’s ministry Fostering By Faith, click HERE.
One Response
Always read 1 Corinthians 13 if you want to know about love .