At these times I feel that I am able to come in and "kick off the dust” and to bask in the warm and comforting presence of the Lord. I can feel the love of those whom God has blessed me with, whether they are friends or family. I love the honesty, frankness and understanding that we are all able to share. I love the wisdom gained in the listening, and the acceptance and understanding that takes place in the sharing.
I love that I am able to be myself, even when I'm not quite sure of who that is. I love the image and direction of Christ I see mirrored back to me when I have lost my way. I love that I am able to find a loving hand to help me up when I've run out of strength. I love the encouragement and truth from the Word of God that settles itself inside of my spirit and makes its way into my heart where it plants hope, forgiveness and more love. I love the sense of fullness and satisfaction that permeates itself on the inside of me, a sense of being in the very presence of God and knowing that I am deeply loved.
To me there is no greater gift than the gift of ones self, for this is the very same gift that Jesus gave to each one of us. There is such great truth in the scripture that states,
“We love because He first loved us”
(1 John 4:19).
As I sit here and contemplate all that this means I can feel the depth and sweetness of this truth as it bears witness in the deepest, most intimate places of my heart and spirit.As I shut my eyes I can almost feel the gentle but strong embrace of My Heavenly Father. As I settle back I can feel a deep smile of contentment as it outlines itself onto my face. As His peace and gentleness enfold me, I can almost hear Him as He whispers so clearly, “It is good.”
Written by Beverley A. Napier
Hi Beverley
ReplyDeleteThat feeling of going home is one of the best feelings in the world. And even better than that when we can climb into God's lap and let Him love on us. Such precious times. Great devotional.
Blessings!