Jesus Loves YOU

Isaiah 16:8-21:17

I’m speechlessly standing in awe of the ferocity of God’s Grace and His abundance of love for us. For me. It’s simply overwhelming.

I’ve been wandering through the house, cleaning and doing laundry as I’ve pondered today’s reading and the dream I had last night and how they seem so interlocked and yet completely separate from each other. I’ve been trying to come up with a way to start today’s post and couldn’t come up with anything. I read one of my devotionals in my email and it talked about sacrificing hearing from God for our works. This one really hit me. How much have I been doing this lately? I’ve been concentrating so hard on doing things for God that I haven’t been really thinking that much about just hanging out with God, you know, just talking with Him. Sometimes, that’s OK, life requires that we move quickly. But at least once in awhile we’ve got to stop all the madness and check in with Love Himself. And it made me realized that I couldn’t remember the last time that I had lay down and spent some serious time praying and soaking in the Love of Christ. Suddenly, I realized that I really miss Him. So I walked away from the computer and my Bible and, yes, even my phone (gasp) and I went into my bedroom to pray. I told Him that I had come in, hoping for answers to my questions, but yet above that I had come in just to be with Him. I then poured out my heart to Him, everything that had been on my mind, all my questions, fears and worries; even my frustrations and the things in the last few days that had really bugged me. I didn’t realize how bottled up I had been until it all came pouring out one thing after another. The whole time He said nothing, He just sat there intently listening. He loves to listen to me talk.

Then, when I had emptied myself of words, He showed me a picture of a scroll filled with a lifetime list of sins that unrolled and ran the entire length of His throne room, out the door and out of sight. He held the scroll up and said, “When Jesus was crucified, had you been born yet?”

“No” I replied.

“If you hadn’t been born had you committed any of these crimes against the kingdom yet?”

“No” I replied.

“Yet you believe that Jesus died on that cross to pay for these sins correct?”

“Yes, with my whole heart.”

“Your whole heart? Really? Interesting.” And then He opened up His book to Romans 3:22-26

“For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by His grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by His blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in His divine forbearance He had passed over former sins. It was to show His righteousness at the present time, so that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.”

God held out His book to me and pointed to the phrase, “passed over former sins”. He said to me, “Tell Me, if I was able and willing to pass over the sins people committed before Jesus died am I then not able or willing to do it for those sins that have not yet been committed? Am I, being an eternal God, not able to see them all from here on my throne outside of time and space? No My dear, it is only you that can not see your future sins. I have already seen them and have already forgiven them.”

And as He spoke the word “forgiven”, the blood of Jesus ran down the scroll from top to bottom erasing each and every black mark that had scarred the perfect white parchment. All the way from the top to the bottom, the marks that my life had written, were erased, forgotten; to be remembered no more.

“My Beloved children, if I remember your sins no more, why do you? If I hold them against you no longer, why do you? If I see you as white as this scroll, then why can’t you? When will you realize that I’ve made you new? It’s not a process, it’s already finished. The process is you renewing your mind and learning how to live in this new Life of Light and Love. Take hold of every thought and bring it into the captivity of Christ. Hold every thing up to the Light of My word. Do you know what that means? It means pair everything up with a scripture. My book is filled with My promises for My people, look them up! Read the stories, study the meanings, learn My Truths and throw out the many many many lies of religion and the world.

Life isn’t about you. It’s all about Me. It’s always been about Me and it will always be about Me, I’m God. Period. When you read the Bible you will find story after story about person after person. The Bible isn’t about those people. It’s about ME and My activity and presence in the lives of those people, My people. What I was willing and able to do for them, pass over their sins, I am absolutely willing and able to do for you.

Think about it for just a minute. If I was willing to give them forbearance on their sins until Christ had died, how much more do you think I am willing to give you credit for His sacrifice???

My precious one, I stand outside of time and look at all of it. As far as I’m concerned it’s all already happened. You stand on the inside of time. You can only see things from the moment you’re standing in. Think about this, What happened to you three years ago looks a lot differently now than it did when it happened or even two years ago. Your perspective changes as time goes by. Mine never does, because I never move. I am the same yesterday, today and forever. You change constantly, with every breath your cells die and multiply, your hair falls out and grows in, your tastes are always changing, everything about you in is in a state of constant change. But I never do, just your opinion of Me and My ways.

My lovely, you have always been forgiven. You may have been conceived in sin, but you were born forgiven. Even Abraham couldn’t say that. When you were a child, you thought like a child and reasoned like a child and believed everything that everyone told you. Now you are grown and thinking for yourself. Think on this. Are you to the point in time where you are able to accept this Truth? You have been redeemed, you have been made new, and you are a NEW creation in Christ. Are you ready to live in that Light? Are you ready to grasp onto that Truth and never let go no matter how hard the Accuser tries to convince you otherwise? There is no greater truth than My love for you through the sacrifice and forgiveness of Jesus, if you cling to that Truth your face will never be covered with shame. There is no greater picture of My love for you than His blood dripping down the cross and the stone rolled away from the empty grave. I think Paul summarizes it best in 1 Corinthians 13:13 ‘So now faith, hope and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.’ A mustard seed of faith can move a mountain, and hope can get you through some really rough times, but My Love is the only thing that can save you. My Love for you is greater than anything else you could ever hope, dream or imagine. My Love for you goes so much farther than you could ever think possible.

You think that being completely forgiven is so huge, too huge, unbelievable; you know nothing. My Love for you surpasses anything you could ever do against Me. My Love for you supersedes anything that Satan could throw in your path. My Love for you is higher than any obstacle that you could ever encounter. My Love for you is wider than any gap that could span between us, even the one you have built up in your mind. My Love can reach you wherever you are. My Love can forgive any wrong you could ever commit. My Love can, has, and will continue to redeem you. REST assured that your salvation, your blessings, your calling, your provision, your future, your life, your possessions, your family, your everything, is secure in My hands. YOUR name is engraved in the palms of My hands written with the tips of nails, I couldn’t forget you even if I tried. No one, not even you, can snatch you from My hands. So lie down and sleep in peace, because I alone, the LORD, make you dwell in safety.”

Isaiah 12:1-16:7

“When the LORD has given you rest from your pain and turmoil and the hard service with which you were made to serve, you will take up this taunt against the king of Babylon.” Isaiah 14:3

As I prayed last night before I fell asleep, I asked God if a year of rest from the tormentors and the Enemy’s minions was even possible. A whole year where everything in life was hunky dory. Where we would have enough money for everything we needed AND a lot of what we wanted, no on got sick, the ministry would go well, books would sell, Sean and I would take joy in our jobs and the kids would love their teachers and do well in school. I would be skinnier and more outwardly beautiful so that my husband would desire me above all others, without any extra effort on my own part. The house would stay clean because EVERYONE would keep it that way, instead of just me. The yard would stay perfectly mowed and landscaped. The weeds wouldn’t even bother coming up because they knew they would just be pulled anyway.

It may all sound silly when put together in this way, but it’s true. It’s what I want. I’d probably be bored to tears in the first month and a half, but wouldn’t it be nice not to have to be in a constant battle against something? I mean, there’s ALWAYS something going on, or not going on as the case may be. And depending on the circumstances there are even things that go on only in our heads while everything else around us is perfectly fine.

That is why I have latched onto this scripture today. It doesn’t say “If” the LORD has given you rest from your pain and turmoil… It says, WHEN the LORD has given you rest. It’s not a matter of if it will happen, it’s as certain as the sun rising in the east and setting in the west. We never have any doubts that the sun will fail in performing it’s daily dance through the sky, yet we doubt if God will be faithful in performing the things He has said He would do.

Hmmm… I no more than finished writing that and my six year old came up to me and asked if I would wiggle her top front tooth that is loose and juuuust about to come out. My friend Tammy has been giving her a hard time and telling her that she shouldn’t lose her tooth because she would get in trouble. She would get in trouble for losing her library book, or her special toys, so why wouldn’t she get in trouble for losing her tooth? God put it in there for a reason didn’t He?

Well, just now as I was wiggling her tooth she and I were telling my son about the things Tammy has been telling her and he countered it with, “Yes, but God is taking her tooth out to make room for a bigger one.” Well, said my son!

My friends, what if these battles in life that shake us are like baby teeth! They’re there in order to hold a spot in our life for a while, so that when the adult baby tooth starts to come in it will have a space in our life. There’s a period of time when the baby tooth is shaky and no longer permanently fixed in our heads. It’s loose in order to give us a little time to get used to the idea of things changing in our lives. Then the day comes and it falls out completely, leaving a gaping open space in our lives that seems empty and barren and maybe even a little bloody and raw. But it certainly doesn’t stay that way for long does it? Before we know it that adult tooth starts filling in the gaping hole with it’s shiny white newness and amazing strength.

Maybe the things that are shaking and unstable in our lives right this very moment have just been placed there as a baby tooth. Something to help us learn how to eat solid meat and it’s just the right size for our baby sized thinking, but now it’s time that we grew up a bit more. So the baby thing starts shaking and wiggling and scaring the bajeepers out of you because it’s certainly never wiggled like that before. And you might even have an Aunt Tammy who’s teasing you and making you think that it’s not OK to lose your tooth!

Lord, there ARE things in my life that are shaking and wiggling loose and it is terrifying me. And I do have someone in my life that is taking full advantage of those uncertainties and taunting me with them. Please help me to see that it’s all going to be OK and to know what things I need to let go of. Help me to live with my hands open and not clenched in fear of losing the things that I don’t need to be holding onto. Help me to be a little more like Anna. She’s not afraid to lose her tooth, she’s excited about it enough to ask for help in wiggling it. And that’s what I’m doing today Lord. Please help me wiggle this lose tooth and get it the rest of the way out so that my new tooth can come in and fill the gap, steady and solid and stable. Please come and steady my heart Lord as this huge transition in my life approaches. I’ve started new jobs before and I can do it again. Help me to remember that through the power of Your Holy Spirit I can do everything You call me to do. ALL of it! Please help me quiet the voices trying to frighten me into thinking that this transition is a bad thing instead of a good thing. I know that You are in it and that tells me that it’s good for me, no matter what.

Lord, thank You for always being with me and never leaving me or forsaking me in my weaknesses. I trust You Lord, even when I don’t fully understand what You’re doing or why. I love You Lord, please let Your perfect love come in and cast out all my fear.! In Jesus’ name. Amen!

Isaiah 8:1-11:16

The scriptures in today’s Word of the Day all hit really close to home for me. Starting with the very first sentence; “Take a large tablet and write on it in common characters.” Isaiah 8:1

When I first started writing God kept giving me Habakkuk 2:2 “And the LORD answered me, ‘Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so he may run who reads it.'” So this morning when I read Isaiah I about fell off the couch! His timing is always so amazing; today we’re starting a new book, a new chapter in the life of Tamar. And the first words from His lips are “write”. It makes me smile. Especially with today’s technology, we are again writing on tablets! 😉 How funny is that!?! I’m not, but some of you may be!

There were many other scriptures that fell close to my heart this morning, but none closer than Isaiah 9:2. “The people who walked in darkness, have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone.

My friends, I have been that person. For the majority of my life I lived in a place of darkness that I *thought* was light. I had been told that it was the light, but then I had a breakthrough to the real light and I can tell you with absolute confidence that religion is not the light. The radical Grace of Jesus that forgives COMPLETELY, that’s the LIGHT. It may sound funny, but for weeks after my breakthrough I truly felt like I was walking around aboveground for the first time after living en entire lifetime underground. The sun was brighter, colors were more vibrant, people were so much more fun to be around. I had been forgiven COMPLETELY of everything that God could ever hold against me! And honestly, if God wasn’t holding anything against me then who cares if anyone else is!

I felt free, really free, for the very first time in my life. It was amazing. And ever since that moment all I’ve wanted to do is to teach others about the amazing Grace of Jesus and tell them about the freedom that it brings in that moment of climbing out of the cave of darkness into His truly marvelous light.

And that is precisely what I intend to do for the rest of my life, no matter what my job title is. I have been filled with the marvelous light of His love, and that shouldn’t be hidden under a bed in fear of rejection or shame. It needs to sit high on a hill so that it can be a beacon for all to see and be drawn to his loving warmth and Grace.

Music you might enjoy: Marvelous Light by Christy Nockels

To read more about my journey from darkness into Light, you may want to check out my books: The Pink Polka dot Kitty (before and leading up to the receiving of His radical Grace) & You have been Redeemed (after receiving His radical Grace and figuring out what life aboveground looks like).

Isaiah 3:16-7:25

“In that day the Lord will take away the finery of the anklets, the headbands, and the crescents; the pendants, the bracelets, and the scarves; the headdresses, the armlets, the sashes, the perfume boxes, and the amulets; the signet rings and nose rings; the festal robes, the mantles, the cloaks, and the handbags; the mirrors, the linen garments, the turbans, and the veils.” Isaiah 3:18-23

OK, I have to admit that when I read this passage when I got to “handbags” I actually gasped! I mean, yeah, its one thing to take away all of a girl’s jewelry, but to take away her purse, now that’s just too far! At that point you might as well take away her shoes!

GASP!

For the longest time, my motto has been “reach for the stars, because even if you fall short you’ll still be among the stars”. Well, a few weeks ago I was having a rough day and feeling pretty low. And I prayed and told God that I was feeling like my toes were barely touching rock bottom. I was tired of dangling at the bottom of the rope feeling like things were never going to change. I asked Him to pick me up and put me on His shoulders so that I could touch the stars. I said, “Lord, I don’t want to just reach for them and feel like I’m never going to get there. I want to ACTUALLY TOUCH THEM!”

The next day as I was walking up to the building where I was about to have a very important meeting I was greeting with this:

I actually almost cried.

Last night we had a whopper of a storm. And during that storm the LORD came to me. And He took me up to the heavens and showed me the stars all lay out like a carpet before me. They were absolutely breathtaking in their beauty and splendor as they sparkled much brighter than little diamonds in the sky. But then He did something interesting, He then took the stars in the heavens and all their beauty and He rolled them up and squeezed them down and showed me how He put them all in woman.

But He wasn’t finished with her yet. Then He took the storm that was raging around me with violent fury and healing rain and He shrunk that down and put that inside woman too! And then He presented her to me, as if I had been Adam and showed me how beautifully women have been created; with the heavens in their hair and the healing fury of a thunderous storm in their bellies. That while these women can have their heads in the clouds they can simultaneously run entire states (or countries if given the chance). Women have the exquisite beauty of an infinite sky and yet simultaneously have a healing touch like rain soothing the parched earth. Hell may have no fury like a woman scorned, but it also doesn’t have the voice of angels with the power of lighting.

Woman is by far one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen, and yet all too often we rely so heavily on our outward adornment that our inward excellence has a hard time showing through. Last night God showed me the goddess that He created in woman and it had NOTHING to do with make up or jewelry or clothes or even handbags or shoes. To be a woman is to have stars in your heart and storms in your very being. We should be proud of that! Woman was the crowning jewel of all creation. Nothing in this entire universe can compare to the beauty of woman, all women. When we look up at the stars at night and just shake our heads at the infinite beauty of the heavens (and it is BEAUTIFUL UP THERE), its nothing compared to the beauty in here; within us. God showed me that last night.

Then after the fury of the storm had been unleashed He pointed out to me that I never had to reach for the stars, because they’ve always been inside me.

Years ago I read Isaiah 6:8-9 to God and said to Him “Here I am Lord, send me.” And He said “Go. Tell them I love them.” And ever since that moment I have done everything I can to tell the world how much Jesus loves them, because He does!

But lately, I’ve found myself stretched a little farther than I was comfortable with. And that’s not necessarily a bad thing, but it is certainly something that starts to get your attention after awhile. And I had a moment at church on Sunday where God used my pastor to take me down from the stage, he took away my microphone and he prayed for me. Then God used him to talk some sense into me. My pastor took me by the shoulders and told me to look him in the eye, which isn’t easy because he’s like nine feet tall and I’m only five. And he said to me, “God says, ‘You’re trying too hard to please Me. I am already pleased with you.'” And through sobs that were trembling my body and choking my throat I managed to laugh and tell him, “Do you have any idea how many times God has sent people to tell me that?”

There is no sacrifice left. Nothing that we can do pleases God more than to simply love Him back and have a conversation with Him. He just wants us to know Him more than we already do. We don’t have to earn His approval because we’ve already got it through the blood of Christ! Thank You Jesus! We don’t have to DO anything to get God to like us because He already likes us just the way we are; broken and frail, human and as messy as a pig in mud. Christians love to pick up the Law and beat each other and ourselves with it. We’ve forgotten that Jesus didn’t come to abolish the Law He came to fulfill it! Do you know what that means?

The Law is perfect, in absolutely every single way. Humanity is imperfect in absolutely every single way. The entire purpose of the Law was to point out these imperfections and make us realize that we could never live up to the standard of being a god. God the Father, perfect in every way. Jesus the Son, perfect in every way. The Holy Spirit, perfect in every way. Adam and Eve ate the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil because they wanted to “be like God”. God sent down the Law to show us, “OK, you want to be gods, here are the rules.” And surprise surprise, we couldn’t follow them. Go figure, we were never made to! We were created to be imperfect beings that NEED a perfect God to shepherd them and take care of them. We were created to be His Beloved children; the recipients of His love for us, period!

Yet in that one small seemingly insignificant bite humanity threw that all away and in a bold-faced statement told God, “We don’t need Your help, we don’t want Your help, we can do it on our own.” But guess what, we couldn’t do it on our own. Never have and never will, because it’s not how we were created. We were created to NEED HIM. We were created to be His. We were created to receive His love for us for the rest of eternity. We don’t have to reach for His love for us because it’s already inside us through His Holy Spirit. We don’t have to strive for His approval because we’ve already got it through Jesus Christ!

Jesus came to fulfill the Law. The perfect Law was like an outline of who God is and what He does. And while none of us could fill it in, Jesus could. He came along with His rainbow full of radiant colors and He colored in between the lines of the Law and showed us how it’s done. But the best part was in His last moment on the cross, Jesus shouted in a loud voice, “It is finished”. It was in that moment that the outline of the Law had been completely filled in with the blood of Jesus, leaving no spaces left for us to fill in on our own.

Yet we still try through don’t we? We still try to leave our little marks all over the Law, putting ourselves into a higher position than others because we think we’ve managed to fill in the Law better than they have. Wrong! It doesn’t work that way. If you’ve fallen in one tiny bite-sized area of the Law, you failed in all of it.

There is no sacrifice left. The only thing there is left to do is to rest in the Grace that Jesus has offered up on your behalf. Rest in your humanity and the Truth that you weren’t made to be perfect, you were made to be HIS!

You are more beautiful than the most beautiful sunset or the crispest clear night. You are more powerful than a raging storm and more healing than the rain falling on the ground causing things grow. You are woman, the most precious crown jewel in the kingdom, because you’re His!