Only God Can Meet Our Deep Need To Be Loved

The Lord has appeared of old to me, saying: "Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you (Jeremiah 31:3).

  

We’re born with an innate need to be loved. The human spirit thrives when nurtured by love. Without it, there is an emptiness seeking to be filled. Living without love creates idolatry. Idolatry is getting a legitimate need met in an illegitimate way.

  

Most of the indulgences of the flesh are temporary fixes to a much deeper problem. Some fill the emptiness that only love can fill with food additions. Some fill the emptiness with sexual escapades that will mar life and wreck their future, leaving life empty and defiled. Others dull the pain of emptiness with alcohol or drug abuse. Many are workaholics. They are afraid of the empty they feel when things get quiet and the activity ceases.

 

God the Father created us to be loved by Him. The human heart can only be satisfied by His unconditional love. No other antidote to emptiness works.

  

Human relationships were designed by God to work well only in the context of a love relationship with Him. Without this love relationship, selfishness born of the sin nature will hinder closeness and depth.

  

Jesus reveals to us the sum total of our personal needs as He spoke to some religious folk of His day. Then one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, and saying, Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?  Jesus said to him, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment.  And the second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.  On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets (Matthew 22:35-40).

  

We were created to be loved and to love. Love is the incubator for the human personality.

  

Without it, life becomes dry, meaningless, and needy. When I speak of love, I must define my terms. This love that comes from the Father is gentle, kind, forbearing, patient, encouraging, genuine, hopeful, helpful, pure, and unconditional. God the Father knows you so well. He knows your deep needs more than anyone. He knows why you think and respond the way you do. He will not criticize or judge you. He will accept you the way you are, and then draw you into Himself and show you a new way to deal with life.

  

It’s hard not to become poetic when speaking of the Father’s love. It’s so hard to put into words. Being with Him brings a fullness inside; a sense of being so loved and cared for that no fear can penetrate. Fear vanishes when you open up and really receive His unconditional love.

  

Choose today to open yourself up to the Father’s love. Ask Him to help you take the walls down. Humble yourself under His loving hand. He will help you. Pour your heart out to Him. Tell Him all of your worries and concerns. Allow your every motive to pass through His loving gaze. Ask Him to help you where you know you are wrong. His love will penetrate the barrier of your flesh. His love can fill every unmet need. His love will change you.

God's Unconditional Love

But, as a matter of fact, it matters very little to me what you or any man thinks of me. I don’t even value my opinion of myself (1 Corinthians 4:3).

  

God create us for relationship. We’re designed by God to relate to Him as a spiritual Father. From Him we are to receive love, nurture and guidance. Of course, sin separated us from God and brought along with it fear and the tendency to hide from God and others. Christ made a way for us to be reconciled to the Father so totally that there is no longer a fear of Him or a desire to hide. We can now approach the throne of God with the boldness of a baby running into its parent’s arms!

 

The Father gives us unconditional love. That means that there are no conditions that we have to meet for Him to care about us. He loves us when we perform well, and He loves us when we fail. He offers forgiveness and cleansing to us when we miss it. If we confess our sins, He is faith and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9).

 

During the time of the crucifixion, Peter denied Jesus three times in the presence of others.  When Jesus was raised from the dead, an angel mentioned Peter by name to those who came into Jesus’ tomb to anoint His body for burial. But go, tell His disciples — and Peter — that He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him, as He said to you (Mark 16:7).  The Lord doesn’t turn a cold shoulder to us when we miss it and fail. He loves us and offers to us another chance. For a righteous man may fall seven times And rise again, but the wicked shall fall by calamity (Proverbs 24:16).

 

There is such a freedom in being loved with no strings attached. Most of us have never experienced that kind of love and acceptance from anybody!

 

In the study course Search for Significance, one of the four false beliefs that are common to man is those who fail are unworthy of love and deserve to be punished. We are treated this way in most of our relationships. So when God offers unconditional love, it seems awkward. We feel that we must in some way pay Him back for His forgiveness. But the Father’s love and forgiveness are free gifts to us! We don’t deserve His unconditional love and we can’t work for it. It’s a free gift from Him.

 

When you learn to accept the Father’s love and forgiveness personally, you are then enabled to give that same unconditional love and forgiveness away to others! It takes a while for it to sink into your thought life that the Father could actually love you and accept you when you mess up! Once you grasp this amazing love He has for you, your relationship with Him will be transformed, and in turn your relationships with others will deepen.

Next time I’ll talk about how to overcome the conditioning that keeps us isolated from others.

God Wants You To Be Free From A Poverty Mentality!

And He said to them, Be careful what you are hearing. The measure of thought and study  you give to the truth you hear will be the measure of virtue and knowledge that comes back to you — and more besides will be given to you who hear (Mark 4:24-Amplified).

  

Bad news is everywhere these days. Be careful that you keep a rich supply of the Word built up in you. God our Father has lost none of His wealth, and Has lost none of His ability to supply our every need.

 

Faith comes through what we hear. Be careful about what you hear the most of. Don’t allow the voice of unbelief from world sources to drown out the voice of faith you receive and hear from the Word. Take plenty of time to meditate in the Word these days. Keep your faith in God’s supply strong inside of you.

 

God created the world and everything in it for mankind! When the first man Adam sinned, a curse came upon the earth. Its once pristine, life producing, plentiful environment became a harsh climate of pain, lack, need, and death. Jesus Christ came to redeem us from the curse that came when God’s law was breached by man’s sin.

Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”), that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith (Galatians 3:13-14). The curse of the broken law included three things: poverty, sickness, and spiritual death.

Jesus came to deliver you from poverty as well as sin and sickness. Does it make any sense for God to create the earth and then fill it with all the necessities of life with a plan to withhold it from His own children? Of course it doesn’t.  Poverty is part of the curse of a fallen world! And Jesus came to redeem believers in Him from poverty.

When I came to Jesus, I had a poverty mentality. I didn’t think I was worthy of having much. I had a barely get along mentality. The Word of God revolutionized my beliefs about poverty, lack, and need. I began to see that God wanted His own people to enjoy the blessing He placed on earth. He does not withhold from His own. My life was transformed. I have found God to be a Father who give us richly all things to enjoy.

Rid yourself of the poverty mentality. Allow God to be the Father He wants to be to you. He wants you to be fully supplied. Trust Him today to free you from the curse of lack. He’s a good, good, Father!

Below are scriptures that will boost your faith in God’s supply! Fill yourself with faith from them, allow them to change your personal beliefs as they did my own beliefs, then believe that you receive God’s best!

Psalm 50:10-12

For every beast of the forest is Mine, And the cattle on a thousand hills. (11) I know all the birds of the mountains, And the wild beasts of the field are Mine. (12) "If I were hungry, I would not tell you; For the world is Mine, and all its fullness.

Exodus 19:5

Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine.

Leviticus 25:23

The land shall not be sold permanently, for the land is Mine; for you are strangers and sojourners with Me.

Haggai 2:8

The silver is Mine, and the gold is Mine, says the Lord of hosts.

Psalm 24:1

The earth is the Lord's, and all its fullness, The world and those who dwell therein.

Psalm 89:11

The heavens are Yours, the earth also is Yours; The world and all its fullness, You have founded them.

Psalm 112 – New Living Translation

Praise the Lord! How joyful are those who fear the Lord and delight in obeying his commands.(2) Their children will be successful everywhere; an entire generation of godly people will be blessed.(3) They themselves will be wealthy, and their good deeds will last forever.(4) Light shines in the darkness for the godly. They are generous, compassionate, and righteous. (5) Good comes to those who lend money generously and conduct their business fairly.(6) Such people will not be overcome by evil. Those who are righteous will be long remembered. (7) They do not fear bad news; they confidently trust the Lord to care for them. (8)They are confident and fearless and can face their foes triumphantly. (9) They share freely and give generously to those in need. Their good deeds will be remembered forever. They will have influence and honor.(10) The wicked will see this and be infuriated. They will grind their teeth in anger; they will slink away, their hopes thwarted.

Deuteronomy 8:18

And you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day.

1 Chronicles 29:12

Both riches and honor come from You, And You reign over all. In Your hand is power and might; In Your hand it is to make great And to give strength to all.

Psalm 84:11-12

For the Lord God is a sun and shield; The Lord will give grace and glory; No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly. 12 O Lord of hosts, blessed is the man who trusts in You!

Psalm 34:8-10

Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who trusts in Him! (9) Oh, fear the Lord, you His saints! There is no want to those who fear Him. (10) The young lions lack and suffer hunger; but those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing.

Psalm 33:18-19

Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him, on those who hope in His mercy,

19 To deliver their soul from death, And to keep them alive in famine.

Psalm 37:18-19

The Lord knows the days of the upright, And their inheritance shall be forever. (19) They shall not be ashamed in the evil time, And in the days of famine they shall be satisfied.

Psalm 111:5

He has given food to those who fear Him; He will ever be mindful of His covenant.

Isaiah 1:19

If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land;

Proverbs 10:22

The blessing of the Lord makes one rich, and He adds no sorrow with it.

Proverbs 22:4

By humility and the fear of the Lord are riches and honor and life.

Proverbs 15:6

In the house of the righteous there is much treasure, but in the revenue of the wicked is trouble.

Matthew 6:33 - NLT

Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.

Luke 12:31-32 - NLT

Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and he will give you everything you need.

(32) So don't be afraid, little flock. For it gives your Father great happiness to give you the Kingdom.

Romans 8:32 - Amplified

He who did not withhold or spare [even] His own Son but gave Him up for us all, will He not also with Him freely and graciously give us all other things?

Philippians 4:19

And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

1 Timothy 6:17-19 - NLT

Teach those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which is so unreliable. Their trust should be in God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment. (18) Tell them to use their money to do good. They should be rich in good works and generous to those in need, always being ready to share with others.

(19) By doing this they will be storing up their treasure as a good foundation for the future so that they may experience true life.

2 Peter 1:3

As His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue,

3 John 2

Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.

God Has Called Believers To Live A Separated Life

I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world (John 17:14-16).

God’s people have always been a separated people. We are to shine as lights in the darkness around us. We have the influence of salt in a bland, sin-filled world.

John tells us not to love the world. Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world — the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life — is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever (1 John 2:15-17).

The world is defined by Kenneth Wuest as all the floating mass of thoughts, opinions, maxims, speculations, hopes, impulses, aims, aspirations that are at any time current in the world.

Smith Wigglesworth defines the world as that which cools my affection towards God.

Here in 1 John, the world is defined as the sinful longings of the flesh and eyes, and as the pride of life.

The world looms large as an enticing danger to every believer. For that reason we must guard ourselves. If we love the world (1 John 2:15), we could become friends with the world, which is actually classed with being an enemy of God (James 4:4). We then could become spotted or tainted by the world (James 1:27). The end result of all of this is being conformed to the world (Romans 12:2).  And if a person continues in that, he or she could be condemned with the world (1 Corinthians 11:32).

A believer that becomes friendly, spotted, in love with, and conformed to the world, is open to receive the chastening of the Lord. For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world (1 Corinthians 11:31-32).

 

He does not want us to lose our spiritual life to the influence of the world. So the Father gives us an opportunity to repent, and if we choose not to judge ourselves from this behavior of becoming like the world, He then chastens us. When God chastens, His hand of protection is removed, and the enemy is allowed to move in where he then seeks to steal, kill, and destroy.

Let’s keep ourselves today, so that the enemy has no inroad into our life through the world. Jesus has prayed for us to be kept from the world. Let’s refuse to compromise. Let’s be salty, light filled believers!

Are You Living A Fear Based Life Or A Faith Based Life?

For God did not give us a spirit of timidity (of cowardice, of craven and cringing and fawning fear), but He has given us a spirit of power and of love and of calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control (2 Timothy 1:7 – Amplified).

A fear based life is an unsettled life. What’s going to happen in my future, in my home, in my travels, in my body, in my finances? A faith based life expects God to act in every circumstance and situation that life brings.

 

A fear based life is based on feelings and circumstances. A faith based life is a life that is lived by the Word of God! What God says settles everything to the faith based life. A calmness, a rest, a hope, a security, and great joy accompany the faith based life. Depression, gloom, irritability, dread, hopelessness, and tiredness accompany the fear based life.

Make the switch today to be a person who lives by Word of God based faith and not by fear based sight! Each day will become an adventure as you and the Father go through the day talking with one another, strategizing with His Word about the details of what you’re doing. Faith based living does not consult with the flesh, circumstances or opinion. Thus says the Lord rules the faith based life.

 

Fear attracts satanic activity, and draws a person into difficulty. The fear of man brings a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord shall be safe (Proverbs 29:25). Job ascribed his troubles to his fear that opened the door for the enemy to attack him. For the thing I greatly feared has come upon me, and what I dreaded has happened to me (Job 3:25).

Don’t allow fear to rule your life. Fill yourself with the Word. Ask yourself what the Word of God says about every area of life. Refuse fear and the emotional baggage it brings. Lift your hands, praise God, and declare the Lordship of His Word over your life! Speak the Word and run fear out of your life today!

 

The Word Of God Will Change Your Life If You Will Put It Into Practice

It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life (John 6:63).

 

The Word contains God’s very life and nature. Feeding on the Word is not like reading Shakespeare or classic literature. These contain no power to change. But God’s Word is the power of God unto salvation for spirit, soul, and body (Romans 1:16-17).

Time in the Word is time spent in the presence of the Father. And just as you take your car into the mechanics shop for a tune up, so the Word tunes us up spiritually. It rids us of the habits and attitudes that hold us back. It makes adjustments in all areas of life; our home, our business life, our private world, and has the power to break ingrained habits of conduct.

The Word provides spiritual nutrition so that we grow into the likeness of Christ. The Word is spirit food. Keep your spirit richly fed with this manna from heaven.

One Word of caution though. Just reading the Word with no purpose to change or act will do no good. Spiritual growth will be stifled, and personal progress will not be realized. It becomes self-evident over a period of time whether or not we are submitting ourselves to the Lordship of Jesus through the Lordship of the Word.

 

Notice again James 1:22-25 (NIV): Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it — he will be blessed in what he does.

The author of Hebrews likewise gives us this warning:

In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God's word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil (Hebrews 5:12-14-NIV).

 

Be sure to feed on the Word daily with the attitude of acting on what you read. Be determined to change any action, word, attitude, motive, or conduct that disagrees with the Word. Keep a sensitive ear to the Holy Spirit by consciously asking yourself what the Word says about what you’re doing throughout the day.

If you’ll practice this for 21 to 28 days, you’ll begin to form a habit of walking intimately with your Father. This time next year, you’ll not be the same person!

God My Shepherd

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever (Psalm 23).

The Father sees us as sheep, and He has the role of a shepherd in our lives. Here are some practical truths about sheep and shepherds that apply to our relationship with the Lord.
 
A shepherd knows his sheep by name and the sheep train themselves to know the shepherd’s voice. Sheep are helpless to defend themselves against enemies, and easily wander into danger.
 
The Father makes us to lie down in green pastures. A good shepherd will give his sheep the best food, and will lead them for miles to the greenest, most lush pastures. Good food means a healthy flock. Life is sustained by water, and the shepherd always looks for an abundant source near the grazing field. The Father is Jehovah Jireh to us. He provides us with everything we need to live in blessing. He’s always looking for the best supply for all of our needs!

The Father restores our souls. A shepherd looks after each sheep, and seeks to make it feel secure and cared for. The Father wants to minister to us and heal the emotional wounds that life brings. The Father as our shepherd restores our soul. He leads us to partake of the engrafted Word that will renew our minds and release pain from our emotions (James 1:21). He will lead us away from the activities of the flesh that rob us of peace and inward rest, and urges us to spend time with Him so that He can brush away our fears with His comforting Word.

The Lord our shepherd is with us in times of danger. The valley of the shadow of death is a gulley on the side of a mountain that the shepherd and sheep must pass through to get back home. Animals of prey watch from the surrounding hills for sheep that stray. The shepherd has a rod to defend the sheep from the prey. On the other end of the rod is a hooked end that the shepherd uses to grab the sheep by the neck when they are about to leave the fold. Sheep feel secure from danger as long as they know the shepherd is nearby to defend them.
 
The Father prepares a table before us in front of our enemies. A shepherd will look for a flat place in a field where the sheep can lay down, eat lush grass, and rest. As the sheep eat and rest, the shepherd is ever watching for the prey that seeks to harm his sheep. The sheep eat and rest in security as long as they can look up and see their shepherd.
 
The Father anoints our head with oil. A Shepherd will anoint his sheep on a hot, dry day. Oil soothes the parched skin and brings refreshment in arid eastern countries. Wounds from brier scratches or snakes bites are cared for by being dressed with oil. The Father ever seeks to bring healing, health and restoration to our parched lives.

Our cup runs over. It’s one thing to have a full supply, It’s another to have so much that your cup runs over! That’s what our shepherd desires for us as His sheep. He wants us to have more than enough!
 
His goodness and mercy are extended to us every day of our lives. His mercies are new every morning! Blessing chases us every day! Allow the Lord to be your shepherd today. Listen for His voice. Watch for the guidance He brings through His Word to you. Expect Him to nurture you and care for you spiritually, emotionally, mentally, and physically. He is a good shepherd!

Get Your Praise On!

But You are holy, O You Who dwell in the holy place where the praises of Israel are offered (Psalm 22:3 – Amplified).

 

Believers have several weapons at their disposal as they fight the good fight of faith. They have the Word of God, the name of Jesus, the blood of Jesus, and praise and worship!

God watches over His Word to bring it to pass as the Sword of the Spirit (The Word!) comes out of our mouth from our hearts in faith (Jeremiah 1:12). Demonic forces tremble when the command of faith is given in the Name of Jesus (Philippians 2: 9-11)! And we overcome satanic forces by the blood of the lamb and the word of our testimony (Revelation 12:11). When we speak the Word, when we command in the name of Jesus, and when we stand against satanic opposition that comes in the form of oppression, fear or circumstance, we are sure to win the battle!

But of all the weapons in our arsenal, perhaps praise is the strongest. When praise is offered, God Almighty shows up in the atmosphere! The weightiness of God, the power of who He is, manifests when praise is uttered. The power of God’s kingdom is aroused when our praise and worship are expressed.

 

In Acts 16, Paul and Silas were praising and worship so loudly that the other prisoners heard them as they were held in chains in the dark prison. Instead of the atmosphere of the prison invading them, they decided to invade that atmosphere of darkness with the presence of God! And their chains fell off, the prison doors were opened, and they were set free! God responded to their praise, shaking the ground under their feet, and shaking the unbelief around them that threatened their lives!

 

During battle, the Israelites were instructed to put Judah (which means praise) in the forefront of the combat. They would sing, for the Lord is good, and His mercy endures forever!  Israel’s enemies would be defeated time after time by an unseen host of angels as Israel fought with the weapons of a new type of spiritual warfare, praise and worship!

God has not changed. He still responds to praise by pouring out the weightiness of His presence, causing unseen enemies to flee. Don’t cower down to circumstances today.

Put on a good praise and worship cd or stream it from an app like I do; worship alone in your car or at home; or make a melody in your heart to God. However you do it, go after God in praise and worship today. Pull out that weapon of praise, and allow the Lord to fight your battles. The battle is the Lord’s. The victory is ours to enjoy!