Maybe that's why I've been a little absent lately (sorry, folks!)
But I promise to tell all...soon.
For now, I just want to share what God has been speaking to my heart.
He's been relentless.
Over and over again, in more than a million ways that I might have missed if He wasn't softening my heart, He's been telling me He Loves Me.
I'm overwhelmed by His heart towards me.
Completely overwhelmed.
Lately, when I spend time with Him, that's all He wants to talk about.
I've even tried to change the conversation.
But then He gently urges me to just let Him love me.
I've always "known" God loves me. Just look at the Cross--He's never been secretive about it! But at the same time there have been pieces of me that I have labeled as "unloveable". There have been moments in which I have allowed the enemy of my soul to mock me and my glaring failures and to provoke me into questioning the love of my God.
There have also been many moments captured in time where I have felt the arms of God wrap around my soul and I didn't doubt His love for a second.
But even this is different, this relentless love He is cloaking me with. It's as if He's showing me that I was created for Him to love.
And he wants me to just let Him love me.
To sit and just BE with Him.
To LIVE continually in His presence.
A couple weeks ago I remember melting onto my couch, tired and exhausted, but knowing that I needed to let God speak to me during my devotions.
So I threw it out there, "What do you want to say to me today, God?" And I half-expected Him not to answer. Because sometimes He is silent. And it's usually in those times that He wants me to seek Him more diligently, to study His word for His answer, to wait on Him. But most of the time I ask Him to speak to me, He does.
This is what I heard Him say to my heart in that still, small, voice that seekers hear. And when I heard Him speak, there was an urgency to His voice, as if He'd been anxiously waiting for me all day.
"I wept at your birth."
My heart stood still and His words went on.
"I so carefully and lovingly created you in your mother's womb.
It was I who whispered your name in her ear.
My Joye.
My lovely Joye.
My darling daughter.
My treasure."
I was more than overwhelmed.
He wants to speak those words to your own heart today, confessions of His love for you.
A love LIKE THAT can't be ignored.
How could we ever doubt our worth when He loves us LIKE THAT.
Wait.
There's more.
Just the other day, I was praying and storming heaven for a miracle. I had spent every tear in my body. Then I turned one of my favorite worship songs on and began to worship. When the song was over, God told me to play it again, but THIS TIME
He wanted to sing the chorus to me.
And I've posted it here because you just may need to hear Him sing these words to your heart as well. Don't doubt that he does.
This is for you.
God's heart yearns for you.
Can you feel him waiting for you? Can you sense His arms aching to hold you? Can you hear his heart calling you?
Let Him love you.
So true and so lovely...amazing.
ReplyDeleteJoye,
ReplyDeleteThere are times when I read your words and I have absolutely no doubt that they are straight from God. I wish that every unsaved person could read this post. It is one of the most beautiful things I have ever read and it made me just sit here and cry. We are here to love and that's your gift to us Joye, because every time I read your words, I feel loved. Why do we allow the enemy to let us forget how much God loves us? Thank you for this reminder.
You are a beautiful soul!
I love God's words to you. Just love them.
ReplyDeleteJoye,
ReplyDeleteThis is beautiful and I love that your shared your moments with God. So amazing and so true! God's love is so amazing! I know that word is used often for many things, but AMAZING is best used for the description of His Love - in my book anyway. May others who do not know His love be filled with it today. You are deeply loved and treasured!
Amy
You totally blessed my heart this morning. thanks for sharing your heart an allowing God to use you to send a little reminder of love my way. Beautiful song.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing. It blessed my heart and encouraged my soul. Blessings!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing! God does not just love us, God IS Love! I am so glad he spoke to you and you were obedient enough to listen to Him!
ReplyDeleteI have chills all over my body....how touching and beautiful, once again Joye! Thank you for sharing your heart...
ReplyDeleteSummer
One word...Beautiful!!!
ReplyDeleteoh my goodness Joye! I am nearly crying with happiness right now! I love how our Father has been washing you with waves of love lately ... beautiful! He has been doing the same for me and it is so crazy that you would write about God singing to you because I mentioned that in my post today!! We are so much alike and I agree -- we HAVE to meet someday!! I always love coming to your blog and I am sending lot's of love your way!!:)
ReplyDeleteOh Joye! This is so wonderful! You are allowing God to show you the intensity of His love for you! He created you for no other reason other than to love you and bless you and share Life with you! What a concept! If we could just get it! It would change our entire life! This post was amazing! May God continue to reveal Himself to you more and more!
ReplyDeleteGod Bless,
Christy
WOW. I really needed to read this today. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteJoye...I'm sitting here at my computer with tears rolling down my face. I feel as if your wrote this post and you were talking directly to me. God is using you in a mighty way Joye. Thank you so much for letting Him do that. Love you!
ReplyDeletejust beautiful! i love hearing His voice! Praise the Lord He speaks. His Word speaks to our hearts!
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing!
You won the Second place prize on my caption give away. Now I can return the Joy. ;) could you send me your addy again. I threw the box away. guilty.
Lots of Joy!
That made me teary. Beautiful words that were so needed to read!
ReplyDeleteAmazing song! Amazing message you shared. So often I know that I'm not willing to listen and allow God to speak to me.
ReplyDeleteIt can be painful to go through some of the things we need to go through, yet I should know that it will only be better. Life changing times with God.
Thanks so much for sharing.
Nannette @ Life: Be In It
Joye, I am joining the crowd,...your post was so moving! I am so glad that God spoke to your heart in His still small voice,...and told you how much He loves you.
ReplyDeleteAnd the way He said it was so very beautiful.
And just to think that He loves us all that much!!! That is so amazing.
I am going to be still and listen to Him speak my name too.
Love, Linda
Oh wow, friend, what a heartfelt post. I have chills. Yes, He loves us--so much more than my heart and my human mind can ever comprehend. I will never be able to fully understand how high, how wide and how deep is His love for us. Some days we just need to sit--at His feet and receive that amazing LOVE. So amazing.
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful reminder! Thanks Joye - you have such a way with words that really speaks to my heart!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much Joye for posting this. It's one of those things that was just at the right time it was needed. Your inspirational posts are so encouraging!!! God bless you!!!
ReplyDeleteBeautifully said and so filled with TRUTH.
ReplyDeleteBlessings to you as you spend time with the LORD.
Joye, I have an award that I would like to share with you. come by and pick it up when you can.
ReplyDeleteChristy
beautiful post. thank you <3
ReplyDeleteJoye, my blogging buddy ... how are you? I survived finals, went out of town for several weeks, ended up having a friend get laid off and move in with us, then had a family member get seriously ill ... so the computer has been at the bottom of my priority list. I've missed the blogging community and the encouragement it has brought me, but God has been using other areas to bless me.
ReplyDeleteAnyhow, all of that to say that today I am sick, and stuck on the couch, and I felt a nudge to look up your blog. I am so glad I did. I am sitting here, teary eyed, so glad that God brought me here. I appreciate your heart for Him so much!
I couldn't pull up the song...but Joye, your words were enough. Oh how my heart needed to hear this. Love you...
ReplyDeleteHi Thad!
ReplyDeletehey Joye...I go to church with Natalie. I followed your blog and her blog and then recently on her blog she mentioned how you and her reconnected thru blogging. And I was like hey I know Joye too lol. Well not IRL but hey. small world eh?
<3
God's love for me is overwhelming at times. The awareness of it comes like waves over my life. I am such a waterworks mostly from the awesomeness of it all. I rarely weep when I am sad, but being happy? Better bring on extra box of Kleenex! Thanks for giving me a good cry. :)
ReplyDelete