It is such a blessing to link up with Holley Gerth each
week in offering up a little Coffee for Your Heart, her weekly encouragement
challenge for 2014. The writing prompt for this week is simply this: “You’re Loved”
Many years ago, I used to hear Elisabeth Elliot open her Gateway To Joy radio show with these words, "‘You are loved with an everlasting love.’ That's what the Bible says. ‘And underneath are the everlasting arms.’ This is your friend Elisabeth Elliot…” Those Scriptures remind me, "You're Loved."
I came to a place in my life where I wanted, more than anything else, to know and love God more. God is so inconceivably good. He’s not looking for perfection. He already saw it in Christ. He’s looking for affection. That’s why every lasting change will invariably be a change of heart. He’ll even supply the heart, if we’ll ask Him. To know Him is to love Him...to know and believe, "You're Loved."
Henri Nouwen, the famous author, once gave a postcard print of Rembrandt’s painting pictured below, Return of the Prodigal, to individuals who had come to hear him speak. He asked them to look at the hands of father—one hand masculine and strong, and the other hand feminine and gentle. What a wonderful way to illustrate the unconditional love God has for all of us prodigals, full of grace and truth, His open arms saying, “You’re Loved.”
For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.—Romans 8:38-39
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.—John 3:16
This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.—I John 4:10
We love because he first loved us.—I John 4:19
I pray this Coffee For Your Heart post has been encouraging to you, if it has been, please share
your heart with me in the comments below, I’d love to hear your thoughts…
Beth- you share profound truths when you write and my heart gratefully receives them.
ReplyDeleteLove, Mary G
Mary, I thank God for you every day. You have such a kind, open, and warm heart. It comes through in the generous ways you respond and encourage others, such a reflection of Christ! You are such a blessing <3
ReplyDeleteWe have Rembrandt's Return of the Prodigal hanging in our home. I had never noticed the hands before. We had a sermon series on the Prodigal Son and this painting was used as a visual. It was quite significant for my husband and I at the time. I gave the print to him as a gift.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for sharing that with me...I also read that the definition of "prodigal" includes "giving lavishly or extravagantly"... which really describes our Heavenly Father's love, doesn't it?
DeleteThat's a great definition. I asked my husband about the hands. He said it was the first thing he noticed! The Father's hand and the Mother's hand. It's wonderful to be able to look at the same thing and see different things. That's how we compliment and learn from each other.
DeleteThat's neat that it was the first thing your husband noticed! Thanks for sharing :)
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