Knowing God - that's eternal life I can get excited about!

"This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent." John 17:3 NASB

Jesus gives us the greatest gift: to know Him and The Father!

God created us to know and be known. Secure, vibrant relationships - in which we are accepted and loved - are only a reflection of what Jesus knew we could have with Him and God our Father... for all of eternity.

Eternal life - not a boring time sitting on clouds, but rather kindred hearts enjoying each other. How much more with we enjoy our time with HIM who loves us so fully and faithfully supports and enables us! It is mind-boggling that we have the option to know God, who is above ALL and yet is immeasurably kind to us. Wow.

I am in awe that He would share himself with us, allowing us to know Him. Shall we celebrate by drawing close to Him in praise and gratefulness?

Abba God thank you for loving me so intimately, for accepting me as I am, and for the incredible gift of being able to know You. It baffles me that You - the Creator of all matter, the One who made all we can see from what can't be seen - that YOU choose to be known by me. Forgive me when I don't prize my relationship with you, choose not to draw near to you, or fall into temptation of believing I can manage even for a second without you. Jesus desired for you to be glorified and for me to KNOW you. Wow! When I take time to consider all you have done for me, and your character, I am repeatedly amazed at the depths you have gone through for me. Convict me when I forget or get distracted. Show me how to deepen my relationship with you; what it means for me to draw near to you. Be glorified in my life, Abba. Have your way in me. In Jesus' name...

Rejoice? Why again, exactly?

"I will rejoice greatly in the Lord,

My soul will exult in my God;

For He has clothed me with garments of salvation,

He has wrapped me with a robe of righteousness,

As a bridegroom decks himself with a garland,

And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels."

Isaiah 61:10, NASB

Abba God, I admit that I don't feel like praising You. My circumstances are frustrating and I feel so stuck. BUT I choose right now to rejoice greatly in You, for You have given me all that is good. You have cleaned me and given me truth to learn from. You chose me to be your very own child and You gave me the best You had to offer - a royal robe of righteousness. Thank You for loving me so well. Give me courage to choose to rejoice all day. Teach me what your love truly means - how it's impacted my present & future. I can't fight these battles any longer as I've been trying to, so I give them to You to deal with. Do as You know best. There is none like You, and You are faithful. Surely I'm in good hands! Knowing the filth that still lingers in the flesh (there is nothing good in man), I'm again humbled by the honor of knowing You & having a clean robe of righteousness. You are clearly more good than I often consider. All glory & praise are yours. In Jesus' name...  

He wrapped a gift for you...

Someone left a gift for you.

Confidence in The Lord = Joy

Remember contrast charts in school?

You have been on His mind for so long, sweet be-loved sister.

He chose you in love, knowing full-well who you were (and what you’ve done), so that when the time was right (while you were still sinning) He would set you apart from the world, removing all sin stain and blemish. You see, YOU have been on His mind for so long, sweet be-loved sister.

Shall we praise Him forever?

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved." -- Ephesians 1:3-6

Shall we praise Him forever? 

Our Abba (Father, Papa) is constant. His love is forever. As a result of Christ's precious blood, He's unable to turn against us, His eyes are always on us - unable to turn His gaze away, and He makes us much more than we could ever hope to be. He renews us, He gives us strength, He answers when we call, and He listens. He’s patient, kind, good, and pure. Nothing evil is in Him. Only good. And He loves me – and you – so very much.  

So, my dear sister, shall we praise Him forever? 

Abba, Father, Papa... we praise you, for you are good. You are holy and true. Even when you say "no" to us, it is because you always are looking for our best. Unlike humans, you aren't guessing which options are best. You know what is best for us, each moment. You love us with a pure love that never seeks harm. So, Abba, we praise you together - we sisters in faith through the precious blood of Christ Jesus. Thank you for allowing us the privilege to come before you with full confidence. We love you, Abba. In Jesus' name...