Indescribable… this love!

I have been in tears all morning from the moment I awoke, and up to a few minutes ago. As I sat at my desk for my quiet time devotion, the tears streamed on in an endless flow. Trust the Lord Who always makes provision, it just ‘happened’ to be that someone in the household had left a row of tissues on my desk the night before, so I didn’t have to leave that place of soaking in God’s presence, tears and all  …in awe at this simple reminder of just how faithful God is to His Word that He is mindful of us, even in the smallest of things.

I can imagine sis that right now you are more concerned about why I have been crying than my little tissue testimony right? No worries sis, no worries at all. I have been shedding tears of pure joy in absolute appreciation of a God…my God, Who has been so very gracious and loving as to keep me to this day. You see sis, it’s my birthday today.  It’s my birthday!

I know there are those at my age for whom birthdays hold no particular excitement anymore. And I know there are those who appreciate birthdays but will right now be trying to figure what is special about this one that I should cry tears of joy. No sis, it’s not any sort of landmark birthday. It’s just that on one hand, I woke up in praise – Frank Edwards ‘Nma Nma’ song spewing from my lips, and the Lord crowned this by wishing me a Happy Birthday Himself, and speaking some deep assurances of love to me as I went on my knees before Him. On the other hand, I am simply overwhelmed by His love that is in and around me, and the very evident, irrefutable expressions of this heavenly love in my life.  

Sis, if I were God (and I am soooo thankful that I am not), I am not sure that I would be capable of loving me a fraction of how much I know He loves me. I mean, I KNOW me, sis. I do! I know all my failings, my insecurities, my struggles, the array of crazy emotions and odd thinking that I sometimes struggle with, my fears, my doubts, my seasons of disobedience…. I know everything about me! And with what I know, I suspect my love for me, were I God, would be seasonal and circumstantial, and highly conditional. I would probably love me a lot during the good times, and not so much at other times. And I would judge me, and I would condemn me…..and more likely than not, I would color my blessings and grace over my life based on my moods, emotions and perspectives for any one moment, hour, or day. The beauty of it all though, and my joy this morning …is that indeed I am NOT God and never will be! He alone is God! And He loves me… and loves you sis, in an unending, unconditional, non-judgmental, all seasonal, borderless, everlasting way. Halleluyah!

The highest manifestation of this love? I’m still here sis! You’re still here! Not just here and merely existing, but here and truly living… in Him! So many have gone before me! So many are still here, but they are living in darkness, spiritually blind to the fact that they are toying with their eternity by choosing the world over God. I am here, and I privileged to be able to know and declare, and to live a life in Christ; to know that the Lord has loved me enough to call me His own.  Sis, I’m not sure that if I were God, I would have chosen me. As broken and imperfect as I was and still am, I’m not sure I would have looked good enough to myself as to have counted myself worthy of a ‘maybe’. But He did sis! He counts you and I worthy and I can’t think of a better day to once again allow the reality of God’s boundless love and grace overwhelm me. Can you?

How do I color God’s love sis? Simply indescribable, but oh so glorious! I have said before that if we could as much as truly fathom a smidgen of God’s love physically in our hearts, our hearts would literally explode. Simply incredible! Today, I am filled with a new assurance that He counts me worthy, that He still has a purpose for me…and this is why I am still here. Today, I am reassured that I am anointed to fulfill my purpose and assignment here on earth, because of the God that is in me! Today, I am reminded that the One Who is in me is my Rock of impenetrable hardness and unyielding strength, and that through Him I can surely do exploits. Today, I am reminded by that my life counts for something, that I am blessed to be a blessing. Today, I am again deliberately mindful of every blessing with which He has blessed me in heavenly places, and that these blessings are for His purpose and eternal glory. Celebrate this great God with me today sis, please celebrate Him with me!

I was blown away yesterday when all my staff pulled a fast one on me. I had been making plans to have food and refreshments delivered to the office since my birthday would fall on a Saturday. In the middle of a meeting with one of my managers yesterday, my cctv screen suddenly went blank. I was trying to figure what could have tripped the signal up, when I started to hear singing outside of my door. As they trooped in one after the other, with several cakes, and balloons, singing and dancing a birthday tune, and as they prayed over me and mine; all that rang in my spirit was the voice of God saying to me: ‘Manifestations of My love, My daughter’. Yes sis, my birthday came a day early this year. I looked across at each face, I looked at my husby standing by my side in that space, and understood with clarity what God meant. I have been even more blown away this morning by my hubby singing me a special birthday song he composed himself (wow!) and the love of my children and wards; the avalanche of texts I haven’t even been able to start reading; the many missed calls I am yet to compose myself enough to return. Holding hands and standing in our family prayer circle, listening and soaking in every prayer that each person prayed over me, the Holy Spirit once again ministered to me: ‘Expressions of God’s love, reminders that you are truly blessed by Me, that I am mindful of you’. Can you understand the tears now sis? I’m broken in pure gratitude and adoration, in praise to my faithful God.  

Sis, God’s love is indescribable! His love is all around us. It’s ours for the taking! It may sometimes take particular instances and events for us to be reminded of this, but I know God is trying to show us His love every second of every day if we would just open our eyes to see, and our hearts to receive, regardless of the situations or circumstances we find ourselves in. Sis, can I remind you this morning that He loves you too? Can I assure you this morning that He is mindful of you? Can I encourage you this morning that He holds you in the palms of His hands? Can I declare to you today that even in your storms He is faithful? Can I plead with you today to praise Him simply for the gift of His choosing you? Can I ask you to take a few moments right now and think about everything in your life that expresses His love for you – your family, your health, your job/enterprise, your friends, your spiritual growth, the fact that you are still here? Can I ask that in the spirit of celebration, you celebrate God and His indescribable love for you today?

Sis, it’s my birthday, yes; but I choose to celebrate you today… you are a recipient of God’s indescribable love and my heart sings for you for that singular reason. I speak over your life and declare that tears of joy shall never be far from you, in Jesus name. I declare that you will continue to be celebrated and to celebrate God, in Jesus name. I declare over you that you will always have a grateful heart, a heart that will allow you daily see and know, and be appreciative of the expressions of God’s love in your life, in Jesus name. I declare that yours is a life of purpose and that the Lord will continue to use you to add value and impact the lives of others for good. I declare that you shall live and not die, declaring the glory, mercies, favor and grace of God upon your life, until the number of your days be fulfilled, in Jesus name. I declare that daily …not just on your birthday, but daily your song shall be ‘The Lord is good to me!’. I declare over your life, that you will constantly find yourself in that place of spiritual overwhelm where you can barely breathe through the cloak of the manifestation of God’s indescribable love for you. So shall it be over you sis, so shall it be over me, in Jesus mighty name, Amen. 

Be blessed sis… for you surely are!