You, yes you, you need to hear this

One of my favorite words in the Bible is "beloved."  In the NASB it appears 109 times in 101 different verses.  It gives me a feeling of peace, of belonging, of being known.

"Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be.  We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is."  1John 3:2

Not only will we see Him just as He is, but He sees us, you and me, right now.  And no matter who you are, where you've been, what you've done, He loves you so much; His heart aches for you beloved.

In the Holy Week leading up to His crucifiction, Jesus healed a woman who had been ill for 18 years because of a spirit of sickness.  She was bent over and, I would imagine, in pain.  When a synagogue official became upset because Jesus dared to heal on the Sabbath, I mean the nerve!  Jesus confronted the crowd and He called them out for their hypocrsy.  Then after that, after reminding them of their guilt, He said, "O Jerusalem Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those sent to her!  How often I wanted to gather your children together, just as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not have it!" Luke 13:34

He wanted to love them!  But they wouldn't have it.  Beloved, let Him love you.  I know that's harder than it sounds, beloved I know.  I have been angry; I have been lost; I have been alone.  I have crawled into my mental hole where no one could hurt me anymore.  I have wallowed in my own self-pity.

But oh my beloved, I have been loved; I have been forgiven; I have been redeemed.  No matter your story, no matter your bad choices, He wants to gather you you under His wings.  He wants to love you.  Please let Him.  Please let Him heal your hurts, bind your wounds.  Let Him into your hole so He can hold you until you're ready to come out.

Every cloud has a light ready to burst forth

I know it's hard.  I know how life interuppts all your good intentions.  I mean my word, all was quiet when I began to write this, however, I've been correcting children the. entire. time.  But belove, for God so loved the world, He gave us His Son.  Let Him love you, even if it's been 18 years.