Love Letters From God

A New Year, a new opportunity to trust more deeply in God and discover His love for us. I've been praying for several years now to fall more deeply in love with Jesus. I know He's answering that prayer and that it brings Him delight. I've been praying it because I've seen a few people who have such a sweet relationship with Him that it permeates everything they do. And I want to have that same sweet relationship.

One way that I do this is to listen to love songs - any kind, and interpret them as love songs from God. Almost every song works (some need a little modification) and I think this is true because our longing for love comes from, and can only be finally fulfilled in, Jesus. So I put on my headphones, grab the dog and head into the woods. If no one else is around, I even sing out loud (occasionally I've been caught by another dog owner but I just grin and keep going). I usually put the ipod on shuffle and just trust God to order the songs I need to hear for that day. Some really delightful times of worship have come from this practice. And some humorous ones as well - I find that God has a really funny sense of humor.

Lately, my loving Savior has reminded me that the Bible is full of His love letters to us. I've known this for a long time but somehow the "duty" of reading my Bible, the preparing of lessons, or the academic study of Scripture took most of the joy out of it. I'm so grateful that I've rediscovered His Voice of love in His Word. I know that it really helps me to read The Message translation because it slips behind my familiarity with Scripture and enables me to hear the Word afresh. This morning I was feeling encouraged to read Ephesians and a verse popped out at me that has struck me before:
"God can do anything, you know-far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, His Spirit deeply and gently within us." 3:20

In my prayers, in His love letters, in the worship at Vineyard, in our walks in the woods, I know that His Spirit is deeply and gently at work within me and I am ever so grateful.