Rejected..... Never


 

...for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you

or forsake you. Deuteronomy 31:6b


I am the Vine and you are the branches, if a man remain in me and I in him he will bear much fruit. Apart from me you can do nothing. John 15:5


How great is the love the Father has lavished on us that we should be called the children of God. 1 John 3:1



My life has been an interesting set of ups and downs. I intend to share a bit here, not for sympathy or accolades but to demonstrate the amazing, powerful all-consuming love of God. I am the fifth child of a woman who was not shy or reluctant to say that she only ever wanted two children. I've lost relationships with parents, siblings and some extended family. I've been the mother of four only to be told by more than one child that he would prefer I not call myself his mother. I've had friends walk away and I've done more walking away than I should. On the opposite side of that coin, I have an amazingly loyal and wonderful husband, some very close children and grandchildren, dear friends, one in particular who though gone physically for a season never left my heart nor I hers, a new set of parents and a sister, though not related by blood dearer to me than if they were and, God has been compassionate to me in allowing me to be humble enough to at least attempt to repair what has been broken in my life.

Here's the important detail.... In all of those circumstances, good, bad, beautiful, ugly, precious, painful and the odd mix of several of those conditions, God has wasted nothing. Not one thing has been purposeless. I cannot list for you every detail of where God's hand has moved, in part because I can't see some of it yet. I can tell with absolute certainty that He is in control and even my very deepest hurts have brought or will bring something good.

We live in a difficult and fallen world with difficult fallen people. My guess is if you are breathing you are both fallen and difficult as well as beautiful, wonderful and fearfully made. (Psalm 139:14) God wastes nothing. He is the Vine and He calls us to remain in Him so that we can bear fruit, live well and bring honor and glory to His name.

He will never forsake us and when He says never He means it. When we are behaving in ways that we think are lovely, He is there. When we're acting like spoiled brats and hope He won't notice, we're out of luck because, He. Is. There. In His hand is a ladle filled with love, lavish love, love He longs to pour over our heads. Stand still! Let that lavish love run over your head, down your face, let it drench you. Husbands, wives, children, parents, friends, co-workers, all will disappoint, leave and maybe never come back but God will never, ever leave. Accept that love.

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