His Beloved

As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love.  John 15:9

I just can’t believe that Thanksgiving Day came and went without me being able to find the time to sit down and ponder on the many blessings the Lord has bestowed upon me and my family.  I can’t believe I let it slip by, tangled up in the busyness of work, conferences, papers, presentations, exams, shopping, cooking and late night snacks.  

It is never too late, however, to slow down and think back on the need to be grateful to our Creator and Father, to the Great I AM, for whom He is and for who He has made us into.  That is why tonight, I am eternally thankful to Him who chose me, and called me out of my shame and into His way.  I thank Him for His power in me and for His Grace that He so generously showers me with all the days of my life.  It is He the One and only who deserves my all. 

I am thankful that He is always here, for He is the Emanuel, God with Us.  He is with us; He is with me, even when I am wallowing in the misery of all my daily failures.  He is the hand that reaches into the pit and pulls me out of the darkness into His Light.  He is the One who comforts me, dusts off my clothes, helps me to my feet and whispers in my ears the sweet song that reminds me who I am.  

No matter what I’ve done or not done; what I’ve forgotten; what I’ve said that should’ve not been said; what I haven’t said, that I should’ve; what I’ve destroyed; what I’ve neglected; what I’ve lost; what I’ve thought; what I’ve spent; what I’ve rejected…no matter what, He always comes to me and reminds me that I am His beloved.

Romans 8:35-39

New International Version (NIV)

³⁵ Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? ³⁶ As it is written:
   “For your sake we face death all day long;
   we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”
 ³⁷ No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. ³⁸ For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, ³⁹ neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.