restoration

Restoring the Garden

Weeding. For those of us who have done gardening or any kind of landscaping, we know it is not a pleasurable task. Rather, it can be downright frustrating. We try our best to get plants to grow that we actually planted, but it always seems the weeds grow better, faster, and stronger. It can be hard to keep up, especially after a good rain. Sometimes we just let them grow and get used to them to the point where they don’t bother us anymore. They become part of the garden, and we give ourselves excuses for their existence. “I just don’t have time.” “They’re not really that big.” “I’ll get them in the fall or winter when everything else dies.” But do you ever notice how a lot of weeds tend to persist even when most of our desirable plants have died off? I believe everything about creation shows us who God is, and He even shared truths through parables, using aspects of creation, like planting seed and farming, to help us better understand Him and the choices we make. Paul captures this clearly in Romans 1:20:

“For since the creation of the world [God’s] attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.” (NASB)

The “they” in this verse is referring back to verse 18 where Paul talks about “men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness.” Such people, and really all of us, are without excuse just by the evidence of God in creation. This is even more true since we also have His very Word. He is gracious to remind us of Himself even in tasks like gardening.

While there are noticeable weeds in the garden, there are also those that aren’t so obvious, specifically the ones that are embedded in the good plants. These ones take more time to spot and are more delicate to remove because there’s a chance the removal can damage what is good. But if they aren’t removed, more harm can come to the good plant. The nutrients meant for the good plant also get used by the weed. And any gardener–whether new or experienced–knows, if you don’t get the root, it will come right back. Some roots go straight down and are easy to pull whereas others spread and can harm multiple plants.

Our spiritual life is also a garden. The good plants are from seeds that get planted by the Word of God and His truth, and the weeds are the different parts of our lives that try to choke out the truth. In the Parable of the Sower, Jesus explains to His disciples that the seeds sown among the thorns “are the ones who have heard the word, but the worries of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful” (Mark 4:18-19). I must confess, it has been a difficult past few days because the Lord revealed to me that I have many weeds in my garden that I didn’t realize existed. I’ve been busy trying to help others with their spiritual gardens while mine was filled with weeds. Even worse, the plants I thought were producing fruit were unfertilized flowers just wilting away. The Lord has brought this to my attention before, and I would clean things up for awhile, but the worries of the world and other people’s approval and my pride became my focus rather on tending the garden. In our spiritual life, tending the garden is year-round, 24/7 work. While the process isn’t pleasurable, and maybe sometimes it hurts to get rid of weeds that look beautiful (not all are thorny), the reward is eternity with God which outweighs all the work. As the church, we have the opportunity to help each other pull up weeds with words of truth, but we also can’t neglect our own spiritual garden. In the end, each of us is accountable for its condition. Will it be full of fruitful and beautiful good plants, or will it be full of weeds with mere remnants of what is good? 

© Lauren Demuth

Creation’s Testimony

 

There’s something about being in nature that makes me feel closer to God. With that being said, I’m not the typical outdoors person, and I believe it’s safe to diagnose myself with a case of arachnophobia. Because of my fears I tend to forget the effect of creation’s beauty, but when I finally take the time to relax and get out there I’m reminded again of how immense God is. Rather than that being a scary thought as it might be for some, I find it comforting.

This recent reminder began at the Creation Museum. I live close to it, but I made my first visit there a few weeks ago. It was marvelous! As you can probably guess, it’s not the typical museum. Rather than glorifying evolution as most museums do, it adheres to the Word of God and explains how events could have happened based on the testimony of Scripture. What’s ironic is that the explanations from Scripture are a lot less far-fetched than evolutionary ideas. But even more importantly, everything in the Creation Museum points to Christ, as all things should.

One of the most powerful scenes to me was that after the Fall, God had to sacrifice an animal to clothe Adam and Eve in their shame. This may not seem significant on the surface since we are used to eating meat or seeing leather goods, but before the Fall there was no death. Death did not exist until sin entered the world; therefore, God offered the first of many sacrifices to temporarily cover human sin. This continued until Christ became the ultimate sacrifice.

Even though we live in a sinful world because of mankind’s disobedience, God’s creation still testifies about Him. Every person is uniquely designed and created. Even identical twins can be so different (I know from being around a pair of identical twins all the time). Each one of us has the potential to offer something important in the kingdom of God. Our gifts and talents are a testimony of God’s design in us.

In addition to humanity, the rest of God’s creation is breathtaking. I love butterflies, and to think of the different stages they have to go through to become a butterfly is quite mindboggling. Everything has to be just perfect in order to work. Then there are so many different colors, shapes, and sizes that “beautiful” doesn’t seem to be the right word to describe it.

As I mentioned earlier, I’m scared of spiders, and when I see one in the house, I want it gone…permanently. But I can’t deny how special they are too. Just seeing how strong and intricate their webs are is a testimony of a divine Creator. They also eat mosquitoes so that’s a fair trade-off for letting some stick around.

We could travel the world and not even see a fraction of God’s creation, but by paying attention to what’s around us, we should be able to understand God’s love for us. This is what I mean: “Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? … And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow, they do not toil nor do they spin, yet I say that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith!” (Matt. 6:26, 28-30 NASB). This passage talks about trusting the Lord in all things, including basic provisions, but it also testifies to how much He loves us. He takes care of His creation. The cycle of nature runs as it does because of God despite its sinful aspects. If we can witness the provisions from God to His creation, should we not also recognize how much He loves us and will provide if we trust in Him and follow His will? Jesus makes it clear in v. 33, “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” God’s creation testifies that we are deeply loved if only we would take the time to see it.

Paul also writes about creation in Romans:

“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures. Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them. For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.”  ~ Romans 1:18-25 NASB

Paul writes that the wrath of God is against men who “suppress the truth in unrighteousness.” A person cannot suppress the truth unless he or she already understands it. And how does a person understand it? God made it evident through His creation. But what was supposed to point people to God–creation–became the object of worship. Paul is writing about when all of this first started, not long after the Fall. “For even though they knew God” they decided to make images of gods or idols to be worshipped. What is also important to understand is that God let them make these choices. Why? The uniqueness of humanity compared to the rest of creation is having free will. People rejected His truth that was already evident to them. They willingly chose to disobey God. Instead of seeing God in His creation, they twisted creation for their own purposes, and led themselves down a path of sin leading to death.

Continuing from the previous passage:

“For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error. And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper, being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful; and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them.” ~ Romans 1:26-32

People’s disobedience and worship of God’s creation led them to sin which they willingly gave into. But it doesn’t stop there. Notice the shift between the past and present beginning with “and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same but also give hearty approval to those who practice them” (v. 32). Paul isn’t just talking about people long ago. He shares this truth with the church in Rome for a reason:

“Therefore you have no excuse, everyone of you who passes judgment, for in that which you judge another, you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things. And we know that the judgment of God rightly falls upon those who practice such things. But do you suppose this, O man, when you pass judgment on those who practice such things and do the same yourself, that you will escape the judgment of God? Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance? But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, who will render to each person according to His deeds: to those who by perseverance in doing good seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life; but to those who are selfishly ambitious and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, wrath and indignation. There will be tribulation and distress for every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek, but glory and honor and peace to everyone who does good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For there is no partiality with God.” ~ Romans 2:1-11 (NASB)

Paul teaches everything in Romans 1 because the church in Rome (yes, the church) is practicing the same things. They have knowledge of God. They know the truth even to the point that understanding the consequence of the aforementioned sins is death. Yet they are practicing the same things and encouraging others to do the same. There is no sense in writing everything in Romans 1 if it doesn’t relate to the recipients. That would be costly and a waste of time. Rather, there are people in the church of Rome who are behaving like those who turned from worshipping God and worshipped the creation instead. The consequences of such defiance has led to a laundry list of sinful behavior, including everything from homosexuality to gossiping, which are all judged the same before God. If you continue to read through Romans, you’ll find that Paul spends much time explaining sin but not to that end. He discusses sin to such an extent not only to lead people to repentance but so that the church may grasp the magnitude of Christ’s sacrifice.

As a result of accepting such an undeserving sacrifice, we also have been given the Spirit of God:

“But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you. So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh–for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, ‘Abba! Father!’ The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him. For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now. And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body. For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it.” ~ Romans 8:11-25 (NASB)

Mankind’s desire to worship creation and reject God demonstrates the truth about human nature. We are not born righteous but sinful. Our desire is to follow the lusts of the flesh, and without the Spirit, we would do just that. But anyone who has accepted Christ wholeheartedly has the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit and the desires of the flesh wage war until we receive the redemption of our body. The rest of creation groans with us; however, it does not have the Spirit. Rather, it testifies about God even for our benefit. May we appreciate it for how it can bring us closer to the Creator. May we also not fall into the same behavior as the church in Rome. As Christians, we know the truth. If we practice things that are against the truth, we act against God. If we suppress the truth, we act against God. It’s that simple. The evidence of God is in us and all around us. We are without excuse.

But thanks be to God who is rich in kindness and mercy and willing to forgive when we ask. Thanks be to God who demonstrates His miracles and power through His creation so that everyone can be a witness of His magnificence. He is worthy to be praised above all things!

Psalm 19

1 The heavens are telling of the glory of God;
And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands.
2 Day to day pours forth speech,
And night to night reveals knowledge.
3 There is no speech, nor are there words;
Their voice is not heard.
4 Their line has gone out through all the earth,
And their utterances to the end of the world.
In them He has placed a tent for the sun,
5 Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber;
It rejoices as a strong man to run his course.
6 Its rising is from one end of the heavens,
And its circuit to the other end of them;
And there is nothing hidden from its heat.

7 The law of the Lord is perfect, restoring the soul;
The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.
8 The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart;
The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.
9 The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever;
The judgments of the Lord are true; they are righteous altogether.
10 They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold;
Sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb.
11 Moreover, by them Your servant is warned;
In keeping them there is great reward.
12 Who can discern his errors? Acquit me of hidden faults.
13 Also keep back Your servant from presumptuous sins;
Let them not rule over me;
Then I will be blameless,
And I shall be acquitted of great transgression.
14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
Be acceptable in Your sight,
O Lord, my rock and my Redeemer.

 

© Lauren Heiligenthal

 

The Beauty of Restoration

Last week I spent time doing some much needed cleaning. I had my mind set that I would clean everything that I could, but I didn’t realize how much really needed to be done. I began to notice the areas that tend to be overlooked and the small, seemingly insignificant objects that attract a terrible amount of dust. The hours passed as I noticed more areas that needed work. Sometimes I would get frustrated, or I’d initially say to myself, Well it seems clean enough. But in truth, nothing was clean enough. It wasn’t until I was scrubbing oven racks over the kitchen sink that I took the time to the listen to the Lord.

I was reflecting on the past days of cleaning and realized that I enjoyed seeing items restored to what they should be (or as close as possible). I had allowed myself to get so used to how things are that I didn’t realize their full potential. I thought their shine was bright enough, but I was wrong. Then I believe the Lord spoke a few things in my heart.

First, when I was thinking about the beauty and joy of seeing things restored, He reminded me that this is how He feels about people who are restored to Him, whether it is an unbeliever coming to Christ or a believer who is getting rid of junk in his or her life. He rejoices in our restoration! Second, there were some things I wanted to overlook cleaning because they seemed good enough, but when I took a closer look they were disgusting. There are a number of things in our own lives that we overlook because we don’t take the time to look close enough. We get used to how we live and who we are right now. We put off cleaning up until we convince ourselves that our shine is bright enough. I can’t speak for anyone else but myself, and I can honestly say that my shine can be brighter. There are things I’ve had to change and still need to change in order to be a more mature Christian. For a long time I got used to how things were, but the problem is that the longer something sits, the harder it is to clean. It is not impossible because Christ makes it possible, but it does make it more difficult to get rid of in our lives. Third, I was reminded again that Christ is the ultimate Restorer. Even when we clean something it is never as perfect as when we first bought it, but the longer we keep it clean the longer it lasts. Everything we do as Christians should result in becoming more mature in Christ. We will not be perfect until we are with the Father in heaven nor will everything be fully restored until Christ returns, but Christ has the power to renew us, to wash us clean, to scrub out the rough spots. He has become a sacrifice for our own sanctification and no matter how difficult a stain may be, He can remove it quickly and permanently.

As I stood at the sink and pondered over these things I couldn’t help but tear up. The Lord desires for us to be renewed and restored to Him for our own maturity and for His glory. It is not a punishment to get rid of things in our lives that keep us tied down to the world. In truth, it is a beautiful reward. We have Christ who makes us new. We have the opportunity and ability to be a brighter light because of Him. We have a means to escape the temptations of this life. We have the choice to be closer to the Lord by getting rid of the dirt and grime that keep us distant from Him.

May we choose to look closer at who we are and become who the Lord has made us to be.

“11 And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors (or ministers) and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. 14 As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; 15 but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ,16 from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.17 So this I say, and affirm together with the Lord, that you walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind, 18 being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart; 19 and they, having become callous, have given themselves over to sensuality for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness. 20 But you did not learn Christ in this way,21 if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus, 22 that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, 23 and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.” Ephesians 4:11-24 (NASB)

Daughters of the Heavenly Father

A few years ago I had a friend who was a daddy’s girl. From what I observed, she and her father seemed to understand each other well and enjoy one another’s company. Then all of a sudden her father failed her family in a big way. I knew she was devastated. The life she knew was shattered, and I tried my best to be there for her even though I couldn’t relate. It seemed like the idea of a good, heavenly Father began to fade after this moment in her life.

Maybe you have a similar story of your own. Maybe your father or a father figure in your life let you down, and it’s hard to comprehend a loving, heavenly Father. I believe one of the hardest lessons to learn in life is that people will let us down. Sometimes they’ll leave scars. Sometimes their words and actions resound in our hearts and minds to the point that we begin to trust no one. However, we should always be able to have confidence in our Father.

For some, it might be hard to trust the Father because of His relationship with Jesus. You might be thinking, “The Father sacrificed His only Son! How could He truly love Jesus?” We must remember two things when reflecting on this relationship. First, the Father sacrificed His Son in order to save us. This was the only way. In Scripture, sacrifices had to be perfect, and it had to mean something to the one offering the sacrifice. Jesus was (and still is) perfect in every way. He was/is God. He is a part of the Father (“I and the Father are one”- John 10:22), which means that this sacrifice hurt the Father tremendously. The second thing to remember is that Jesus willingly sacrificed Himself. Consider John 10:14-15 where Jesus says, “I am the good shepherd, and I know My own and My own know Me, even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep.” He continues these thoughts in vv. 17-18, “For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life so that I may take it again. No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This commandment I received from My Father.” Jesus trusted the Father even knowing that His sacrifice was coming. His reason for dying, His sheep (us), outweighed the pain of death. I say all of this to encourage you that everything the Father does is out of love. Our earthly fathers make mistakes. Sometimes they’re there for us and try really hard. Other times they’re non-existent. But our heavenly Father is ALWAYS there, and ALWAYS loves. We just have to be willing to trust Him and follow Him down the path He has designed for us.

I realize that some of you may have great fathers, but maybe there have been other men in your life that have let you down. Maybe you’ve entered relationships that have left you feeling hurt and hopeless, and the idea of turning to your heavenly Father is not appealing because of this hurt. Consider Jesus’ interaction with the Samaritan woman in John 4. Verses 6 and 8 explain that Jesus is weary from his journey from Judea to Samaria, and His disciples go into the city while Jesus rests at Jacob’s well. During this time a Samaritan woman comes to draw water (v. 7). Now we know that nothing is a coincidence when it comes to Jesus meeting people. Even though the woman comes to draw water, Jesus engages in conversation with her first (v. 7). This was a big deal not only because He spoke with a woman alone, but Jews didn’t interact with Samaritans (v. 9). Despite this fact, Jesus simply asks her for a drink. The Samaritan woman is confused and asks why He chooses to talk with a Samaritan woman since He is a Jew. Right from the start Jesus turns a simple request for water into an invitation to eternal life: “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water” (v. 10). Again, the woman seems to be confused by what Jesus tells her and about who He is (vv. 11-12). Jesus continues His salvation message in vv. 13-14: “Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again; but whoever drinks of the water that I give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.”

In v. 15 the woman still doesn’t seem to understand what Jesus is telling her. She still thinks in terms of her physical thirst. Jesus then says, “Go, call your husband and come here” (v. 16). This seems random at first, but Jesus knows what He’s doing. The woman replies, “I have no husband” (v. 17) after which Jesus confirms that this is true because she’s already had five husbands and is living with a man who is not her husband (v. 18). Scripture has finally revealed why this woman is drawing water by herself with no other women around. A woman with such a reputation was an outcast from society. Scripture does not explain what happened in her relationships, but I think it is unlikely that all of her husbands had died. Yet, despite her social status, Jesus chooses to talk with her. At this point in the conversation the woman perceives Jesus to be a prophet (v. 19). She then discusses how the Samaritans and Jews worship in different places (v. 20), but Jesus explains that in a short while true worshippers of God won’t worship on the mountain or in Jerusalem. Instead, they will worship the Father in spirit and truth (vv. 21-24). Basically, He’s telling her that it doesn’t matter if a person is a Jew or Samaritan or even what she has done in her life. The Father desires worshippers who will truly seek Him. As we know, Christ will be the One to bridge the gap between Jews and Gentiles on the cross, but He’s already telling this woman that ethnicity and gender will not hinder a person from being part of the kingdom of God. The woman confesses that she knows that the Messiah is coming, and He will declare all things. Jesus then reveals that He is the One (vv. 25-26). After this, the woman declares what she has heard to the men in the city.

In the meantime, the disciples meet up with Jesus again and encourage Him to eat (despite their confusion seeing Jesus speaking to a woman) (v. 31). Jesus explains that “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to accomplish His work” (v. 34). I believe that in the context of this passage, the Father’s will was for Jesus to share God’s salvation with the Samaritan woman. Why is this? Let’s check out vv. 39-42, “From that city many of the Samaritans believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified, ‘He told me all the things that I have done.’ So when the Samaritans came to Jesus, they were asking Him to stay with them; and He stayed there two days. Many more believed because of His word; and they were saying to the woman, ‘It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves and know that this One is indeed the Savior of the world.’” The woman could have walked away from Jesus when He confronted her about her past and her current lifestyle. However, I believe she realized that even though He knew everything about her, He was still willing to share something important with her. The Father knew that she would be the one to spread the good news to the men of the city who knew her reputation. Maybe that’s what caught their attention. Many of them believed that Jesus was the Messiah because of her testimony.

I don’t want to infer too much about this passage, but I think it’s safe to say that the Samaritan woman was hurt by some people in her life. It also seems like that she made some poor choices based on her current lifestyle. Ultimately, being an outcast couldn’t have been easy, but the Father approached her through Christ. He gave her hope that there’s something better to come. I’m sure it was tough to hear all the things that the Messiah knew about her. No one wants to be exposed like that. But it was done out of love so that she could come to know salvation as a true child of God.

Reflecting on this story, it is apparent that the Father views His daughters as important and precious. Not all of us have gone through the same experiences as the Samaritan woman, and I’m not suggesting that we’ve all made poor choices in our relationships. I know there are women who have been abused and worse. But we need to know and believe that the Father is always good. His desire is that we will always come to Him with our hurt and be healed. We can’t compare what is earthly and temporary with what is perfect and eternal. Let us trust Him today for He is Hope. He is always there when we turn to Him.

I mentioned in the beginning of this post that I had a friend who was hurt by her father’s decisions. During that time I wrote a song for her from God’s perspective. I hope you find it encouraging as you continue to follow God and trust Him.

My Daughter (originally written May 30, 2008)

(Verses)

You are precious, My daughter.

I cover you.

You are priceless, My child.

I will heal you.

I will lift you up.

I will bandage your wounds.

Come to me, come to me,

come to me, My beloved.

 

You see yourself unworthy.

I see you a queen.

You have captured My heart

with one glance towards Me.

You are beautiful, My love.

You are worth it all to Me.

 

(Chorus)

Why do you hide from me, your King?

Don’t you know I see you crying?

I long to see you dancing again.

I look upon you in adoration.

You are My desire.

Cry no more, My child.

I will show you love,

My perfect love,

Your Father’s love.

 

(Verse)

Reach for me My daughter.

I’m reaching for you.

I embrace you, My child.

I am strengthening you.

I promise to love you

for all My days,

for eternity,

always.

I’m loving you always.

© Lauren Heiligenthal