Day 29--Mama God??????????

'Can a woman forget her baby at the breast, feel no pity for the child she has borne? Even if these were to forget, I shall not forget you.'

ISAIAH 49:15

I love this verse of the Bible, you guys. It makes me tremble!!! You know, we constantly think of God as a father figure, and many people think of Him as a God who punishes (we've talked about this more than enough). But to have God compare himself to a mother... that's weird, huh? But it's so beautiful and so reassuring. Because when I am afraid, when I am worried, when I am sad, when I feel like my life is falling apart, I tend to have this reaction: I want my mommy. And to have the all-powerful, all-knowing, omnipresent God of eternity tell us that even if a mother forget her baby He will never forget us is well... awe-stricking. Moms don't really need a reason to love us other than our being their kids, right? It's the same with God. Love for love's sake. 

Except God tells us that His love goes a step further because, even if you have a broken relationship or don't have a relationship at all with the person who is supposed to love you the most, He, Yahweh, will never forget you. Your name is engraved in the palms of His hands. You are forever His!!!!!!!! And God's love did go a step further when He sent Jesus to pay off the debt of our sins.

Oh, if we could fully comprehend the love of God, if we could fully understand those words, I shalll never forget you. Never ever ever ever ever ever never ever never never never never. I hope I'm getting the point across.

And if you feel like "well, God, my mom in fact did forget me" or "my mom doesn't love me" or the like, God is here for you, to heal that hurt. And if you feel like "eeh... no... I just can't see God as my mother figure... it's weird," well, guess what? He has that covered too. At the foot of the cross, when Jesus is dying for our sins, He tells his apostle John "behold, your mother", referring to Jesus' own mom, Mary. So Jesus gives John a mother and thus symbolically gives us a mother. Imagine! Mary had to see her son being killed in the most brutal way and knowing it was because of our sins. Yet she still forgives us and loves us and cares about us!

So, may you feel the overwhelming, awe-striking, revolutionizing love of God. And may you find in Mary the tender love you seek!

Day 23--With or Without You?

 'Anyone who is not with me is against me; and anyone who does not gather in with me throws away.'

LUKE 11: 23

This is one of those times when Jesus gets really harsh. He gives us two choices: either to be with him or to be against him. No in-betweens, no lukewarmness. It's not that Jesus thinks we are never going to sin again. It's just that He wants us to commit fully, with all our hearts, minds, and strength, rather than make half-hearted promises. He is Love itself, in its fullness, and with Him there is no middle ground: He is infinite mercy, infinite justice, infinite peace. And in order to be able to give us all that, we need to give Him a 'yes' that is like Mary's: ABSOLUTE.

If we don't, then we are rejecting His grace willingly. 

Jesus wants to reveal himself to you, to be the King of your heart, to fill you with his love, and joy, and peace. Let him! Be with Him, not against Him. You only need to say 'yes' and open your heart to Him.

Day 21--Be like her!!!

Mary said, 'You see before you the Lord's servant, let it happen to me as you have said.' And the angel left her.

LUKE 1:38

Wow to the wow to the wow. So I've been beating in your head the idea to trust God for 20 days now. But what better example can I put before you than Mary's! She was a teenage girl. She was a virgin. And here comes this angel and tells her that God wants her to have His baby?!?!?!?!?! This would make Mary liable to be stoned, according to the law of the Jews.

She could have been killed over this. Just let that sink in for a moment. Besides... she really was just a teenage girl!! Think of girls you know that have gotten pregnant at 15 or 16... the reaction is not generally "oh, yes, about time!" is it? It's mostly panic. So imagine how Mary felt.

YET

This was an angel telling her what God wanted to do. Notice: not telling her "God is going to do this, period", but more like "God would like to do this with you, what do you think?" He gives her a choice. And her response is not a half-hearted "ugh, *teenage scoff*... I guess..." It's not only just a "yes". It is "I am the Lord's servant", meaning "I will do whatever You ask me, Lord!"

Oh, that we were a bit like Mary! That we would completely surrender to the will of God! That we would take that jump into the abyss of faith! Then the Lord would catch us and exalt us! Then our souls would glorify the Lord like Mary's did!!!!! 

Mary, my mother, help me be like you!