love love love

I love listening to Beth Moore. Her insight into God's word is precious. In particular, I love her talk titled The Lord God Made a Woman. And as Valentine's is tomorrow, I keep thinking about love - and our desire to love and be loved. And how crucial that is in our lives, as humans. We're called to love, but because we were made in God's image we also desire to be loved.

And as women, because we were designed to be nurturers and helpers...sometimes we get our calling confused with our desires. Sometimes we forget that Jesus is our groom and everything else comes after him. Sometimes we get so lost in our loneliness and in our singleness and in our self-pity that we forget. We're deceived. We fall victim to the voice of doubt and succomb to the world and we seek after a man to fill a void. So that we won't be alone.

I'm not saying it's wrong to want to be loved. But the wrong part of it is seeking after a man before you've sought after the Man. God wants so badly to be the one you call on first. He wants to guide you in your relationships - in your seeking. He wants to be the voice of truth you listen to - not Oprah, not a relationship website, not a horoscope. Him. He wants you to be able to listen to the Holy Spirit's promptings - the Spirit's warnings and heedings, or his excitement and jubilation. There is no other beautiful thing than to fall in love, first, with God and secondly with your to-be husband.

Let God sanctify, make holy, your longings, your passion, before you grab hold of love in an effort to fill the void that only Jesus can.

below is a paraphrased exerpt from the Lord God Made a Woman. I would gladly make a copy of this for anyone who wants it - it's hilarious, it makes you cry, jump up and down and get excited all over again, or for the first time, for the One who made you a woman.

You were born for passion! And any kind of religion that teaches you to keep that contained is a lie. ...And all that tells you is this: I will find passion elsewhere. Because that's how much it means to us. We will jump up and down like crazy at a basketball or soccer game but the whole concept of SHOUT TO THE LORD seems foreign - there are times that isn't appropriate - God himself sets the theme of our praise - there are times to sit still for him - but there are times to JUMP AND DOWN for the Lord Jesus. He would come and walk and sanctify our longings - we are driven by them - so if they're (longings) out of wack ...single women: you want to have your heart satisfied with Jesus, and seek wholeness with him, before you ever DREAM of walking down the aisle with a man. Because in our unhealthy state we will marry unhealthy!

If you're single, I'm praying for the Holy Spirit to protect you with wisdom and counsel and to shower you with more love than you ever knew you could feel, apart from a man. I'm praying that God will enter in where you thought you needed a spouse and as a result of your love affair with the King, you will be blessed with a spouse who is so in love with Jesus that the very longing of your heart will be sealed with a precious kiss from the one God has ordained you to live with on this earth. I'm praying for your love to be holy and pure - free from any misgivings or lies - free from deception - free from sexual impurity - free from thinking that you have to give of yourself physically before marriage. I'm praying for freedom over you life so that you can move into marriage in love with God. And if you're married and you struggle with love, I'm praying for you too. I'm praying that God will replace your hurt with his love and that the love you'll be able to give your spouse will be an overflowing of the Holy Spirit.

God is so good and so capable and able and willing to love us and teach us how to love. Even with our mistakes. Even with our successes. He teaches us. We just have to shoosh long enough to hear the voice of his spirit - we have to shoosh long enough to get rid of our longings that are selfish and wait on hearing the precious plan that God has laid out especially for our own unique lives.

God's peace, friends.