Photo Credit: Epsos
"...How often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing" (NIV) - Matthew 23:37
“..How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!" (ESV) Matthew 23:37
Prayer: Lord, you are a marvelous! Show me what you are saying to me in this verse. In Jesus' Name I pray, Amen!
What a verse! It's amazing how God continually shows us through Scripture how loving and kind hearted He is.
The thing is, fam, if we wanted to paint a picture of God as this big-mean guy waiting to say something or be mean to us, we'll definitely find it when we read Scripture because we'll be picking out what we want to see.
There are two things I'd love to share with you before we start:
1. Please read my last article about Scripture being God-breathed. There, I encouraged you to start reading the Word like a love letter. God is for you and not against you!
2. Also, when you read, pray first and ask God and the Holy Spirit to come lead you, help you, and to speak to you (i.e. give you revelation). We do have a flesh so sometimes we can go to Scripture and interpret it in our own way, when really all God is showing us is that He loves us. I guess my point here is this: be faith-based, not fear-based when you read the Bible. Each time I head to Scripture and it's something that brings fear, I'm like..hmmm okay God, this feeling is not from you, i.e. I'm not interpreting this right, you are not here to condemn me / put me down / this isn't your nature so I'll ask You about it instead. Like I said last time, if there is any discipline from our Abba, He does so in a loving and kind way. He is a God of grace, doing so to help you, and to build you up.
K! Now onto the message!
I have to confess, I felt like this really needed to be said. I felt a heavy burden to tell people that God loves them very much and wanted them to know that He is a gentle God. God hears you when you cry out to Him.
This verse is one out of a ton that demonstrates God's nature.
The Savior is always showing His tender love to us.
Tender means showing gentleness and concern or sympathy.
He is gentle, tender and sympathetic with us. He empathizes with us when we hurt. He is not here to hurt us or condemn us.
Looking at the definition of tender, the dictionary also defined it as 'not rough'.
Jesus is not rough.
If anything, He is the most gentle person you will ever know.
Think of Someone who was pushed in a crowd, touched, used, abused, and still in the end lay there saying no harsh words or continued with what He promised to do.
That's the awesome God we serve. :)
Also, remember when Paul continued walking and got back up in Acts 14:19-20? Paul was telling the people in Lystra that God never left Himself without testimony. Some Jews came and stoned Paul. They even dragged him outside the city, thinking he was dead - it was brutal. But what did Paul do? He got back up and went back into the city, and the next day he and Barnabas left for Derbe (another city).
Those were qualities of Jesus. That was Jesus in Paul!
We know it's Jesus because no one in their carnal mind would ever get stoned and STILL get back up and continue the work of spreading the message of Jesus Christ! It's a miracle! We praise the Lord!
It's stuff like this that's all around us.
There are qualities of Jesus all around you. He manifests Himself to you in every way possible to show you kindness, and love. He manifests Himself to show you that He is capable, He is able, He is yours and His promises are so true and will never stop demonstrating them to you. And that includes comfort - comforting you.
Allow God's tender Hands to let the eyes of your heart be opened.
Dear child, stop hurting.
Jesus wants to show you that He loves you and He cares for you and that He wants to protect you through it all. He wants to protect you through it all.
Like a hen protects her chicks, the Father protects His, under His glorious wings.
Do you know who your Father is?
He is a gentle God, a gentle God waiting to show you that He loves you.
“..How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!" (ESV) Matthew 23:37
Prayer: Lord, you are a marvelous! Show me what you are saying to me in this verse. In Jesus' Name I pray, Amen!
What a verse! It's amazing how God continually shows us through Scripture how loving and kind hearted He is.
The thing is, fam, if we wanted to paint a picture of God as this big-mean guy waiting to say something or be mean to us, we'll definitely find it when we read Scripture because we'll be picking out what we want to see.
There are two things I'd love to share with you before we start:
1. Please read my last article about Scripture being God-breathed. There, I encouraged you to start reading the Word like a love letter. God is for you and not against you!
2. Also, when you read, pray first and ask God and the Holy Spirit to come lead you, help you, and to speak to you (i.e. give you revelation). We do have a flesh so sometimes we can go to Scripture and interpret it in our own way, when really all God is showing us is that He loves us. I guess my point here is this: be faith-based, not fear-based when you read the Bible. Each time I head to Scripture and it's something that brings fear, I'm like..hmmm okay God, this feeling is not from you, i.e. I'm not interpreting this right, you are not here to condemn me / put me down / this isn't your nature so I'll ask You about it instead. Like I said last time, if there is any discipline from our Abba, He does so in a loving and kind way. He is a God of grace, doing so to help you, and to build you up.
K! Now onto the message!
I have to confess, I felt like this really needed to be said. I felt a heavy burden to tell people that God loves them very much and wanted them to know that He is a gentle God. God hears you when you cry out to Him.
This verse is one out of a ton that demonstrates God's nature.
The Savior is always showing His tender love to us.
Tender means showing gentleness and concern or sympathy.
He is gentle, tender and sympathetic with us. He empathizes with us when we hurt. He is not here to hurt us or condemn us.
Looking at the definition of tender, the dictionary also defined it as 'not rough'.
Jesus is not rough.
If anything, He is the most gentle person you will ever know.
Think of Someone who was pushed in a crowd, touched, used, abused, and still in the end lay there saying no harsh words or continued with what He promised to do.
That's the awesome God we serve. :)
Also, remember when Paul continued walking and got back up in Acts 14:19-20? Paul was telling the people in Lystra that God never left Himself without testimony. Some Jews came and stoned Paul. They even dragged him outside the city, thinking he was dead - it was brutal. But what did Paul do? He got back up and went back into the city, and the next day he and Barnabas left for Derbe (another city).
Those were qualities of Jesus. That was Jesus in Paul!
We know it's Jesus because no one in their carnal mind would ever get stoned and STILL get back up and continue the work of spreading the message of Jesus Christ! It's a miracle! We praise the Lord!
It's stuff like this that's all around us.
There are qualities of Jesus all around you. He manifests Himself to you in every way possible to show you kindness, and love. He manifests Himself to show you that He is capable, He is able, He is yours and His promises are so true and will never stop demonstrating them to you. And that includes comfort - comforting you.
Allow God's tender Hands to let the eyes of your heart be opened.
Dear child, stop hurting.
Jesus wants to show you that He loves you and He cares for you and that He wants to protect you through it all. He wants to protect you through it all.
Like a hen protects her chicks, the Father protects His, under His glorious wings.
Do you know who your Father is?
He is a gentle God, a gentle God waiting to show you that He loves you.
"Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand" (Isaiah 41:10). Amen
Challenge: For the next 30 days, could you read a verse a day about God's love for you and meditate on it? See what it says and ask God to speak to you through it. :)
Life's circumstances will come and go, but God's love will remain the same. :)
Jesus loves you no matter what.
Song: Listen to: "You Are For Me" - by Kari Jobe
Life's circumstances will come and go, but God's love will remain the same. :)
Jesus loves you no matter what.
Song: Listen to: "You Are For Me" - by Kari Jobe
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