April 2, 2014
You are a child of My love. I have seen the sacrifices you have made. I have seen what you have forsaken for My sake, and I will reward you greatly. My love and My anointing will flow upon you. Though it may not manifest itself in great works and great accomplishments, it will be manifested through a life of faithfulness, of faithful serving, giving, loving, caring, of dying daily to yourself so that what you give may spring up in the lives of others.
Look unto Me, My precious one, and I will renew you. I will strengthen you and clear your mind and give you faith and encouragement. I delight in those who do My will, both through the good times and through the bad times. I delight in those who follow Me. Whether the task is small or great, it is equal in My eyes; it is faithfulness that I cherish most. It is faithfulness that is inscribed in the halls of heaven; and it is for faithfulness that rewards are passed out.
“Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful…. Let’s celebrate together!”—Matthew 25:231
I love to walk with you in the sunset, on the beach of life, making footprints in the sand, feeling the cool water of the Word splash upon our feet, melting our hearts together, uniting us. As the moon rises and glistens on your face and the wind blows gently through your hair, I hold you in My arms and wipe away your tears. I gently tell you that I’m always there.
I’ve always been there, even when the moon could not be seen, even when the stars did not seem to twinkle, when the clouds covered them; even when the rains poured and the winds fiercely raged. When you came to Me and said, “I will continue to walk with You,” then you saw the clouds roll away and the stars shine again; the moon became full and beautiful and bright; the fiercely raging wind turned into a gentle breeze.
As you continue faithful in your calling, I promise that your feet shall not slide. When your arms grow weary, I will hold them up; when your feet are weary, I will give you strength to carry on. I will be with you until you reach the goal, and we will see each other face to face and we will be one forever, even as My Father and I are one.
“We can see and understand only a little about God now, as if we were peering at his reflection in a poor mirror; but someday we are going to see him in his completeness, face-to-face. Now all that I know is hazy and blurred, but then I will see everything clearly, just as clearly as God sees into my heart right now.”—1 Corinthians 13:122
My dear one, you are like a tree that is planted by the rivers of water that brings forth its fruit in its season. Your leaf also shall not wither, and whatsoever you do will prosper. I have prospered you; I have watered you and strengthened you and blessed you to bring forth much good fruit. For as the tree that is planted by the waters dwells in the water, so must you dwell in My sunlight and be nourished by the warmth of My love, by the streams of My Word, by the light of the day that I create.
Through all your youth I was with you. I have prepared you and nurtured you as a young sapling from the time you were only a little seed. I have rooted and grounded you in My Word. I have chosen you from the foundations of the Earth. It is with great love and tenderness that I bestowed upon you the health, strength, and growth needed.
Hasn’t it been worth it all? You have grown into a strong tree for Me, whose leaves stretch out to help and to heal and to minister to others, and to provide encouragement to many.
“The tree of life grows where the fruit of right-living falls, and whoever wins souls is wise.”—Proverbs 11:303
Desire My will for your life and seek to learn and to grow. Seek to draw nigh to Me as you pass through the desert places, so that you may come out as a man or woman of understanding, of depth, anointed of My Spirit.
I too spent time alone in the desert places, and I too went through the times of testing. When you find yourself in the desert place, do not fear; do not give up. For it is there that I am able to mold you and to form you. It is there that the decisions are made that will shape the kind of vessel you will become. It is there you come to know Me, to trust Me, and to love Me.
In the times of despair and discouragement and the times when you look about you and say, “What is happening? How could this be?” and when you feel like saying, “My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken me”—know that in those times I am there with you.
Trust Me in the desert places. Just hang on. Just lay down your own ways, your own desires, and say, “Not my will, but Thine be done.” At that point, I can trust you with the blessings, with the anointing and with the power of My Spirit that I will pour out to you in the days to come. Be patient, and know that I am the potter, you are the vessel. Give Me the moldable clay of your life that I may make you into the useful vessel of My choosing, of our choosing. For the vessel you become is a vessel of My choice and of your choice together.
“Come close to the one true God, and He will draw close to you.”—James 4:84
If you feel you have failed Me time and again; if you feel inadequate and too sinful to be worthy of My love, I want you to know I love you, just you. If you feel overwhelmed, like you’re drowning in an ocean of woes, I love you!
My love is reaching out to you right now. My love, My forgiveness, and My mercy are all right there, just for you, if you will only receive them. I long to hold you close to My heart of love. I long to whisper in your ear.
I love you just the way you are—as if you were the only one. I am not stacking up all your faults and failures, all your mistakes and blunders to hold against you. I have X-ray eyes that enable Me to see the good and the possibilities that others do not see. I see straight through to your heart of hearts. I see your precious heart—and I love you.
Originally published in 1997. Adapted and republished April 2014.
Read by Simon Peterson. Music by Daniel Sozzi.
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