Hear and receive God’s Word in John 17:23 NLT. “I in them and you in me, all being perfected into one. Then the world will know… and will understand that you love them as much as you love me.”
At his baptism and transfiguration, your Father said to Jesus, “You are the Son I love. I am well pleased with you” (Mat.3:17; 17:5). It was a great affirmation of his love and pleasure in his Son. Because you are in him, the Father loves you with the same love (John 17:23,26). You are God’s beloved; that is the most intimate truth about you. It has to be true, because Jesus said it to his Father.
Let these words reverberate in every cell. Be blessed to live from the blessing of belovedness, not trying to earn it. Hear your Father speak to you about his deep bonds with you, his deep attachment to you with cords of unfailing love (Jer 31:3; Hos 11:4). Hear him speak to you about trust, faith, and love that is much deeper than your mindset of survival. Hear him speak to you about your deepest yearnings, your wishes, your hopes, and your dreams.
The soft voice of your Father speaks in the core of your essence: you are the beloved. On you his favor rests. He sees you as a precious being. You are welcome to exist. God celebrates your existence. Be blessed to know how you were infinitely loved before you were wounded. That’s the truth of your life. There is no burden on you to prove you are worthy of being loved, of being heard, of being respected and honored and given dignity. Your life is an unceasing “yes” to the truth that you are beloved because of God’s great love. In him you deserve to be valued.
Receive the different tones in which others say that to you, but always remember that it is your spirit connection with your Father that matters most. People do not give you your legitimacy. True legitimacy comes from the One who chose you with everlasting love. Your Father says, “I called you by name from the very beginning. You belong to me, and I know you as my own, and I am yours. You know me as your own true Father. I molded you in your mother’s womb. I carved you in the palms of my Son. I hide you in the shadow of my embrace. You have my infinite tenderness, and I care for you intimately. I have counted every hair on your head, and wherever you go, I go with you. Wherever you rest, I keep watch. I give you food that will satisfy all your hunger and drink that will quench all your thirst. I will never hide my face from you. Nothing will ever separate us. Wherever you are, I am. Live your life as my redeemed child. You can reach out to true inner freedom and find it ever more fully.”
That’s the message of your life… you are chosen, and you are beloved. It’s your sacred romance. Say “Yes” to your belovedness, your significance, your worth, and your belonging. His “Yes” is engraved on your heart. Rise up to your full stature and discover how to fulfill your deepest essence of who you are, beloved in God your Father and kept in his Son. You are accepted in the Beloved (Eph 1:6 NKJV).
Be blessed in the name of the Beloved Son (Mat.3:17 NKJV).
Based on You Are Blessed In The Name Of God, page 47, © Sylvia Gunter 2008. Click here to order. An archive of past devotionals is available on the website.
