We can so love the days when God shows up big or loud. Those are the days when we just can’t miss Him. It was not one of those days though.
It was a quieter sort of day. I had time to read and then listen to what the Scriptures were saying to me. To go back over the same verse as it seemed to hold something for me and yet it seemed like God was silent. Or He was quieter. Softer. Maybe He was wanting that I lean it a bit. Listen a little harder.
It is a most familiar portion of Scripture:
Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured on us who belong to his dear Son. (Ephesians 1: 4-6, NLT)
See what I mean? It is really a very familiar passage. In reading this passage, I tend to focus on the truths that God loved me, and chose me, and adopted me as His own. All true and precious to me. I take none of that for granted. But today, I felt like God was wanting me to see more. Perhaps to see something new. Different.
I had to read these verses at least four times today. Each time, I walked away sort of disappointed, if I were to be totally honest. I felt like I was missing it. Missing what God was wanting me to see. And that can be somewhat frustrating as I truly do not want to miss what He has for me.
I sat down to read the passage again – a fifth time. Seeing as the house was empty, I read the verse aloud, slowly and softly, in the hopes that in the slowness I would come to know. And it was in the slowness that I finally caught it:
He. Brought. Us.
How had I not ever seen that? How could I ever have thought at a young age I had found Jesus? All my life, God Himself, had been bringing me to Him. He has been aligning the course of my life, each and every day of my life, so that I would come to know and experience Him more deeply. He brought me to Him which continually and daily astounds me. But here is the thing that I never want to forget or get over:
He. Wanted. To.
He not only had planned. It was what He wanted to do and for no other reason than it gave Him great pleasure. I cannot even conceive of that.
To bring me to Himself was His delight. Having me with Him brings Him pleasure. This broken, messed up woman. Somehow I bring Him pleasure. He wanted me. So He brought me to Himself.
And He wants you. And He brings you. And you bring Him pleasure as well.
I am just beginning to realize and believe that there is purpose and identity written by His hand all over my soul. He persistently pursues me no matter how I have failed Him, walked away from Him, disappointed Him, denied Him, disobeyed Him or ignored Him. He never gives up on me and always realigns my paths with His. All so that He can fulfill the purposes He has for me.
And that is true for you today as well. May these two truths burn in your heart…..
He. Brought. Us.
He. Wanted. To.
Today I am joining …. Three Word Wed. and Wordless Wed. and Wed. In The Word and Wordless Wed. and Wed. Prayer Girls and Wisdom Wed. and Doing You Well and A Little R & R and Winsome Wed. and Tell His Story and Wedded Wed. and Wholehearted Wed. and Whimsical Wed. and Imperfect Prose .
Hi Joanne–well I’d say that helps me see it more clearly too! Thank you. I’m having a sick day here –the kids and I. My hubby is on a week-long trip for work. Hard morning but this picked me up. I am very dry spiritually this week and this is my day to write for the blog. Thinking of using this and providing a link to your article…if I can even get something up on my blog!
Done!
Thank you so much for sharing my post. I am grateful that it spoke to your heart. God has been so impressing this upon mine for weeks now. Hope you all get to feeling better quickly!
Blessings,
Joanne
Joanne,
Loved this. I tweeted it with a link to this blog. I can’t find you on Twitter.
I love that we were wanted. Isn’t that awesome.
Blessings,
Janis http://www.janiscox.com
Janis – Thank you so much. I am glad that you enjoyed it. I am on Twitter – @JViola79. Thank you for sharing my post.
Have a great Wed.,
Joanne
Ah, Joanne, it feels like you were listening in to my prayer time this morning! I am amazed too at Christ’s rich love for us who continually disappoint and stray from Him. I don’t get that love and struggle to extend that kind of love to others. But He’s day by day helping me to learn His ways. Oh, and I had the same thing happen to me about not noticing something in scripture until today. I’ve been reading through 2 Kings and noticed that King Uzziah and King Azariah are the same person. I wondered how I could’ve missed that for all the times I’ve read through the Bible. It only served to remind me that I need to read the Bible more “carefully.” Thanks for sharing this nugget of wisdom from God’s heart to yours to ours!
🙂 Just checked for myself & you are absolutely right – they are one & the same. Amazing how we continue to discover new things in His Word. Thank you for sharing with me today.
I love this! I really needed this reminder. I’m going to share this on my blog’s FB page.
Grateful that it spoke to you. Thank you for sharing it too 🙂
Beautiful!! Thank you for bringing me new truths from that verse! Blessings, Shelly <3
http://reneweddaily.com/can-god-really-delight-us-featured-rest-ministries/
Such a lovely post! Thank you for shedding the truths of God’s Word.
Thank you for stopping here for a bit 🙂
Thank you for this today! God has the answers right in front of us and it is so easy to miss them at times. The image of God delighting in bringing me to Him is lingering with me today. Blessings!
Mary
It is so true that sometimes the answers are right in front of us. May He give us eyes to see! Thank you for stopping here & sharing. Blessings to you!
oh, how I love this truth. We are chosen, adopted, redeemed, and co-heirs only because of God’s great love for us – “his great love with which he loved us.” So thankful that my relationship to the King doesn’t depend on me – my gifts, talents, ‘good’ deeds, motivations, or actions. It is solely the King’s love! Thank you for linking up with me at Wednesdays in the Word! Such an honor to have you! ~Melissa
Yes, I am also thankful that my relationship with Him never depended on me. Thank you for hosting such a wonderful linkup each week. So glad to have found it 🙂
Hi Joanne,
Thanks for your post, highlighting this wonderful truth. I’m so glad our Lord, wants us, wants me…
Grateful that He will always want us! Have a great weekend!
Hello again! I can’t believe I did not respond earlier in the week as I did read your post. Maybe God knew I needed to read it again! I needed this reminder —> “He persistently pursues me no matter how I have failed Him, walked away from Him, disappointed Him, denied Him, disobeyed Him or ignored Him.”
Thank you friend for your beautiful heart!!
Love you,
Beth
Beth – Do not be concerned that you did not reply. You have had much on your heart & mind. Know that you & yours were in my thought as you make this transition. May God continue to bless you with His Presence in a special way!
Love,
Joanne
I love it that you stopped by and share over at WholeHearted Home. This is a special post. I love how I can see something that I never notice before. I blogged about that sort of thing recently. Thanks so much!
Yes, it is amazing how His Word is alive & new. Glad that you stopped here!