I cannot comprehend this love. Totally selfless. Completely pure. Ever present. Boundless.
For me, something began stirring within my spirit when our church called for a 21 day fast devoted to seeking God and His plan for our church and for each of us personally. Repentance, prayer and quiet moments for listening became my friend. God began adding fuel to a simmering soul fire (Might I add that God is not fond of lukewarm faith!).
After that, we all shifted towards Bible study. For the women, we committed to devoting six weeks to focusing on who Jesus Himself says He is. Not the Jesus we create in our minds, but the Jesus who is, who was and who will always be. The Jesus who never changes. We pledged transparency and vulnerability.
And women came. Lots of women. They attended for a myriad of reasons but with one thing in common…the desire to know, really know, this man/God named Jesus. Each of us had this innate yearning to know Jesus more completely, more intimately and to love Him for who He is, not for what He gives (even though it is impossible to completely separate the two).
We studied. We did homework. We listened to profound presentations of God’s faithfulness, in spite of our propensity to wander. The testimonies shared were sometimes gut wrenching but proved Jesus to be victorious. Lectures were humbly shared by women who know Jesus and love Him…but yearn for more of Him.
Women broke into smaller groups to ponder, question, share and pray for one another.
And the results continue to be mind boggling. Jesus was center stage. Praised and adored and sought. But He turned the tables around and poured out His selfless love. He received our meager offering of time spent in His presence and poured out freedom and salvation. Miracles happened. Lives are changing. And Jesus revealed that He absolutely is who He says He is.
Women not only grew in intimacy with Jesus, we grew in our intimacy within the Church.
I have heard the most beautiful, touching stories yet I may never know the depth of what He has done but this I do know…we were searching for Him and He kept more than one promise.
“You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart.”
“Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.”
“My word that goes out from My mouth will not return to me empty but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.”
We were seeking His face, not His handout. And what we received was an outpouring of His love that many of us are still trying to process.
It’s true. We are dearly loved with an incomprehensible love.
Behold! He is up to something extravagant, something marvelous. Beyond all we could ever ask or imagine. Something new. And it is a result of His love for us.
debponders 