So…I’m tired and stumbling through my morning.  Not sure where to begin.  I know I need some spiritual help because I’ve had little sleep and we’re all sick here.  The husband is gone and I feel alone in this physical and spiritual battle.  I still have a few days to go before he’s back.

Unfortunately, the little creativity I have is being used in how to get us through the day. Decisions like…”should our movie marathon be Gentle Ben, Flipper or Little House on the Prairie?”

As I assemble a time with the Lord this morning, before this day begins, I read a blog post. It refreshes me and brings me to some sense of gospel sanity again.

Joanne Viola over at Days and Thoughts reminded me to listen hard and to lean into those moments when I feel God is silent.  Especially those times when I’m reading a scripture that I already know and have heard many times before.  Perhaps…He wants us to grasp it in a deeper way and show us something new.

She pointed me to Ephesians 1:4-6 in the NLT.  “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.”

Here it is in the ESV with a bit different wording and more context:

^“3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, ⁴ even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love ⁵ he predestined us^[b] for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, ⁶ to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. ⁷ In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, ⁸ which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight ⁹ making known^[c] to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ ¹⁰ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.”

She dug.

And after a fifth time of reading the passage she caught what she felt the Lord was wanting her to see new.

The two thoughts she walked away with that He impressed on her heart (and mine) more deeply today?

“He. Brought. Us.

He. Wanted. To.”

Maybe you’re in a situation like me today and have less time to spend on a quiet time.  Here it is for you. A verse to meditate on and two major thoughts to take with you.

“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.”

You are wanted.

Photo courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net/Stuart Miles