June 3, 2008

 

The Sacred Voice of Love

Rachel Olsen

 

"... I will call them My people, who were not my people, And her beloved, who was not beloved."

Romans 9:25 (NKJ)

         

Devotion:

When you quiet your heart and focus in on God, can you hear Him calling to you? "Beloved," that is what the Lord calls you and I, in today's key verse. It takes my breath away to realize God not only loves me, but really LOVES me.

 

You know the difference: I love Starbucks, but I really LOVE my husband. I love our youth pastor, but I LOVE my two children so much more. While the Lord loves the sweet-songed sparrows He created, He really LOVES you and me. Matthew 10:29-31 explains, "Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your heavenly Parent. And even the hairs of your head are all counted. So do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows" (NRSV).

 

As an adjective, "beloved" conveys "to a great extent." Do you realize the great extent to which the Holy One loves you? It was demonstrated on the cross where God sacrificed His only, perfect Son in order to gain you and I as daughters. I know that I am a flawed and often selfish woman, so I can't fully comprehend why God loves me so dearly that He wanted to draw me to Him through the cross. Though I may have a hard time understanding how God could love me so much, my inability to comprehend it makes it no less true.

 

Some synonymous for the term "beloved" are "much-loved," "dearly loved," "adored," "favorite," "darling" and "highly thought of." This is the image God holds of you. Is this the image you hold of yourself? Try declaring this out loud: "I am wholly and dearly loved by the Holy and Almighty God." Do you experience any hesitation or doubt when you say that?

 

Henri Nouwen said, "Self-rejection is the greatest enemy of the spiritual life because it contradicts the sacred voice that calls us the 'Beloved.' Being beloved constitutes the truth of our existence." How different could our lives be if we agreed with the sacred voice, rather than the condemning voice? We have to choose each day, sometimes hour-by-hour, which voice we will listen to -- the sacred voice of God, or the lying, condemning voice of Satan. Romans 8:1 assures, "there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus" (NLT).

 

Paul says in Romans 8:38 , "And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from his love" (NLT). Nothing. You, my friend, are beloved -- highly thought of and adored. Rejoice today, beloved, because you will always hold that status in your Heavenly Father's heart and nothing can separate you from His love. Now quiet your own heart and focus in on God a minute, and see if you can hear Him ...

 

"You are my beloved."

 

Dear Lord, thank You for loving me with an everlasting love. May I listen to Your sacred voice today in Jesus' Name, Amen.

 

Related Resources:

Visit Rachel Olsen's blog for more on hearing God.

 

Do You Know Him?

 

God's Purpose for Every Woman: A P31 Devotional Gen Eds. Lysa TerKeurst & Rachel Olsen

He Speaks To Me, by Priscilla Shirer

 

Application Steps: 

Read Psalm 103:11 and Romans 8:38-39 and take a few minutes to contemplate the heights and depths of God's love for you. Go ahead and wallow in it!

 

Reflections: 

Whose voice do you typically hear in your head?

 

Do you obey it?

 

How might your life be different today if you accepted your beloved status, listened to the Sacred voice of God, and ignored the lies of Satan?

 

Power Verses:

Nehemiah 9:17, "You are a forgiving God, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love." (NIV)

 

1 John 4:16, "God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him." (NIV)

 

Psalm 103:17, "From everlasting to everlasting the LORD's love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children's children." (NIV)

 

 

© 2008 by Rachel Olsen. All rights reserved.