I stood in a circle with a group of ladies to pray before heading to the podium to speak. They had been planning and preparing for about a year, and now the Christmas event was finally here.
As we held hands in a circle of intercession, one of the women said, “This morning as I was sitting in the church praying for the event, God showed me that Sharon is very valuable to Him.”
At that moment I began to weep. I, in my speaker outfit and makeup, began to cry like a baby.
I travel all around the country telling people about God’s love for them, but you know what? Sometimes I forget that He loves me too.
I know how rotten I am. I know the ugliness that escapes my lips, the thoughts that rattle around in my mind, and the wickedness that pops up unexpectedly in my heart.
Why would He love me, much less like me? I wonder.
There is no earthly reason. There is only a heavenly one. He just does.
The heartbeat of Christianity is God’s relentless pursuit of our hearts. (Click to Tweet) That’s what He longs for more than anything—our hearts. And whether we realize it or not, it is His love that we want as well.
We desire to be loved—wholly, completely, unabashedly—despite the warts and wrinkles, oddities and idiosyncrasies, faults and failures. But somewhere along the way, we settle for something less–human love that is incapable of satisfying our desire for love in its purest form.
We long for a love unadulterated by sin, but settle for human love that must pass through the filter of fallen man’s inability to really love.
I am in no way belittling my husband’s precious and treasured love for me, nor mine for him. I had no idea that depth of love was possible until I met him. As wonder-filled as our love may be, it still cannot satisfy the depth of longing in my soul for the unconditional, agape love of God.
I suspect this is a great tension in marriages, because many wives and husbands expect the love of God to be met in their spouse. In reality, a spouse is not capable of supplying, and was never intended to satisfy, the longing God has placed in every human heart to be loved by Him and to love Him in return.
In the Bible, each time the words unfailing love are used, they refer to the love God has for His children. “Unfailing love” is never attributed to human affection.
We love as we can, but our emotions must pass through a filter of sin, selfish desire, and imperfect humanness. However, God’s love doesn’t have to sift through a filter at all. He is love, and that love never fails.
Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,’ says the LORD, who has compassion on you” (Isaiah 54:10).
So today, I revel in God’s love for me. I encourage you to do the same. See, this morning God spoke to MY heart and showed me that YOU are very valuable to HIM.
Want More?
I don’t think there is any book that I have ever written that stirs the heart to grasp just how much God loves you as much as A Sudden Glory. The sub-title says it all: God’s Lavish Response to 
Your Ache for Something More. If you want to catch a glimpse of God’s passionate pursuit and relentless romance of your heart…if you are willing to raise your expectations and embrace all that God has for you, then I encourage you to click here and check it out.
Comments 7
I have a dear friend Debbie, who has cancel and just had a treatment yesterday and after reading “You Love Me’ I pass the saying: ‘God spoke to MY heart and showed me that YOU are very valuable to HIM”. to her. This really did touch me today. Thank you for sharing your gift of writing with us. My you have a wonderful Thanksgiving with your family. Kathy
Sharon, your blog today struck a chord with me as I have been reading the Psalms in the quiet presence of the Lord and have been helped along by J Vernon McGee. They have helped me to see a reality in my heart that was the reality of David’s heart; that regardless of what sins he committed, it was his heart that mattered to God and made him a man “after God’s own heart.” I have always had trouble read Psalms 3-7. I did not understand how David having all these enemies had anything to do with me. This time I have been helped to see that our own worst enemy, and his, is the mind. Our imaginings of all our failures and of all that could be because of our failures and of any other worries or problems that just might appear on the horizon are our enemies. I am thrilled to know that such simple words have calmed your spirit and warmed your heart, uplifting you on the wings on God.
Sharon , thanks for being so honest. Im reading A SUDDEN GLORY now and its great. I have yet to really under stand the theme verse but Im digging in.
I woke up yesterday morning and while eating my breakfast I ask God to show me today how much He loves me. That evening I went to the store to buy a rossetti chicken and also added 2 more items to buy. When Im in the check out paying with chump chain (because thats all I had to pay) the man behind tells the cashier that he will pay for my order. He also reminded me that Christ lives. On top of that he ask me to wait and gave me 20dollars. I was stunned for a moment just thinking of how Father God showed me how he loves me. Of how He answered me quick. Thank you Father God!
On Monday I was praying and calling out to the Lord. I told him I know you are listening but please reply to my prayer. And He told me Isaiah 54:10. It was heartwarming and unfailing love falling over my heart. Yesterday I read your devotional and you confirmed His unfailing love for me, for us. Thank you.
When we receive a promise from the Lord, many times we think: This is it, we hit the goal. Ha ha nothing further from the truth, there is a long road to the promise most of the times, but even though the journey is different for each one of us, we always get there, because He promised. I haven’t get to my promise yet, I’m waiting…, but I have no doubt that I will get there and that the journey is good for me. I have cried, I have suffered, but I found out that really in everything the Lord glorifies. Hallelujah!!!
Though the mountains be shaken
and the hills be removed,
yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken
nor my covenant of peace be removed,”
says the Lord, who has compassion on you.
Amen.
Yes Sharon you are very special to the Lord. You have helped me to turn my life to him, thru your books and devotionals I have changed to get closer to the Proverbs 31 woman, and so much more in my life have your mark, your input. I have learned to live and move and have my being in Him, etc. And like me there is many more!!!
Thank you dear Sharon for being so humble and honest.
My daughter who asked me if I would like to receive a message from GiG, forwarded about 5 mos ago the first one. Then I answered and asked also to receive them. Afterwards when you started your website, I was so glad I did asked to receive your messages.You are an inspiration to me. May our Lord Bless you and keep you and your Family. I feel I know you, even though I live in Cochrane, Alberta ,Canada and have personally never met you. Thank you for your faithfulness and your love for others. You are loved. Happy Thanksgiving.
I feel at times that I wax and wane in my faith. I am not a holy roller but am also not as spiritual as the DJ’s on Christian Radio or as far in my journey as GIG however I do believe God loves me but sometimes I wonder if I am worthy of the love. I fail miserably as a Christian and don’t read my bible or pray nearly as much as I should. All that being said I do know God loves me I guess here lately I feel he has a wierd way of showing it sometimes…..LOL!! I also know that he knows and I know I have a long way to go on my journey. One day I will get there and on that day we will all hear a big sigh of relief and a few good laughs from the man upstairs!!