Let His Love Speak.

One of the most holy moments of my life was at summer camp a few weeks ago. Where I stared my precious sweet small group girl in the eyes. Tears were racing down her face, as tears were welling up in mine.

I said, "what lies are you believing?"

She quickly mentioned two, which were not true whatsoever. God immediately provided truths for me to say to her. 

Then I began to sob as I asked her, firmly, “who told you that?”

“Who told you that you were not _____ + _____ ?” 

Who

told

you

that? 

She named the voice quickly. And God again spoke thru me… “you have to put their voice back in its place. It does not, can not, will not ever have that much power over you. You have to give the authority back to Jesus and what He says. Because it is only His.”

Her eyes lightened and her head nodded.

I could sense both of our hearts let out a sigh of relief. The burden had been lifted. We had met with Jesus in such a holy, precious way that day. Because He was speaking to her for sure. But He was speaking also to me.

We prayed, and I walked away with her, tears still streaming. And God spoke again, “you are so precious the devil is going to lie to you. But, you are too precious to believe him.” 

I will never forget those words, so I wanted to also share them with you.

You are so precious the devil is going to lie to you. But you are too precious to believe him.

I was crying the whole time because I couldn’t believe someone so precious would be carrying such lies. Then I saw myself, at the same age. And I saw God doing for me what He had just done for her. 

Since He knit me together in my mother's womb, He has been meeting me the same way. Grabbing my tear stained face, which He so intentionally and lovingly created. By each lie, pulling me in closer to His heart. Locking eyes with me, not for one second planning to look away.

Making me name the lie so He can name me.

Making me name the voice so His can be the one I know deeper.

Making me know the truth so I can walk freely. Abundantly. Whole.

Making me know Him, so I can know Life.

Inviting me to let His Love Speak, so He can have the better word.

He has you do these things, not to hurt you. But to free you from what is killing you.

Proverbs 18:21 says, "Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit"

What you are saying. What is being spoken over you. Has power. Not just any power, but the power of life or death. Our words hurt or heal. Yours have the power to do this. So start using your tongue for life. God gave it to you for this very purpose.

The more and more you use your tongue for life, the more and more you will continue to. This is what it means by "those who love it will eat its fruit."

I recently heard someone say, "We cannot break a thought with another thought. We can only break it with a spoken word."

So use your tongue for life. And you will learn to love its fruit. You will no longer taste the bitter taste of defeat, lies, destruction. You will start to eat sweet. And your diet will change. You will not only eat sweet, you will learn to love the sweet taste of truth.

Here are a few to speak out loud that I know will breathe life into your bones...

You are Loved. Chosen. Redeemed. Set Apart. Forgiven. Cherished. Made New. Set Free. Known. Seen. Valued. Noticed. Near. His. Called. Purposed. Established in Love. Found. Never abandoned. Never Forsaken. Covered. Forever.

The life you just experienced is not a feeling. It is LIFE that Jesus promises to you.

Proverbs 16:24 says "A kind word is like honey; sweet to the soul, and healing to the bones."

Hebrews 4:12 says "The word of God is alive and active, sharper than any double edged sword. Piercing to the division of soul and spirit, of joint and marrow. Testing the thoughts and intentions of the heart."

I've read these verses over and over. And have always wondered why the Word of God impacts our bones.

Without our bones, we would have no structure. We would be unable to move. We would live unprotected. And we would not be able to produce blood cells. Sounds silly, but stick with me on this last one.

The Word of God working to heal our bones, consistently enables the blood of Jesus to continue its work in us. Grants us the might + strength to walk covered by the blood of Jesus.

When we don't know the Truth, we sit paralyzed in lies. Unable to move, without structure, unprotected, and feel unable to walk in the work of Jesus. All while the work has already been finished.

Which is why God chose to bring healing to our bones with His voice of Truth. He wants us to walk in all He has for us. Protected. Confident. Brave. Bold. Structured. Secure. In step with Jesus. Just as He created us for.

The idea of Standing Firm has been so special to me lately. And I found it incredibly sweet when I read that bones provide attachment points for our muscles, to allow us to walk, perform actions, and stand.

Without healing to our bones, it will be impossible to stand. We can try, but it will always feel like we are worn down, weak, unable, or in constant pain. Always trying it in our own strength. But the way we conquer the enemy is by standing in the promise, hope, victory, strength, power, and Truth of Jesus that has already been established for us.

So we must let God's kind word heal our bones. So, in Him, we can stand. "With arms high and heart abandoned, for all I am is Yours." (The Stand by Hillsong.)

And Who is this kind word? It is Jesus. Who is the Word in flesh, who came and dwelt among us. And died for us. And was raised to life for us. Who lavishes His love on us, so that we could be called Children of God. And that is who we are!

He has always seen you as His precious child. He sees you as The Truth. 

I know this because I recently hand embroidered truth tags into each of my small group girls' sweatshirts before camp, and by only God’s might, I see that word each time I look at them. I now know this is how He sees us. 

And when I look at these girls, I cry because I see how deeply God loves them. Which humbles my heart to receive that same love that He has for me too.

His love is constantly speaking. Are you listening?

God loves us. But what is leaving me undone lately, is that He chooses to love us. He chooses us. He picks us. He desires us. He constantly chooses us. He chose the cross for the joy set before Him.

He chose us and will forever choose us. Because Love is not a feeling. It’s a choice. 

He didn’t go to the cross on a whim. He didn’t say this might feel good today. Quite frankly, if it was based on feeling, He would have most definitely decided against death that day.

But He chose to die for us so that we would know His love. So that we would know it forever. So that right now we could experience it to the fullness, with the promise that one day it will only get better. He chose to do this so we could walk in the confidence that we will see His face one day and lock eyes with the One who, in His love, chose to die for us. With Joy.

He chose to love us, not because we deserved it or earned it. But He chose to love us knowing there was nothing we could ever do to earn or deserve it. He chose to love us knowing we are more prone to doing the opposite. He chose to love us knowing we won't always perfectly choose Him as He chooses us. And that wrecks me. And compels me to tell everyone I know.

We must let His love speak the better word over our lives because it is the best word.

Psalm 63:3 says, “Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you.”

Because.

Because. Not if, not when, not hope. Because His love is better than life. Our lips will glorify Him.

His love is sure. It is true. It will never ever change. And His love compels us to share it with everyone. Our lips can glorify Him because of the confidence His love carries and establishes for us.

How do our lips glorify Him? They speak the truth over others, in grace. They shout His goodness in confidence. They sing His life, in joy. Our lips glorify Him, by tasting that He is sweeter and then remaining in His love. 

Remaining in His unchanging love enables us to walk confidently in His Truth. And encourages us to pull others in to experience it too. But it is not our love for Him that enables this, it is His perfect love for us.

So if we would, not strive to love Him more, but stand firm in His choice to love us - we will walk more confidently in who He is. We will know His love is better than life. And we will, in love, praise Him with our lips. Piercing death and darkness with our tongue. And walk with healing in our bones.

The Truths will be realized. The lies will fade. The tears will be wiped. And the ground will become holy. 

It will be a lot like that holy moment at camp. Where truth won, because Jesus already did. Where His love speaks, because His blood forever will. Where light pierces the darkness because nothing can overcome the Light of Life, who is Jesus.

When I let His love speak, my only response is for my lips to forever glorify Him.

Because in His love, He chose to die for me. So I can know that His love is better than life.

Because His are the eyes of fire. Yet He chooses to look on me with love. And He will never look away.

Because He created me in His image, and the only way I can walk that out - is if I lock eyes with Him. 

Lord God turn my eyes from worthless things. Preserve my life according to your word. For nothing is more true. Than who You are, what You say to me, and what You have so lovingly done for me. Heal my bones. Capture my heart. Use my tongue for life. Help me Stand Firm in Your love. For Your Love is better than Life.

Thank You Jesus. What else can I say? But may my lips, tongue, bones, heart, mind, life, love speak of You everyday.

Life. Light. Freedom. Peace. Joy. Goodness. Jesus, its You.

And You will always win. Xx