Devotions by Rachel #6

Devotion #6- I love you always Sometimes when I’m writing a letter to somebody close to me, I sign it “I love you always, forever, no matter what.” I know that is how our heavenly father feels about us, but do we reciprocate it? Often, when times are good we praise; when times are bad we complain. But do we really love God no matter what life brings? I happen to have a low immune system due to all my health issues. So when I get the flu I typically get it twice as long as other people. I just got over a flu last week, and tonight a new one seems to have appeared. My throat started hurting so bad that I had a hard time thinking about other things. I was trying not to swallow. I started feeling very weak and fatigued, and my heart issues started acting up. I held my throat and prayed over it. It asked the Lord to “please help me.” In the middle of it I was reminded how often I ask Him for things, ask, ask, ask. So I took a moment to pause and then I told Him, “I love you. I praise you.” A little time went by as I watched TV. And then a phrase came pouring out of my heart to the Lord. “I love you always, forever, and no matter what.” I notice as I take time to praise Him, I’m no longer just thinking about my problems and what I want “fixed.” My mind is no longer only focused on my pain and frustration. I am now before my Lord, doing what I was created to do- to worship Him. At our core we are created to praise God and fellowship with Him. We can deny that. We can live to gratify our desires. We can choose not to “give of ourselves” unto the Lord, and instead have a mindset of only taking from Him. But it only goes against the sacred design imprinted on our souls. When we choose to worship God, whether times be good or bad, it is a sweet incense to Him. It’s all about Him. But he is so kind to us that He allows us to feel more connected to our creator when we go to worship Him.  We often walk away with more peace, more hope, and more trust. What an amazing God that we serve! Instead of just accepting our praise, He connects our souls to Him. We push past the momentary afflictions and it’s like a “reset” button is hit and we’re better able to face our present troubles. 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 “Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.  For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”