That’s just when God appeared to him as he was among the exiles by the Kebar River. Ezekiel looked up and saw remarkable visions of God—the throne of God surrounded by angelic beings. Amid the strange and apocalyptic vision described in Ezekiel 1, God called the thirty-year-old exile to be a powerful prophet. All things are created for My pleasure and My pleasure is to show forth loving compassion. I have compassion on the poor and needy, and I am a Father to the fatherless, I help them, and I defend them. Far below Me are the heavens and the earth, I stoop to look down, and I lift the poor from the dirt and the needy from the garbage dump and I set them among princes. My precious child I want you to do these things also, have compassion on the poor and needy and help them, this is what it means to know Me. For I am Love, and when you live in love, you live in Me, and I live in you. Loving compassion is good, and this is what I require from you, to do what is right, to love compassion, and to walk humbly with your God. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Read and re-read this love letter from God, to give the words the chance to go beyond your mind and reach the depths of your heart… Then the truth will set you free. I am here. I am always here. I watch you slip and lose your footing. I watch you turn to vices, chasing emptiness in people, in bottles, in bad habits, spinning yourself in circles. I reach out my hand to you, try to grab ahold of you, give you miracles and blessings and signs, but you don’t see them.

Make sure Christ is at the center of your life and that your love for Him eclipses everything else! From this scenario, you could make the case that you have missed the point. It’s a Valentine’s Day card! There’s a person behind it, someone who wants to declare their love to you! So – open it, read it, read it again and hear from the one who loves you! If someone compliments you on a job well done, do you refuse to take credit or receive their compliment? Or do you graciously say, “Thank you,” in a spirit of genuine appreciation and humility? In Romans 12:3 Paul exhorts the believers not to think of themselves pridefully but rather to think of themselves “soberly”—that is, realistically or accurately. Paul’s topic is the grace given by God to each Christian to serve in the Body of Christ. We should neither overestimate the gift of God’s grace or underestimate it. Rather, we should think of it soberly and realistically—humbly—and minister accordingly. To think less of God’s gift would be to devalue it; to think realistically about it allows one to serve humbly. But some days you get lost. The pain comes in waves and you suddenly forget who I am, how I have the power to rescue you from whatever demons you face. You turn away from me, try to take matters into your own hands. But you don’t have to do that. Paul’s letter to the people at Corinth was an exhortation to remain steadfast. The church in Corinth was an undisciplined church, and he was letting them know that even though the culture around them was in flux, their faith in Jesus Christ needed to remain focused and sure. It is true for us today also. How can we remain steadfast in our faith and avoid the pressures of this ever-changing world? By devoting time each day to the study of God’s Word.

Father’s Love Letter Pulled From Scripture

What is it like to be near to God? What is it like in his presence? Psalm 16:11 tells us, ‘in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.’ God’s Word is something to be delighted in (Psalm 1:2). Jeremiah, going through deep trials also experienced the joy of God’s Word, ‘Your words were found, and I ate them, and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart’ (Jer. 15:16). We are invited to encounter Jesus in his word, and as we do so, we are invited to take part in something that creates much joy. Why is it that we don’t have to work hard to schedule time to watch our favourite TV programme or sports team? Because they bring us joy! As we seek to read our Bibles, let’s remember this is an invitation to soul-satisfying joy! Transformation

These words have not been made up by myself, but have truly been given by the Lord Himself, as the Bible says: Reading the Bible is relational; God is speaking to us! Prayer becomes the second part of the conversation. We talk to God about what he has said to us. Don’t close your Bible when you pray. Think through what God has said and use this to praise him, to confess sins, to be thankful and to ask for specific help. ACTS is a helpful acronym here – Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving and Supplication. ShareMy precious child, My servant, and My friend, whom I have chosen, I have chosen you and have not rejected you. So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will hold you up with my righteous right hand. All who come against you will surely be ashamed and disgraced; those who oppose you will be as nothing and perish. Though you search for your enemies, you will not find them. Those who wage war against you will be as nothing at all. For I am the LORD, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, do not fear; I will help you. Do not be afraid, for I myself will help you declares the LORD, your Redeemer. You will rejoice in the LORD and glory in the Holy One of Israel. Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time, saying, “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and preach to it the message that I tell you.” Now think of God’s Word. When you read God’s Word in a scholarly way–we do not disparage scholarship, no, far from it, but do bear this in mind: when you are reading God’s Word in a scholarly way, with a dictionary, etc., then you are not reading God’s Word–remember what the lover said: “This is not reading the letter from the beloved.” If you happen to be a scholar, then please see to it that in all this learned reading (which is not reading God’s Word) you do not forget to read God’s Word. (pp. 29). When we do need to be reminded of God’s love, thankfully we don’t have to go very far. Here are some verses from the Bible, his love letter to us:

A century-and-a-half later, another prominent couple, British this time, began a lifelong habit of exchanging love letters in the days of their courtship. Winston and Clementine Churchill’s daughter collected seventeen hundred letters, notes, and telegrams exchanged between her parents between 1908 and 1964. Like the Adams, the Churchills were each other’s intellectual and expressive equals, frequently declaring their love in unguarded, written messages. One of the influences on Kierkegaard’s theological education was the biblical scholar H.N. Clausen. Clausen was a student of Schleiermacher and a devotee of the “rational” and philological approach to synthesizing the Bible’s meaning. See Elrod, Kierkegaard and Christendom, 31. I delight in you like a bridegroom for his bride (Isaiah 62:5). I will always love you (Jeremiah 31:3) and nothing can ever change that! (Romans 8:38-39). That verse changes our view of idolatry. It’s not just bowing down to a small carved statue or a pagan worshiper offering incense at a shrine to Buddha. It’s the act of becoming too attached to the material things of the world—falling more in love with the things on earth than on things in heaven. But God knows you better than you know yourself. The fact that you sorrow over your sins and are determined to change is an honorable mindset that God loves. (Psalm 51:17) He is waiting for you to come to Him to get the help and power you need to overcome! (Hebrews 4:16)Temptation. Whether we realize it or not, it is part of our past, and it will be part of our future. The moment we resolve to stand strong and walk away is when temptation grows most intense. That is why Scripture is of paramount importance. God's Word contains the answer to resisting temptation before it's too late. Consider these verses: When you see opportunities to care for creation—nature or your own body—do so as a way of glorifying the Creator. You may not know Me well, but I know everything about you ( Psalm 139:1). I know when you sit down and when you stand up ( Psalm 139:2); I know what you do and when you do it. I am familiar with all of your ways ( Psalm 139:3) — every hair on your head is numbered ( Matthew 10:29-31). You were made perfectly in My image ( Genesis 1:27), My offspring (Acts 17:28), a child of the Most High God (Galatians 3:26) and heir to the throne (Romans 8:17). I knew you and loved you before your conception (Jeremiah 1:4-5), and chose you when I planned creation (Ephesians 1:11-12). You were never a mistake ( Psalm 139:15-16) as all your days are written in the Book of life ( Psalm 139:1516). If I could let you see how I feel about you, you would be surprised. No, astonished. You wouldn’t be able to believe it. You would say ‘it is too beautiful, too loving, too great, this is too beautiful.’ Jesus faced this dilemma when He healed a paralytic man. When He told the man that his sins were forgiven (and by extension, he was healed), He was criticized. He was accused of blaspheming by saying He had the authority to forgive sins—something only God can do. So, Jesus proved He had the authority to say, “I forgive you,” by doing something harder. He healed the man’s paralysis. After all, as Jesus explained, actions speak louder than words (Mark 2:8-11).

Because you fight for Me, to do my will despite the many stumblings you make sometimes. They are proud of you. Because they know how hard the battle sometimes is, they know how much the enemy wants to destroy you. I will never stop loving you. And as long as you seek forgiveness, as long as you repent, as long as you ask me to be in your heart and life and believe that my Son died for you—I will forever be within you—guiding you, filling you, moving you forward in hope and joy.

Transformation

I am here, my beloved and I am singing a song over you. To show you how precious you are to Me. To show you how beloved you are to Me. (YOU, yes, you…. Really you!)