Known by Love
Cynde Layne Wilkerson
That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.  Eph 3:16-19

I am so in love with love, that it’s hard not to share or express it, whether in word or in deed. However, it would be extremely difficult for me to share a love that I do not walk nor live in. Seemingly, that would be impossible, yet, it is a common practice among us (2 Tim 3:5).

Over the weekend, I heard an amazing word that penetrated my heart. The service presented a theme that dealt with love and the sharing of a love with one another; a love we should all possess, especially, if we say that we are disciples of Christ. Sharing it amongst ourselves as believers is most important. If we can’t show this love between us, how can we share it with the world? When we say we know the love of Christ, we should be displaying and exemplifying said love at all times, amen? Not only are others watching to see if you are living what you say you possess, but they are taking note. I would never want anyone to see anything but the love of Christ in me or speak negatively in regards to me not representing the life of Christ. This brings about an offense not only to the body of Christ and the ministry, but to God. The scripture clearly states that we should not give an offence in any thing, so that the ministry would not be blamed: But in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God (2 Cor 6:1-7).

Paul speaks to the Ephesians about the power of God’s grace and his desire that they would be strengthened with the power of the Spirit, as well as realizing all of the wonderful amenities they’ve been afforded and have access to once becoming believers. He prays they will realize how wealthy they are in Christ; however, they have yet to accept fully what’s freely been given to them. He lets them know how important it is to be rooted and grounded in Christ and His love, so they can stop living beneath their privileges and able to live a life that brings glory to God. He also tells them that once you have this knowledge because the spirit dwells in you and you experience His love, understanding will come. After this, you are able to grasp along with your brothers and sisters in Christ what the breadth or width; the span, and length, and depth, and height of this amazing love; meaning that it is beyond human measure. When we know this love of Christ, it surpasses all knowledge and allows us to be completely engulfed with all that is God and you’ll want to share this love gladly and with fervor.

Everything that Paul said to the Ephesians, absolutely applies to us as believers as well. We must be rooted and grounded in this love. When we understand who God is and His love for us and what we have been afforded because of this love, it will make us desire to know and to comprehend even the more, the unsearchable riches of His love. We are strengthened when we have knowledge and when Christ dwells in our hearts by faith.

When there is an inward change because of this love, it will reflect on the outside and others will be able to see us as we really are; that walking manifestation of love, truly representing the God we serve. As I stated, I love to share and express this love, whether in word or in deed; sharing a love that I so proudly walk and live in. Desiring to always be known by love!
 
Until the morning, be blessed!
Cynde
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A Satisfied Soul
Cynde Layne Wilkerson
The Lord will guide you continually, and satisfy your soul in drought, and strengthen your bones; you shall be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail. Isaiah 58:11

This week, I was blessed to hear a much needed word that was specifically “just for me!” As I listened attentively to hear what the man of God was saying because you never know whe...n or who the Lord will send to give you a word of encouragement; a directive or a reprimand. We must be willing to hear it all when it comes to the Lord speaking. You will know when it’s the Lord because it will agree with or confirm in your spirit what He has already given you. Needless to say, it’s been days of continual praise and thankfulness for just being so mindful and concerned about me, as well as la reminder that He loves me so much.

The scripture today is a perfect combination of a beautifully formed promise spoken by Isaiah. Such a gathering of wording that describes what the Lord has spoken to me. When I read this verse, it gave me such an overwhelming feeling of “happy”ness, rolled up in some relief with a dash of comfort and peace and a nice slice of joy along with a spritz of refreshment to restore and give me a pick me up of just pure satisfaction! That was a mouthful!

My mind raced in many directions as to how I would even begin to express what I’m feeling. Perhaps if you knew my circumstances, or if you knew my situations; even if you were there to experience my life, my story, you’d have a sense of the reassurance that this Word brings today as it coincides with the word that I received. Not only is it exciting to know that the Lord is always there to lead and guide but He’s readily available for counsel and direction or whatever we need. However, we must to have an ear to hear what He is saying, so that we know we are on the right path because life is filled with many twists and turns and it is impossible to know what any particular day will bring. However, it is wonderful to know that we can find contentment and strength in the midst of it all.

God promises to fill our soul during our periods of dryness, when there is seemingly not enough to replenish us, and He also promised to send a refreshing. Naturally, we understand what a drought brings. It can be detrimental to a farmer’s crops and his land. They become weak without the nourishment that’s needed and are unable to grow or produce. As a consequence, there could be a stunt in growth or ultimately they shrivel and die. The same could be said of us if we are not being nourished by the Lord. The scripture says that He will satisfy our drought, our lack, or whatever is deficient in our life. Giving us all the nutrients that we need in order to grow and flourish as He intended. He will also renew our strength during the drought and cause us to have what’s needed because He will supply all that is required to sustain you. He tells us that we shall be like a well watered garden.

Close your eyes for a moment and think of the most beautiful garden you’ve seen and imagine yourself as that well kept garden. A garden that has not been deprived of what was needed to grow; complete with a brook where the water is ever flowing giving life; it's soothing and tranquil. And because the Lord is the water that sustains it, the living water that causes it to never run dry. He is a continual flow of blessings to us, His people, His garden. This garden has no wants or lacks anything because it is tended by the Master Gardener. A Gardener who cares and does daily upkeep with love; maintains and keeps it healthy so that it can flourish and grow and becomes the fragrance He is looking for as it blooms.

In the midst of all we face today, whatever our dry place, God is our ever present help, always there to tend to us and to let us know that I am here to guide you continually, and satisfy your soul in periods of lack, in periods of dryness, and strengthen you as you go through your valleys; you shall be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail. What an encouraging word, a word that will cause us to praise Him for whatever dry place we are or have been in. I trusted in the Lord, I waited patiently as He has been revealing Himself mightily and working things out in my favor. I have understood that all things work together for my good and that in due time the Lord would answer. I was so overwhelmed and pleased last week that the Lord would take time to send a precise word to let me know that He is there and that He has come for my words. “For I have satiated (satisfied) the weary soul, and I have replenished every sorrowful soul (Jeremiah 31:25)."

He said that He would satisfy our soul if we would just trust Him. Today, my soul shall continually make her boast in the Lord: I have humbly heard and I am glad about it. My soul is satisfied!

Until the morning, be blessed,
Cynde
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The Whole truth and Nothing but the Truth
Cynde Layne Wilkerson
The Whole truth and Nothing but the Truth
Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. John 17:17

It has been a wonderful whirlwind of a weekend with lots of praise and worship, as well as a continuous rich word from great men of God. A word that provoked thought, while deeply penetrating your soul speaking to the natural man in order to bless the spiritual man if you were listening.  So today, my heart is full of so many emotions; I am thankful, grateful, appreciative, enthusiastic, excited, and even more passionate about moving forward in that which God has purposed for me to do. My mind races as it meditates on the many nuggets of truths I received over the past few days. Although, it would be impossible to share them in one sitting, one thought continues to linger in my spirit and was confirmed once again and that is one of truth.

I live and have always lived on the premises of truth. I have been many things but I have always stood on honesty and sincerity, and without pretense because what you see today is what you’ll see tomorrow. I would not want it said of my life that I am insincere or that I exude deceptive behavior. Firmly, I believe in keeping it real and making it plain for real life application to everyone that I speak with because the word meets you where you are. My life is an open book. If I can’t tell you the truth about who I am and where God has brought me from or how He has kept me, how am I an effective disciple or effective witness? Better yet, where is the truth in that? How can I help anyone in this way if I am to busy trying to keep up the façade or a false appearance of who I want you to think I am as opposed to who I really am? Let’s just keep it real. We cannot bless others if we don’t confess that we’ve been through some things or experienced some things; been through some fiery trials and some violent storms. How can we truthfully say that I have been saved all my life and no evil have I done. Really? Where’s the truth in that?  Well, I can only speak for me, I know my life was a mess and I needed saving and He stepped in on time and truth set me free!
 
John pens the words that Jesus spoke in this chapter. The time for Jesus to leave was drawing close so He starts off by praying to the Father for Himself and then His disciples and ending the prayer for all believers. He prays and tells His Father that He is thankful for those that He has given Him and entrusted to His care. He also lets Him know that the disciples, these ordinary men of the world that were taken had been given the opportunity to walk and live among the Word in order to bear witness of Him. They were now set apart and separated from the world. Not only had He taken them and taught and prepared them but and they received His words as well. He in turn ask His Father to sanctify them through the word so they could be set apart and carry on the work He had started. This word, revealed through Jesus (the Word) Himself, would be able to keep them as they go out into the world to share this truth after He had departure.
 
Just like the disciples, the Lord is trying to sanctify us with His word, his truth, because we are living in a time that we need to have an ear to hear what the spirit is saying to the church and make no mistake, I am not talking about the physical church but to those which are called the righteousness of God (2 Cor 5:20-21), the church that Christ is coming back for. He is speaking loudly and it is so imperative that we are listening so that we can respond accordingly and expeditiously. We have work to do because people are lost and need to hear the truth and we don’t have time to waste. We have to pull off whatever is hindering us from becoming all that God has called us to do and whatever is keeping us from ministering as we should. Bless someone with the truth so they can live and know about life eternal. No, everyone is not going to believe or receive you, but I guarantee you that if you just tell the truth about where God has brought you from and what He has done in your life and sanctify them with the word, you’ll make a connection because God said in Isaiah 55:11, "So shall my word be that goes forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it."
 
We have been afforded the opportunity to plant or water the seed, the scripture says, it’s God that gives the increase (I Cor 3:5-7). As believers, we have been sanctioned and commissioned to go out and tell the truth; the whole truth and nothing but the truth!

Until the morning, be blessed,
Cynde
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Up, Up and Away
Cynde Layne Wilkerson
Casting all your cares upon Him, for He cares for you…. I Peter 5:7
 
“Up, up and away, my beautiful, my beautiful balloon” … those are the words that came to mind during the middle of the night while thanking the Lord for such a beautiful and anointed weekend. The exercise conducted at the conclusion of our women’s conference was something to behold. You would have had to see it with the physical eye to grasp the powerfulness of the moment as we watched our balloons from different physical placements outside, unite and soar collectively in one direction as they left our hands along with our cares. One balloon appeared to be entangled permanently, however, it shook itself loose and hurriedly followed and caught the others. We were absolutely left in awe; crying and shouting aloud while thanking God for allowing us to experience not only a release but His glory in action!
 
As I thought about the topic and the scripture for this morning, it makes the suggestion to take action. Cast; to cast or casting means to deliberately throw, fling, discard or get rid of; all of which are action words.  We cannot verbally say that we are going to give all of our cares, hurts and pains; our heartaches or our issues of the past and present without the act of actually giving them over to the Lord. Most of the time, we say that we have given them over when we really haven’t and we hold on to just alittle piece for whatever reason. We hear so often that we simply must let go and just have faith. Now, although it sounds easy enough, sometimes it’s a harder task to do, depending on how deeply rooted some of those cares may be.  Some may take abit more getting in and digging up of those roots because they have become so entangled.
 
I love how Peter speaks on how persecution and suffering can cause either growth or bitterness and how our response (our attitudes towards) and our reaction determine our outcome or the results. And how we have to make a conscious effort to decide to give over that which has kept us hurting, that which has kept us bound, so that we can become lighter and fly as God intended. We have to declare that I am no longer going to be bound and then cast all of them unto the Lord! He is ready and waiting to receive them and relieve you of them so that you no longer have to carry the load. Lay aside every weight that keeps you bogged down; that keeps you tired and listless (Hebrews 12:1).
 
I realized long ago that the difference between letting go and giving up is the faith in “who” you are releasing to.  Tell the Lord that you are releasing your hurts, your pains, your past, and that you are committed to casting all your cares right now; what ever they may be. Ask the Lord to help you to seek Him for guidance and allow Him to comfort your heart and ease your load. Let the Lord know you are tired and finished with carrying them.
 
Please know that we can go to the Lord individually to talk and release everything to Him.  He is reachable, obtainable, and always ready to listen. Hebrews 4:15-16, tells us “For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” So cast your cares and release them to the Lord. Give it ALL to you today Lord because you’ll want to be free in order to journey with Him. You’ll want to be light for this wonderful flight in Jesus!
 
I am still as high as those beautiful pink balloons; free from my cares, free from my worries and concerns that took flight unto the heavens that afternoon. Up, up and away!
 
Now, watch me soar!
 
Until the morning, be blessed,
Cynde
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Only a Prayer Away
Cynde Layne Wilkerson
Come and hear, all ye that fear God, and I will declare what he hath done for my soul. But verily God hath heard me; he hath attended to the voice of my prayer. Blessed be God, which hath not turned away my prayer, nor his mercy from me. Ps 66:16, 19-20

Recently, I found on old cassette in my car with a compilation of songs I put together years ago. All of the songs have been ministering to me and I have thoroughly enjoyed listening to the early works of artists I love. While talking to the Lord this morning, words from one of the songs dropped in my spirit; one very simple, yet powerful phrase, “if you need an answer, just pray.” It was the perfect song to accompany what I’m feeling and wanted to communicate this morning; God is only a prayer away.
 
Now, it’s not that this is some new fangled idea because the Bible clearly speaks to prayer and supplication, as well as fasting throughout both the old and new testaments. However, in thinking back over events and the testimonies that rose up after concluding a 72 hour prayer shut in, I have seen and heard of God’s work on behalf of not only myself but for others as well. The testimonies of what prayer will do has been phenomenal.  So many had a testimony, including myself, and everyone wanted to tell of His goodness, His mercy and grace, and what He had done for us, not only collectively, but individually and how He heard and answered prayers because we had sought God. This in turn, incited others to praise with us while we gave all glory to God. The running, the shouting, the dancing, the praising, the worshipping, and the rejoicing were the results of that sharing. As David stated, “Come and hear, all that reverence God and I will tell you what He has done for my soul!”
 
In this Psalm, David praises God for His sovereignty and His power in the earth. He also wanted to acknowledge God for His favor , goodness and His mercy towards his people. If we could remember to just think on these things (Phil 4:8), we would remain excited, as well as grateful about what God is doing for us and His church on a continual basis. How could you not be overjoyed to hear how the prayers went out and returned with deliverance, healing, salvation, finances; whatever the concerns (Psalm 138:8), whatever the desires of the heart (Psalm 37:3-5), or whatever we were believing God for. We must, because it is imperative to declare His mighty acts and what he has done for us among the people. Whether they know Him personally or not... we must tell of His goodness.
 
God lets us know that no matter what happens in life, no matter the circumstances or the situations, He is only a prayer away. When we seek God in prayer, with a sincere heart and stand upright before Him, He has to honor His word. Truly, we serve a prayer answering God. We are known for quoting often that "prayer is the key and faith unlocks the door." I have no desire in quoting clichés but I want to be found believing that God will and that God can. This is what moves God; this kind of unfeigned faith and belief in who He is. I have been remembering Isaiah 65:24, and the Lord said to His servants, “And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.”  I am excited and overjoyed about what God is doing not only for me but in the lives of His people!
 
Lately, I’ve seen unbelievable movement on the part of the Lord in my life and these things that were done, no man could have done. Clearly, the Lord has been showing me that it could be no other, besides Me, the Lord thy God. Honestly, if I didn't know Jesus, I might have been alittle scared, but I can tell you that I was overwhelmed and amazingly, in awe! It makes your faith levels soar to higher heights! It’s not that I don’t believe that He can, I am amazed at how He does things. There is absolutely no mistake in your thinking that only God could have done this. Why should we doubt when we see what He has done and will do for His people? I intend to keep myself in position for further blessings as I continue to walk upright before Him and be found doing what He has purposed for me to do. It’s just a matter of “pray and believe."  Keep moving and keep working and let God be God. If I keep my mind stayed on Him, I'm in perfect peace, His peace and concentrate on what the Lord has for me to do. Not worrying about what is going on around me because He knows all, sees all and is in control of all. He's got this!

In lieu of what I’ve seen transpired (and still watching) and how the Lord has been true to His word; knowing that He will never leave nor forsake us and how He will uphold us with His hand, we must just continual to praise Him for His faithfulness and His mercy towards us. David reminds us of that today, to tell of His goodness.
 
“Come and hear, all ye that fear God, and I will declare what he hath done for my soul. He hath heard me; he hath attended to the voice of my prayer. Blessed be God, which hath not turned away my prayer, nor his mercy from me.”  
 
Remember He is only a prayer away!

Until the morning, be blessed,
Cynde
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Do the Word
Cynde Layne Wilkerson

But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. James 1:21-25
I had the pleasure of hearing an encouraging word with rich nuggets over the weekend. Always while listening, I am “listening” and jotting down key points, which sparked today’s title. As I begin to write, it made me think of the scripture in James that speaks to being doers and not just hearers of the word. It is so easy to hear a good word and then not meditate on the content. When we do this, we usually end up losing out on the effectiveness and the power of the word and how it is applicable to our lives. This is such a powerful passage that it is worth delving into for inspiration because we cannot be just hearers of God’s word and not do.
This small little word carries a lot of weight. Let’s look at its core meaning. The word do indicates that someone performs an action, an activity or a task. It is also a verb, which denotes action. Which tell me that when faith, which also signifies action, is activated, it produces doers. That statement alone is something to chew on for a minute.
If we would take hold of the word and apply it accordingly and without hesitation (taking God at His word without question), we would not only be inspired but motivated to do the word. It is more than measly or pointless words written and more than the little knowledge we obtain, but it is proven and demonstrated by our obedience. First, we must study to show ourselves approved unto God, listen to the Spirit of God, get an understanding, and then do (acting upon) what the word says. In other words, true hearing is more than just listening; the word must be received, meditated on, and then applied because hearing involves an obedient response to God's word. Simply stated, faith will cause us to obey the word.
James makes it very clear what is needed as doers of the Word. I love the explanation of NIV says: Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.
In the passage, James imparts wisdom and is passionate about sharing what is the outward evidence or proof of what inner faith looks like, as well as the works of that faith and the characteristics of that faith. Chapter 1 is profound and clearly a testament of what faith looks like and what faith displays in works and how faith will produce a doer. If and when we believe God at His word, and begin to have a true understanding of Him, we will desire to please Him. We will yearn to not only become a listener, but a doer. It will be us in action, doing the word!
My question: what is the purpose of receiving and having the word in us if we are not living to our full potential as God intended and not utilizing the word to benefit ourselves; let alone trying to be a carrier of the word to give to others? Why would we want to live beneath the promises of God and settle for less? We were not born to be average; we are children of the King! This is certainly food for thought and should give us something to meditate on. Even Joshua spoke to this very thing when he told us that he meditated on the word night and day, that he may observe "to do" according to all that is written in the book … why because after you have done all that is according to the book, then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success (Joshua 1:7-8). Joshua didn’t have the indwelling power of the Holy Ghost, yet he believed God at His word. He walked with God and was determined to do what the word said because it possessed the promises of God. Joshua saw Him work first hand. How much more should we, as the redeemed, the ones who say we are saved, sanctified and filled with the precious Spirit of God trust Him and have the faith to do and stop living less than.
What a great example, and a promise, along with so many others, for us as encouragement, as a word of hope, confidence, and courage if we would just simply do the Word. Jesus says, “And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say? Whosoever comes to me, and hears my sayings, and does them, I will show you to whom he is like.”
When we do the word, we activate our faith and when we begin to take action in any situation or circumstance according to God’s word in order to change it or allow Him to work it in, things in the heavenlies start to take place and movement gets underway so that it can manifest here on earth. Let’s find ourselves taking God at His word and be not a forgetful hearer as our scripture states, but a doer of the word because if we do we shall be blessed! 
It’s in the Word!
Until the morning, be blessed,
Cynde
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It's Your Time
Cynde Layne Wilkerson
Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you.  I Peter 5:6-10

The morning brought about many thoughts, as I meditated on a word that I recently heard and then today, it was the same word confirmed through song.  While talking to the Lord, I began to discuss with Him some things that were of concern to me. So, you can imagine my joy when these scriptures came to accompany the topic. God does all things well. I have stood on verse 10 over the years as a constant reminder that God has not forgotten me when the circumstances and situations of life and its fiery trials appeared to have overtaken me, that God would yet confirm, strengthen and then establish me.

Sometimes, although the word tells us not to get weary in well doing, we often find ourselves feeling tired, weary, worn, and frustrated especially when things are not as we envisioned or hoped. However, we must remain prayerful and humble and allow God to work in every situation regardless of how we feel, because it is not about our emotions. Even when we are dealing with and observing God’s people, we must oftentimes yield with humility and patience because the enemy is ever present to discourage and dishearten us and we should always be on guard for his tactics, devices, and attacks; they come when we least expect it (2 Cor 2:8-11). It is important  we hear that it is necessary to strive and continue to be humble so that God would exalt (promote, elevate, or raise) us in due (expected, proper and appropriate) time. Keeping in mind to humble ourselves under God’s hand because He is the One who is in control of all things and it would be in due time; not in our desired time, but in His own appointed time. It is in the only wise God’s time that all things will work together for His glory and our good.
I love how Peter writes and gives instructions to the people of God to encourage and give direction for this journey. What to do, how to do and what to be aware of; letting us know to be humble in this walk so that God can exalt us in order to continue the work that He has purposed for our lives. Every word written is for our growth and for our making. How else can we possibly become more like Jesus and carry on the mission given to us as believers (Matt 28:18-20)?
Our journey in this life is a process and although we cannot control some of the turbulence it brings, but we do have a constant, steady and mighty hand that keeps us when the storms of life are raging and seemingly uncontrollable. Please know, that the God of all flesh is always there to help you weather the storm and things will become calm and clear but not one second before the appointed time. Remembering whose you are while you work and wait will help in the process. The Message Bible explains verses 6-7 as this: “So be content with who you are, and don’t put on airs. God’s strong hand is on you; he’ll promote you at the right time. Live carefree before God; he is most careful with you.” This tells me again that we must be satisfied in whatever state we’re in (Phil 4:11), being humble and not trying to be more than we are but allowing God to shape us into the vessel He can use; casting all our cares on Him remembering that He knows and cares for us, so that we can do the work that He is preparing us for and then we will begin to see the Lord’s hand on us and how He is elevating us for His glory.
If we begin to view our lives as such, we will begin to see the Lord working, building and transforming us into who He purposed for us to be to advance the Kingdom. The word that I heard and wrote down was “get ready to walk into the best time of your life.” What an encouraging word to hear – We have to stand on God's word and hold on to it! No matter how things are looking right now, naturally or spiritually; no matter what we see or don’t see, manifested or not, we cannot allow the enemy to cause us to dwell on it … he can’t stop what God is doing in or for His people. So, go ahead and get excited, it’s our time!
 
Until the morning, be blessed,
Cynde
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Be Mine
Cynde Layne Wilkerson
The Lord thy God has chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the earth. The Lord did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people: But because the Lord loved you… Deut 7:6-8a

Yesterday, I received a packet of Sweethearts valentine candy and it reminded me of my childhood when we would exchange cards and candy hearts on Valentine’s Day. I remembered some of the candy heart sayings which included, “love you”, “hug me”, “be good”, and my personal favorite, “be mine.” Those short, two word phrases prompted a thought; that the message of God to us is simply, “be mine.” He desires that we would just be His because He loved us and chose us.

The scripture tells us that we are a special people chosen for Himself; a people that are of high value and very precious in His sight. It also lets us know that He did not set His love and affection or chose us for any reason other than He loved us. Peter reminds us in the new testament that we are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, and a peculiar people; that we should show forth the praises of him who hath called us out of darkness into His marvelous light: Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy (I Peter 2:9-10). He continually and lovingly compels us throughout His Word to “be mine”; a love, a manifested love, that is revealed, offered, and readily available to us at all times (I John 4:9-10).

Have you thought about how blessed we are and that God doesn’t look on us nor choose us as man would? He wants us to be His; not for a fleeting moment but forever, for an eternity. Man, when choosing, looks for certain qualities that are appealing to the eye and only looking from a natural standpoint. Oftentimes, missing the beauty that comes from within however, God sees the heart of the people He’s chosen and loves us in spite of who we are, what we look like, or where we’ve come from. His love is unconditional. He is not concerned with our social status or how much or how little we have, or the color of our skin, just to name a few. He is not a respecter of persons. Unlike us, we pick and choose who will be the recipient of our “be mine” candy hearts. Then we choose to change our mind if that person is not who or what we need at any given moment, but not God. I’m glad He that He chose us simply because He loves us, without hidden motives or agendas.

Because He has chosen us and set His love upon us, we have a personal responsibility in this relationship when we choose to except His love. We are His special treasure, and because of our extreme worth to Him, we are handled with love and care. When we love and value someone, we promise to pledge our commitment, we promise to be faithful, we promise to honor, we promise to cherish, and we promise to hold in high esteem; this is what God does with us. There is not only a responsibility but an accountability that is necessary when we make a pledge to the one we say we love; just as God continues to be faithful, as well as keeping His promises and commitment to us.

I am grateful to the Lord for setting His love upon us, choosing and sincerely wanting us to be His; not only on Valentine’ Day but everyday. And not for any great thing that we've done but simply because He loves us. Most importantly, I thank Him for letting us know that we are special to Him and that He loves us so much and desires us to be His, both now and forevermore.

We should want to be found loving God and cherishing Him as He does us, the one He has chosen. It’s an honor to know and receive that we have been chosen. How can we reciprocate this wondrous love? By giving our all... mind, body and soul. This is what you do when you truly love someone and ask them to be yours. We used to sing a song that said, “I’m yours Lord, everything I’ve got, everything I am, everything I’m not, I’m yours Lord, try me now and see, see if I can be completely yours.” That says it all for me and because God's love speaks loudly and in volumes, ours should as well. He is committed to us and we can stand on His word and promises forever.

As we vastly approach a day set aside as the national calendared love day, we should remember that with the Lord everyday should be a love day; because every second of every day, He is saying to us, “be Mine.”

Until the morning, be blessed,
Cynde
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Walking the Valley
Cynde Layne Wilkerson
Blessed are those whose strength is in you, in whose heart are the highways to Zion. As they go through the Valley of Baca, they make it a place of springs; the early rain also covers it with pools. They go from strength to strength; each one appears before God in Zion. Psalm 84:5-7

For years, it has fascinated me in terms of getting “down in deep” and discovering the hidden nuggets of what David was speaking about in regards to the valley of Baca; the valley which is known as the valley of weeping, or the valley of tears and also, the valley of strength. All of which spoke to my heart and my curiosity, however, I’m sure you have experienced times when the Lord has given a topic or thought that is not for that moment but for such a time when needed. Can I tell you that now is the appointed time of need? The time of revelation and how this valley relates to the journey of my life has come up for evaluation.

While reading various versions of this scripture, I came across the word, pilgrimage. As I began searching for a definition, there was one very clear and concise understanding that was befitting for today. It is simple and to the point: the journey or the course of life on earth. This definition made everything come together and the wheels begin to turn. So, while meditating on the journey or the course of my own life, I suddenly understood and realized it was necessary to pass through this particular valley, this valley of Baca. It is a place where you come to know the Lord in a very real and intimate way; me, the girl who can tell you that as a matter of fact, she knows the Lord intimately and has a personal relationship with Him. Well, although that may be true, God had plans for a journey to a land where He’d show me (Gen 12:1-3) and it would all be significant, as well as noteworthy to my growth, confidence, maturity, strengthening, and faith levels (Rom 8:28). He kept confirming through His word, even in this New Year, that He and He alone knows the thoughts that He thinks towards me, thoughts of peace and not of evil to give me an expected end (Jeremiah 29:11).

This journey of life involves deeper spiritual lessons than we can fathom; lessons that go far beyond what the natural mind can comprehend or what the physical eye can see. It also includes a journey of individual and unique valley experiences for that which is to come; yet necessary for the work that He has prepared for us. Lessons that may seem crazy to you and especially others who have no concept as to what God is trying to do. There are not enough words to describe the more intimate the relationship will become when we have been walking the valley.

David said, “Blessed are those whose strength is in you, in whose heart are the highways to Zion or whose heart is the ways of them as they go through the Valley of Baca.” In the valley is the place where we begin to see God in all of his glory, how He steps in and intervenes on our behalf with His favor and His love. Even when we are unsure, have no understanding, and we have zero visibility, He keeps us; through the fatal distractions, He keeps us. He carries us from strength to strength; from faith to faith; from grace to grace, from blessing to blessing as we walk the valley. We have to keep in mind that we are not operating in our own strength, but in His strength. He will bring us through triumphantly if we continue with a thirst for righteousness, a heart and a mind to persevere. It is in our obedience that we see God move on our behalf. It is then that the refreshing rain will come and fill our need; a refreshing that will bring us to a place of renewal, restoration, and redirection. It’s our valley experiences that make us regroup, rethink, and reevaluate what God has purposed for our lives.

Will there be tears? Oh yes, lots of tears, lots of weeping and crying out to the Lord. Will there be some sadness, doubt and anxieties? Absolutely! Are there are heartaches and disappointments? Yes, again. David experienced all of these emotions and wrote about them all in a psalm for our reading. David speaks to everything you can imagine and talks to God about it. He pours out his heart, then he thanks, blesses, praises and worships the God of his salvation because he knows that he is not perfect man but serves a perfect, loving, just, and forgiving God. After we get out of our own way, our own way of thinking and rationalizing, it is in that time that we can begin to hear from God and get direction or redirection. Everything I experienced while walking the valley on this journey showed me where my trust and my strength lie. David tells us that there should be joy in dwelling with God in the midst of being uncomfortable; knowing that we are yet victorious in spite of the circumstances of life.

There have been many “aha moments” over the past two years of my life. It has been an interesting, yet necessary journey (I can say that now) of learning, gleaning and gathering up of all the usable parts; everything we pick up along the way helps us in some way for the molding, shaping, and making of us, but not all of it is fit for use. Some of it will have to be discarded only because it profits you nothing although it was a part of the valley process. Because of the valley, the Lord has given me a greater joy, a greater confidence, a renewed strength, and faith to move mountains; showing me that every provision and every promise is of God. What amazes me the most is how I came to have a more conscious awareness of His word, a word that is not only essential but vital for me to "learn" the word of God; not just read it or quote it or study it, but He intended for us to have a working applicable knowledge in order to rightly divide and distribute it accordingly. Talk about getting down in deep in it!

I’ll leave this passage for thought. David says, “the righteous shall see it and rejoice. Who so is wise shall observe these things even they shall understand the loving kindness of the Lord.” (Psalm 107:42-43)

I praise God for loving me and allowing me to be found walking the valley.

Until the morning, be blessed,
Cynde
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