LOVING THE REAL JESUS

Since I’ve turned 60, I’ve spend a lot of time looking back on my life! I’ve thought about how I could have been a better mom, wife, daughter. How I should have done this more or that less. The coulda, shoulda, woulda’s swirl around in my not as sharp as it used to be mind! But God in His preciousness and unrelenting love keeps bringing me back to the many, many blessings He’s poured out on me because I’m His beautiful child and He LOVES to bless His children! “So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask Him!” Matthew 7:11

Gratefulness-“Deeply appreciative of kindness or benefits received.” This definition of gratefulness seems to warrant a BIG, DEEP response from us to whomever has bestowed kind blessings upon us. We are so quick to thank someone when we receive a gift or when someone cooks a meal for us, helps out with the kids or gives us an encouraging word! You know, when real people do real things for us!

But how quick are we to thank the One who gave up His life for us! The One who forgives us a billion times a billion and then some more! The One who loves us wildly even when our minds and thoughts are on the petty things of this world instead of on the One who is responsible for our very life and breath! Why do we show more gratitude towards our earthy family and friends than we do our Creator, Savior, Redeemer? “In Him we live and move and have our being.”Acts 17:28

I think sometimes it is easier to respond to real people we can touch and see! But let me tell you precious ones;

Jesus is REAL y’all!

I’ve touched the hem of His garment and been healed! I’ve seen Him transform lives, restore broken relationships, deliver people from addictions! I’ve heard His still small voice whisper that He will see me through, give me strength and restore the things the enemy has stolen! I’ve seen the lost saved, the weak become strong and His grace be sufficient! Apart from Jesus, we are nothing and can do nothing until He is our EVERYTHING! “For apart from Me you can do nothing.”John 15:5

One day in my quiet time I sensed the Lord telling me in His kind but firm way that I was not being grateful for the things in life that He had given me! He nailed it as always for I had been murmuring and complaining about my present circumstances. And then I heard the million dollar question: “Who do you say I am?” Jesus asked this question to His disciples, His closest circle of friends who spent every waking minute with Him for the past three years! Really? You think we don’t KNOW who you are by now?

Who do we say Jesus is? Have we met the REAL Jesus or do we just know the Jesus that religion has taught us about! The REAL Jesus is so full of love for us that no matter how much of a mess we are, He calls us His Beautiful Mess and loves us through it! The religious Jesus that we’ve heard about loves us if we say and do all the right things! The REAL Jesus has the desire and power to come into impossibly hopeless situations and bring hope and healing! The religious Jesus is not quite big and powerful enough and may not even want you to deliver us!

Jesus is REAL y’all and I’m so GRATEFUL for the REAL Jesus that pursued me as a young Catholic girl, brought me through many situations where I felt rejected and had no self-worth and did miracle after miracle in the life of our son who was diagnosed at 2 with a brain tumor ( now 29 yrs old and married to a precious girl!). He has healed me supernaturally from physical illness, crippling fear, legalism, pride, selfishness, unforgiveness, anger and a BIG religious spirit! “For nothing is impossible with God” Luke 1:37

So how in the world can I not be GRATEFUL! I KNOW the REAL Jesus and He loves me deeply, and unconditionally! He is wild about me and He’s wild about you too! So which Jesus do you KNOW? I think the times I am ungrateful and whine and complain, I am putting Jesus in that small religious box where I have to work for His love and approval and just cross my fingers and hope He’s big enough to save me from whatever mess I’m in! But when I turn my eyes to the REAL Jesus, my heart is full of gratitude, devotion and deep love for the One who NEVER leaves me or forsakes me! I can’t fear because I know He is bigger than any problem I face! This has become my life verse:

“For my God is able to do exceeding and abundantly MORE than I could ever ask or think, according to His power that is at work within us” Ephesians 3:20 I think that just about covers it all!!

So here’s the invitation! Get to KNOW the REAL Jesus! Dig in to the Bible and read the four gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. You will see a beautiful picture of who Jesus really is! Don’t be fooled by the weak and watered down version that the world speaks of and sadly much of the church does too. The Jesus I’ve gotten to know is BIG, powerful, compassionate and full of grace and mercy when we don’t get it right! He loves you so deeply that He willingly went to the cross and by His death and resurrection provided a way to intimately KNOW Him and receive everything we could ever need to live victoriously and eternally!

“BLESS THE LORD, O MY SOUL, AND ALL THAT IS WITHIN ME, BLESS HIS HOLY NAME! BLESS THE LORD, O MY SOUL, AND FORGET NONE OF HIS BENEFITS, WHO FORGIVES ALL YOUR SINS AND HEALS ALL YOUR DISEASES, WHO REDEEMS YOUR LIFE FROM THE PIT, WHO CROWNS YOU WITH STEADFAST LOVE AND MERCY, WHO SATISFIES YOU WITH GOOD SO THAT YOUR YOUTH IS RENEWED LIKE THE EAGLES.” Psalm 103:1-5

Now that’s as REAL and fabulous as it gets! May our hearts be full of gratitude for the One whose love ran red at the cross so we could truly live!

TaraBella

PRAYER: Dearest Lord, We want to really KNOW the REAL you and all of your awesome ways! Help us to take you out of the small boxes we have put you in! Grow us in our faith to believe that You can move mountains! Help us to really believe that you want to see us walk in love, freedom, joy, hope, peace and victory! Open our eyes to see the many ways you love us and may we be grateful for all you have given us! We love you imperfectly but help us perfect that love!

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