Following my devotional last week I feel the Lord wants to draw us deeper and deeper into his Father heart. Today he whispered to remind me: In me you have a Father who loves to affirm you. I love to build you up in the truth of how I see you and to show you amazing and wonderful things that will bring you joy. You are the one I love to be with. I rejoice over you always.
Words have the power to give or destroy life. My own life was nearly destroyed by words I heard repeatedly throughout my childhood: ‘You’re rubbish’, ‘you’re mental’, ‘you’re a mistake.’ I came to believe these words and lost all self belief. If anyone said anything nice about me I saw it as a lie, they just hadn’t seen the truth of what I was really like. I lived in an agony of self hatred. Even after becoming a Christian, I still felt it was more righteous to berate myself than to believe God could see anything good in me.
But in the encounter between Jesus at his baptism and his heavenly Father which is described so graphically in Matthew 3:13, we discover a Father who loves to affirm his Son. In fact, we see that God wants to make it known to all that his Son is beloved and brings him great delight. ‘And a voice from heaven said ‘This is my Son whom I love; with him I am well pleased’Matthew 3: 13
Remember that at this stage Jesus is just an ordinary carpenter. God isn’t affirming him because of what he has done but because of who he is. God is giving Jesus a foundation stone of heart truth: ‘I am God’s beloved son.’ Out of that foundation will flow all that Jesus subsequently does and says, his wisdom to withstand the enemy, every miracle, every word or action of love or holy authority.
In John 15:9 Jesus tells us: ‘As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you.’ We are loved with the same affirming love as Jesus. The way we see the Father interacting with Jesus and Jesus interacting with the people around him is a picture of how the Father loves us. If the Father told Jesus he was beloved, he tells us the same. If he said he was well pleased with him, he is well pleased with us too.
Like you, I need to drink in constantly the life changing truth that the Father loves me and even delights in me. That truth silences the enemy and sets us free to live lives that are full and free. I wrote my book The Father’s Kiss out of my growing awareness of how vital it is that we all know and experience the Father’s love. Maybe you will find that book helpful on your own journey?
I am praying for you today that you will hear the Father affirming you and declaring over you that you are his beloved son, beloved daughter. Receive that truth deep in your heart and use it as a weapon against the enemy’s lies. The truth is that you will always be the apple of God’s eye.
Father thank you that you are not restrained in the expression of your love to me. I can hardly believe that you love me in the same way you love your son Jesus, but that is what you say. Please forgive me for believing negatives about myself. I choose to believe in your love and affirmation. Please help me to make your words about me my true identity. Amen.
