Job 7:17

What is man, that You should exalt him,
      That You should set Your heart on him.

My Sweet Heart,

Your Word is too wonderful for me. I could and should live in complete condemnation but You did the unthinkable when You set Your tender heart on mine determined to show me the depth of Your compassion. Miraculously, You gave me a new life full of love and power, making me a witness to Your abundant grace. My ugliness is forever gone and I'm altogether lovely to You. Who am I to deserve such royal treatment?

It's sheer joy to freely rise up each morning and move on despite my problems. Because of Your great love, I can fearlessly face afflictions realizing that You, the High and Lofty One whose name is Holy, agonized every minute of Your ministry and died suffering. Why should I, the lowly tainted one whose name is sinner, deserve better than You? Difficulties prove that Your caring heart is set on mine. Full of Your tender loving kindness I'll live a life of love even when problems and pressures plague me. My lips will exalt You, while my soul experiences absolute peace and rest because You've graciously chosen to lay Your heart on mine in the name of Jesus. Hallelujah! Amen.

How are you handling your troubles? Do you think you deserve better than Jesus? Consider Him. He was holy, perfect, and pure. He willingly left His home in heaven to come to earth where He was immensely tormented and died an excruciating death for you. He did it all without complaining in order to exalt you to a privileged position in His royal family. He intentionally set His heart on you! His eyes adore you!  Praise Him and thank Him for your difficulties because they prove that He cares for you enormously.

I have loved you with an everlasting love.

Jeremiah 3:31

My dearly beloved child,

You are precious and honored in My sight.

I created you for My glory and I love you.

Your heart belongs to me.

In love, I chose and adopted you.

My loving kindness never ends.

I don't easily get angry and

I won't nag or scold you.

My arms are wide open; come to me.

In love, I'll accept and redeem you.

I will love you forever.

I will not ever abandon you.

No matter what you've done in the past,

I've completely forgotten about it.

In love, I've forgiven you.

I will strengthen you and increase your power.

You will soar like an eagle through the storms.

You will run and not grow weary.

You will walk and not be faint.

In love, I'll lead and guide you.

I will be with you forever.

There's no need to be afraid or distraught.

I will always help you.

I will hold on to you tightly.

In love, I'll bless you and make you happy again.

My beloved, you are my eternal valentine!

Love, Your Father in Heaven

You are special and you are loved. Do you believe God? He wants you to be His valentine, not just today, but always and forever. 

1 Chronicles 22:19

Now devote your heart and soul to seeking the LORD your God. Begin to build the sanctuary of the LORD God, so that you may bring the ark of the covenant of the LORD and the sacred articles belonging to God into the temple that will be built for the Name of the LORD.

Father in Heaven,

Thank You for Your inexhaustible love and enduring faithfulness. Because You love me beyond the limits of my imagination, I'm compelled to live a life of love, personally and passionately devoted to You.

Please help me develop a vibrant, intimate relationship with You through continual Bible study and persistent prayer. Inspire me to build a sacred place in my heart to hide Your valuable commands and priceless promises. In this sanctuary, store the treasures of Your heart so that I'll instinctively know what's most important to You.

Full of Your riches, I'll worship You with adoring faith by pouring out my life completely for You. With one heart, we'll dance together harmoniously. Motivated by overpowering love, I'll follow Your lead, deliberately laying down my life for others. The closer I get to You, the easier it will be to identify the people and purposes that matter to You. Living in pure, uninterrupted devotion to You, my spontaneous actions and positive attitudes will be a pleasant love offering attracting others to Your divine goodness.

Please search the temple of my heart and show me anything that I love more than You. By Your power and grace, I'll deliberately remove those obstacles from my life in order to be entirely dedicated to You. More than anything else in the world, I desire to worship You ceaselessly in the temple of my heart where Your precious treasure abounds because of my unwavering commitment to Jesus, Your Son. Amen.

A lofty life-long goal is to devote your heart and soul to seeking the Lord. As you do, He will hide His treasure in your heart, and you'll naturally live a life of love, attracting others to His divine goodness.

Because of His inexhaustible love and enduring faithfulness are you willing to pour out your life for Him? Identify those things in your life that prevent you from just being with Him. Then, determine to give Him the first fruit of Your time each time for Bible study and prayer.

What matters to Jesus? Read Matthew 25:34-40

Psalm 34:8

Taste and see that the Lord is good.

Sweet Jesus,

O how I love the sweetness of Your Words. They are sweeter to my taste than the finest chocolate in the world. Your delicious concoction of promises and commands is irresistible. They satisfy my most intense craving, evoking pleasure in the deepest part of my soul.

Hidden in my Bible are surprising nuggets of truth. As I taste each one, I discover Your mouthwatering goodness that melts my heart. Your opulent promises are my source of hope. Sinking my teeth into Your sumptuous loving kindness comforts my troubled spirit. Indulging, in Your luxurious mercies, refreshes my distressed mind. Treating myself to Your bittersweet commands makes my salvation thick, rich and smooth.

Your Words, O Lord, are an attractive treat! They are my heart's delight and joy! I have tasted and experienced Your goodness. With all my heart I want to savor the magnificent flavor every day of my life, and share the sweetness with others to glorify and bless Your sweet name. Amen.

Your Bible is a delectable box of chocolates waiting to be devoured. Open it, taste and see that the Lord is good!

Ephesians 1:6

To the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved. NKJV

O Gracious Father!

Your Words are a love sonnet to my soul! I just want to sit in the warmth of Your presence, listening to them until they penetrate the deepest part of me. Why in the world would You - Holy and Perfect Father - choose, adopt and accept a scruffy child like me?

Because I can't grasp the depth of Your love, I try to earn Your acceptance by doing good things, not realizing that I'll never measure up to Your holy standard. Only when I work in relation to Your Son are the things I do acceptable and pleasing to You.

Shamefully, I try to hide my faults from You. Unfortunately, I can't conceal anything from Your holy gaze. If I'd only humble myself and admit what I've done wrong, You'd lovingly cover up my mistakes, accepting my inadequacies.

As though Your acceptance is non-existent, I often run off looking for approval of important people. Deceived, demoralized, anddisappointed, I hesitate to return to You. Too proud to admit my poor judgment, I fear You'll reject me. In reality, You're eagerly waiting for me to come back.

Please give me a fuller understanding of Your glorious grace so that I'll quit seeking approval and begin seeking Your face. When I stop running away from You and start running into Your open arms, I'll realize that I'm totally accepted in Love. In Your strong grip of grace, I'll show my heartfelt gratitude by living a life of love when I accept others despite their idiosyncrasies for the praise Your Beloved Name.  Amen. 
 

Are you trying to earn God's acceptance by works? Are you avoiding Him because of something You've done? Are you afraid He'll reject you, if you go back to Him?

Listen to His promise. He has accepted you in Love. Stop seeking His approval; you're already approved by Him.

If you've done something awful, stop avoiding Him and go tell Him about it. His Word says if we confess our sins, He's faithful and just and will forgive our sins. (1 John 1:9)

If you've wandered off looking for approval from man, go back to Him, He's waiting for you. (Luke 15:11-32)

His Word says, "Nothing can separate you from His love." (Romans 8:35-39)

For another look at the Father's glorious gift of acceptance read Luke 15:11-32.

Ephesians 1:5-6

God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son. NLT

Abba, Father,
I'm thankful and joyful that You decided to adopt me into Your royal family, reserving a room for me in Your mansion in the sky. You will be my Father and I will be Your dearly loved child forever because of my relationship with Your Son. O how I love to tell of the marvelous grace You've poured out on me. Your loving kindness makes me feel like dancing.


Upon arriving in the hallowed halls of Your heaven, You'll wipe every tear from my eye. You'll crown me with compassion and clothe me with fine linen, white and clean purchased with the blood of Jesus. I'll be made new. My heart leaps for joy at the very thought of the rich inheritance for those whom You adopted in love.

Until I get there, I'll be seized by shame, suffering and sorrow. In the midst of misery, I'll live a life of love by rejoicing and giving thanks to You for bringing me into Your family. Singing sweet songs in my sadness, and powerfully pleading for patience during pain, I'll smile when I feel like crying. When others around me hear my heavenly hope they'll join in the celebration when they choose to believe the blessed and beautiful words from my lips.

Thank You, Father for my identity and inheritance. They are my joy, delight and strength. No one can ever take this treasured heritage from me. Please put a smile on my face today that reflects the love and joy in my heart because of who I am in Jesus! Amen.

Knowing that God adopted you in love, what should your response be in the midst of suffering? How will you live a life of love in order to share in Christ's glory?

Read how Paul & Silas live out their love in prison in Acts 16:16-40. What can you learn about their example?

Deuteronomy 7:6

You are a people holy to the LORD your God. The LORD your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his people, his treasured possession.

My Knight in Shining Armor,

Hearing Your Holy Word thrills my heart! It stirs my soul to think that, in love, You chose me out of all the people on the face of the earth to be royal, holy, and redeemed. Who am I to deserve this kind of love?

Even though I was hiding in the dark behind a thick wall of shame, You found me, and gave Your life to rescue me. Bringing me into the wonderful light of Your love, You traded my ripped rags for a royal robe of righteousness. Miraculously Your Words changed my rough callused heart to a soft, holy one. I'm utterly ecstatic that an unbecoming person like me is no longer abandoned, but belongs to You, the High King of Heaven! Not only that, I'm Your treasured possession! Valuable! Priceless! Precious! O how thankful I am that You rescued me from the dark dungeon of my past, brought me into the wonderful light, and called me to be Yours!

I can't keep quiet about my miracle makeover! As a member of Your royal family, I'm obligated to live a life of love by publicly telling others the difference You've made in my life. Now to You who chose me, out of all the people on the face of the earth to be Your treasured possession be the glory, honor and praise forever and ever.  Amen.

God chose you in love to be His treasured possession, not because you deserve it, but because of His loving kindness. You are valuable, priceless, and precious to Him.

In the light of His love, will you fully surrender your life to be the royal priest He's called you to be? A royal priest devoted to his life to serving God and speaking out for Him.