Listen to the LORD who created you, to the One who formed you says, “Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine. Isaiah 43:1

Brennan Manning said, “We often feel like the homely peasant girl for whom the king has come to take a bride.” Our sense of self-condemnation makes us back away from God’s call to live as His beloved. We feel unworthy. Our own view of ourselves overrides His words. Imagine someone asking you today, “Do you believe that God loves you?” You would nod your head appropriately and answer yes. You know the scripture verses. You learned the Sunday School songs. 

But the problem is, our understanding of love has been compromised by our experiences with others. In varying degrees, we have all felt degraded, excluded, rejected, ridiculed, passed over, and a host of other things related to rejection. Each memory festers in our soul. Each arrow of inflicted pain still sits there, infected by time. Oh, how we need our Elohim Hu Ahava to do spiritual surgery to remove the arrows. His Spirit can heal the wounds as the truth of His love replaces the lies of our past.

No one gets to define our worth except our Creator. Not a parent, not a caregiver, not a teacher, not a pastor, not a child or spouse. But many were made to feel unworthy by their parents. They were never anyone’s priority. Work came first. Or other children were preferred. Spouses can communicate that their mate isn’t worth much. Children tell their parents, “You’re a bad father, or bad mother.”  We tend to absorb their opinions. We rationalize that these are the ones who know us best and that makes them credible, right? No.

How do we live cherished in a world where few are cherished? We believe our Father’s proclamations of love, by faith. We are to no longer be crippled by the hole in our souls. The story of our new birth becomes a narrative we can tell others to extol the incomparable Fatherhood of God.

Extoling begins on my knees and there’s so much to thank You for. Amen