Captivating Lesson: He Loves Us

Last night I was reading Captivating by John and Staci Elderedge, and a truth that was revealed exposed a lie that has for a long time masqueraded itself as the truth.  That sounds like the work of our enemy does it not?  I felt so sad because I had believed the lie that I felt.  It told me I didn’t captivate anyone. I didn’t make my ex not cheat, another person whom I loved couldn’t even tell me I was beautiful, and then other men were just interested in one thing.  No-one was captivated enough by me to dare to rise up to romance me, protect me or become the hero for me.  Friends, I was weeping (hence why it takes so long to read this book).  I blurted out “God, all of this was there?  I didn’t realize that…I thought I had it all together” and then I cried some more.  I closed the book then and went for a walk. I had thrown my pearls before swine and was trampled by them.  Jesus did warn us not to do that in Matthew 7.  I tell you also that the wounds from being trampled leave permanent bruises.

Staci and John didn’t say that the feelings were irrational and unwarranted. In fact they agreed that the way I was feeling was very real.  However, the verdict of them was a lie.  I guess the message didn’t get translated until this morning. I drove into work and one of my favorite songs played from my CD, He Loves Us – David Crowder Band.  The lead singer crooned out the words that had me tearing up again, as I realized I was captivating to someone.  “He is jealous for me, loves like a hurricane I am a tree bending beneath the weight of His wind and mercy….”

God is the one that sings and dances over me. He rejoices over me.  He is captivated by me.  He is my hero and he is the only one that can complete me.  What I thought I was missing, I had all along.  He loves me.

DAVID CROWDER BAND LYRICS

"How He Loves"
(originally by John Mark McMillan)

He is jealous for me,
Loves like a hurricane, I am a tree,
Bending beneath the weight of His wind and mercy.
When all of a sudden,
I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory,
And I realize just how beautiful You are,
And how great Your affections are for me.

And oh, how He loves us, oh,
Oh, how He loves us,
How He loves us all