When God Serenades You

Sweet Sisters,

Valentine's Day is this weekend and it can be one of the dreaded holidays. You know that Lifetime and Hallmark will probably be airing a stream of romantic movies... the totally unrealistic ones!

My friend, Micca, has lived through the loss of her husband at a very young age so she understands. Micca wrote today's Proverbs 31 Ministries devotion and... since it serenaded my heart this morning, I want to share it with you.

Be Blessed My Friends,
LeAnn

When God Serenades You
By: Micca Monda Campbell

“The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing.”
Zephaniah 3:17(NIV)

Growing up I had to watch whatever my sister wanted to watch on television because she was the oldest. She liked the black and white classics that featured Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis, and Frank Sinatra to name a few. Over time, I began to enjoy them too.

I really liked the part of the movie when Dean Martin would serenade the woman he loved at her bedroom window. I thought that was so romantic! In fact, I would get a funny feeling in my stomach. Somehow, I knew deep inside that I, too, would be serenaded by some lovesick man. I didn’t know when, but I was certain it was going to happen.

Well, guess what?

It never happened.

At first, I was bummed. Then, one day shortly after I had experienced tragedy in my life, and was feeling completely unloved, I came across our key verse.

“The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing.”

Right away, I knew God had led me to this truth. How else does a person stumble into the book of Zephaniah if not led there by God? At the time, I didn’t know the book of Zephaniah existed. But it did exist, and the words on the page read like a personal note written just for me. Micca, I will rejoice over you with singing!

That’s when it dawned on me. God delights in me so much that it causes Him to break out in song! Suddenly, it no longer mattered that no one else has ever serenaded me. God, Himself, serenades me. He sings to me. He sings over me and He sings about me! It’s His joy to do so. Better yet, He delights in serenading you, too.

I pray that you will allow this verse to sink deep into your heart today so you’ll have it when you need it. Trust me. There will be a day when you will need it. You see, we tend to believe that because we are children of God that nothing bad will ever happen to us. When the bad does happen, we believe the lie every time.

I knew it, God! I knew You really didn’t love me.

Friend, that is a lie from the pit of hell. Nothing is further from the truth. God, indeed, loves you because He can’t do anything less. You and I cause God’s supernatural heart to skip a beat at the mere thought of us. Therefore, the next time you’re feeling unloved because of some adversity in your life stop and say, “NO! That’s a lie. God loves me so much that He can’t help but sing about it!”

Dear Lord, I need Your loving touch today. Let Your love song wash over me and fill my heart. I release my feelings of doubt to You and rest in Your undying love. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Related Resources:

An Untroubled Heart: Finding Faith that is Stronger than All Your Fears by Micca Campbell

Micca Campbell's Testimony DVD by Micca Campbell

Visit Micca’s blog for more encouragement today.

The Wonder of His Love: A Journey into the Heart of God by Nancy Stafford

Application Steps:

Look up each verse and memorize them. When you need to experience God’s love, close your eyes and repeat them to your heart: Jeremiah 31:3; 1 John 4:16; John 15:16; Isaiah 54:10.

Reflections:

What causes you to doubt God’s love?

Is there better proof of God’s love than giving His own life for you? Have you experienced the power of God’s Love through Christ? Accept His invitation today to know Him?

Power Verses:

1 Corinthians 13:8, “Love never fails.” (NIV)

Isaiah 54:10, “My love and kindness will not depart from you.” (NIV)

© 2010 by Micca Campbell. All rights reserved.
Proverbs 31 Ministries
616-G Matthews-Mint Hill Road
Matthews, NC 28105
www.proverbs31.org

Empty Spaces

Sweet Friends,

No matter what is going on in my life or how miserable I may feel from time to time, there is one thing that I NEVER doubt and that's God's love. Yes, the losses some of us have experienced have left us with a lot of empty spaces in our lives. (I have received emails from many of you, letting me know that you are not widows like me, but that you have never married or are divorced. You, my sweet friends, have empty spaces too.)

But... God is so good that He fills those empty spaces in other ways. He loves us so much that He brings people and projects into our lives to fill in those gaps. We matter to Him.

I just wrote about my amazing birthday celebration on my other blog, www.LeAnnRice.com. The holidays are always rough waters to navigate but God put so many amazing friends into my life that they helped to fill some of my empty spaces. Then, they went absolutely over the top in celebrating my birthday that falls just two weeks after the holidays (when I am still usually in a funk). I don't know when I have ever felt so much love. This certainly doesn't mean that I'm not still lonely when I lay my head on my pillow at night. But... I do try to take a moment to praise Him and to tell Him how very grateful I am for placing others in my life who love me unconditionally. God loves me every day through my precious friends. Through them, and through various projects that He calls me to, He fills some of my empty spaces.

Recently I have been a little better about stopping to thank God for filling these empty spaces. It has helped me focus on what I do have and not on what I don't. The more time I spend counting my blessings, the less time I have left to think about what I have lost. (It's really just simple math!)

My prayer for you today... May God fill your empty places with great friends, His purpose, and sweet memories.

In His Love,
LeAnn