Our Heavenly Prize

Who told you, you weren’t enough?

Why would God not put to His use all those who trust and have faith in His Majesty, those with believing and willing hearts, those who call out to Him in every circumstance in their life, those whose very life depends on Him. Is that not what the children of God pray for? We pray to Him, for Him, and with Him. We pray for Spirit-filled and Spirit-controlled lives so that we can become of one heart, a common interest in the betterment of people, loving God with all our heart, soul, and mind (Matthew 22:37). Loving and forgiving always! We pray to become to the likeness of Jesus. We, through Providence, become an outpouring of God’s love wherever we go, rivers of living water (John 7:38) for all to enjoy. The excitement, elation, and thanksgiving in a believer’s heart are extraordinary. There is no end! There are no spaces in our hearts that cannot be filled by God. All we are told to do is ask and it will be given (Matthew 7:7)!

The divine drive into God’s will is natural and effortless, not anything of our own doing. It is our force and manipulations that bring on grief and strife. It is through faithful children of God that His glory is continuously revealed to others and to this world. We bring in the light of God! We reap His Holy gifts of love, we are granted a closeness with Him; He is reliable and trustworthy in managing all we bring to Him. He has the answers! He never leaves us empty-handed, a personal relationship with Almighty God that falls short of nothing, for He is perfection. He knows our every need, every single detail of our lives: yesterday, today, and tomorrow. He knows who will receive His Son, Jesus Christ, and those who choose not to. He knows it all! We cannot hide anything from our Heavenly Father! He will reveal and bring to the surface anything that offends Him, and it is in correction, that one learns of His existence. We may think we are fooling Him, we may claim ignorance, and lack but the time will come when all realizes that He is indeed who He says He is (Matthew 16:15-16)!!

Our Heavenly Father sees all of us, the inside and the out (1 Samuel 16:7). He created us for a specific purpose, and we are all equipped, fearfully and wonderfully (139:14) made. He loves every inch of us despite what others say or what we say about ourselves. We are His masterpiece created anew in Christ Jesus so that we can do the things God planned for us long ago (Ephesians 2:10). He loves us, even when we do not love ourselves.

This leads me to a commercial that I recently watched. The product was promoting invisible braces. I did not pay much attention at first but as the man in the commercial began to speak, the Holy spirit tuned me in to his conversation and put a spiritual spin on it.

The fellow was seeking help from the invisible braces. He had a gap between his front teeth. He was pleased to find a non-invasive treatment and one that is somewhat undetectable by others. I am immediately shown the insecurity this man feels in his appearance. I can identify!

That gap was not debilitating, it did not prevent him from eating and breaking down food as God created teeth to do. I imagine they worked just fine but someone or something along the course of his life pointed out that he had this gap; there is a flaw in his appearance and as this lie made its way into his mind, he began to ponder on it, and eventually, it manifested into an inadequacy and a weakness in him because he was seeking treatment. He was looking for something to close the gap so that he would be found “normal” amongst the crowd, accepted and well-liked, maybe even attractive to the ladies. He was, indeed, normal but that negative comment enlightened him to a false perception of himself. What a man thinketh in his heart, so he is (Proverbs 23:7) .

Just think what this false sense of self is doing to the rest of his life. He thinks there is something wrong with him, he must get help and fix his appearance so the worry and concern will leave him alone. When this gap is closed, then he will be happy!

How many times have I said this? Way too many to count!! If we look to others for comfort and wholeness, we will never find it. People come and go in our life and it is sad that this happens, but it is proof that people are not long-lasting. It is only God who walks faithfully with us now and who walks faithfully with us when it is time to leave this earth.

If someone or something had not mentioned his gap, he would not be concerned about his God-designed characteristic in his teeth. Instead of focusing on what he is not, according to the world’s standards, he could focus instead on other important matters such as his family, friends, personal hobbies, volunteer opportunities, higher education, and God. How much time, energy, and money do we divvy out each day to those things that are frivolous and fruitless?

I am pulled from the commercial and into inner thoughts regarding my own life. How many times throughout the course of my life has someone pointed out something to me: my appearance, my actions, the things I say, and even my intelligence. It was not until someone or something pulled at me that this false perception of myself took flight and eventually settled into my mind and then into my heart.

Imperfections come from outside sources! We measure ourselves with the world and in doing this, we recreate ourselves in the hopes of gaining peace of mind and happiness. It is when we come to know God on a deeper level that we begin to accept and love who we are because we know that this (me and you) are God’s creation. God is who matters.

I lived in the belief of what others have said about me. There are days that I still do, to some extent, but I know the Lord is working this lie out of me because as I sit here and write, I feel an inner strength that only comes from God. He is confirming that I am His masterpiece and so are you!! My heart is glad and smiling! Going all the way back to childhood, I believed I was inferior and inadequate because of what someone told me. I believed that everyone else was better than me; I would never measure up.

I have spent much time, energy, and money in renovating myself and not one thing has brought me the joy and peace that God brings me each day that I surrender myself to Him. I have wasted a good portion of my life living off emotion and the acceptance of others. I am exhausted with the constant shaping of myself into what others ask or expect of me instead of what God asks and expects of me. I do not know the person God has created me to be. This makes me incredibly sad! Not a sadness like a deep, dark depression, just a sadness that it took so long to uncover Racinda. I am finally able to see a piece of God’s masterpiece. I can now see a part of me that God sees and OH BOY did that declaration come right on out of my mouth!!! I feel the Holy Spirit all over me as if He is applauding the work He has done in me and not only that but this masterpiece has just finally realized how loved she is by her Heavenly Father: He likes what He sees and so do I…Hallelujah!! He is good!!

Our worth is not in looks, intelligence, our position in life, the money we have in the bank, our jobs, or our many accomplishments. Our worth comes from God! Our worth comes from the blood of Jesus, His resurrection, it is the fulfillment of Jesus Christ that believers in Him, gain worth. Wow does that ever elevate a lowly perspective! “Kingdom Thoughts,” as my Prayer 101 leader told me and the rest of the class many years ago! Think higher and put no limits on God!

God sees our heart, not our outward appearance! He is not concerned about “gaps.” What He is concerned about it is reconciling each one of us back to Him. He is concerned about our righteousness so we can live with Him in this world as well as after we leave this world. He is concerned about our hearts! Are they seeking Him or seeking other things without regard to His Sovereignty? We are all sinful in nature, but it is only by the belief in His Son, Jesus Christ, that we are forgiven and made new (2 Corinthians 5:17). Without Jesus, we will remain as we are, unchanged and sentenced to death.

The Holy Spirit shared some insight with me yesterday and I have been meditating on it and sharing it as I feel led. The experiences we go through in life can be quite challenging. I found myself reflecting on past Bible studies and the prayer team at the church. Those moments left me feeling extremely foolish in the things I said and in the way I acted. In God’s grace, He reminded me that what He does in our lives and in this world may not make any sense to the human mind, but it makes perfect sense to Him, and that is what matters. In hearing this, I now have a higher view of the moments where I tripped over myself and fell. It is good to be confirmed in the fact that God is in control and it is His responsibility to shape us as He sees fit. It is all for His glory so that all the world can come to know Him.

God’s goal is not to give us everything that we ask Him for. He blesses according to His riches and glory (Philippians 4:19)! He is first in all things! The Bible tells us and shows us a loving God pursuing humanity! It tells of God’s plan which is to send His Son, God the Son, Jesus Christ into the world to die for the sins (1 John 2:2) of the world so that all may be saved (1 Timothy 2:4), reconciled back to right standing with Almighty God. It is God who gives and takes away (Job 1:21) and He does this so that hearts will be changed so that out of these transformed hearts, His glory will be seen by all, so that we, as His children, can live this life empowered by the Holy Spirit to do the things He instructs us to do. Believers live in God’s peace and joy, His spiritual blessings, and favor. We walk with Him through every circumstance in life, we are never alone! We may feel alone at times, but we are not! If we have received Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit lives in us (1 John 4:13), and nothing will separate us from His love (Romans 8:39). He is going nowhere, ever!!

We are privileged and blessed to be part of His restoration plan. God loves us just as we are, He is accepting, kind, and welcoming always! No matter our condition, He is there with open arms and He desires to share life with us. We are created for relationships, we thrive when connecting with others who are encouraging and supportive, and we were also created to connect with God, to have a personal relationship with God.

He is at work in every heart and if we let Him, He will take from us our heart of stone and give us a heart of flesh (Ezekiel 36:26). One that loves Him and others. Hearts that seek His love and will and bends to all that He has to say. We share His glory with the world. He pours into us His goodness and we pour His goodness into others. We enjoy, daily, His spiritual blessings (Ephesians 1:3). We have peace that is not of this world (John 14:27) and joy that outlasts all things! We have been offered Jesus Christ, He is our free gift (Ephesians 2:8) to a personal God, who hears our every request!!

He is always with us, always attentive, always loving, and always forgiving!

Who told you, you weren’t enough!!

*****

If you would like to receive Jesus Christ as your personal Savior repeat the following prayer with all your heart:

Heavenly Father, I want to have a personal relationship with Jesus. I confess Jesus as my Lord and Savior. I believe He shed His blood and He died for me. I believe You raised Him from the dead and He is seated with you in heaven. I want to begin a new life walking in victory through faith in Jesus. Send your spirit Lord to dwell in me counseling and guiding me in truth. Thank you for providing the way to you through your son Jesus. Thank you for the forgiveness of my sins and providing eternal life with you through faith and trust in Jesus. I receive it now by faith. In Jesus’ Name, I pray, Amen.  

You are now part of God’s family! Once you’ve asked Him into your heart, He doesn’t leave! You are sealed and saved forever!

Find a Bible-based church to attend weekly. Be sure to read your Bible and talk to God daily. He will direct your next steps!

Congratulations and welcome! I would be delighted to hear your story. I am available if you should ever need prayer or a Christian sister to talk to. You can reach me through the contact form. God Bless you!!

This Salvation Prayer comes from
The Prayer and Crisis Referral Network. This is a 24 hour prayer and crisis line. You can reach them by phone or text at (877) 800 7729. There is always someone available to speak and pray with you and it is anonymous.