God is so amazingly on time!
Let me share what TRUE love my dear friends really looks like...
Last night about 11:30 pm I was finishing up some notes for a speaking message on Sunday. I will be speaking at the Northridge Grosse Ile Location to a wonderful new community that God is stirring up for His amazing purposes.
" So blessed to be INVITED to this event to share Gods love"
With that last statement in mind, I finished my notes titled
The Greatest LOVE Invitation
I plan to speak on Isaiah 55:1-6
The INVITATION to abundant life.
Here is a brief summary of the passage...a quick lesson folks to get you on the same page with Gods love today!
the Israelites had sinned against God and had experienced exile into Babylon for their sin. It was painful, but God came to them through the prophet Isaiah, and offered an invitiation to the exiles life and a relationship with him. God moves toward us in our greatest pain and darkness—even when its legitimately our fault—and begins to redeem us from our sin and draw us to himself. We need only be willing and receive and respond to His invite! Isaiah 55 is just such a picture of God as he repeatedly calls out to his people to come to him and enjoy life and relationship!
Isaiah 55 (NET Bible)
55:1 Hey, all who are thirsty, come to the water!
You who have no money, come!
Buy and eat!
Come! Buy wine and milk without money
and without cost!
55:2 Why pay money for something that will not nourish you?
Why spend your hard earned money on something that will not satisfy?
Listen carefully to me and eat what is nourishing!
Enjoy fine food!
55:3 Pay attention and come to me!
Listen, so you can live!
Then I will make an unconditional covenantal LOVE promise to you,
just like the reliable covenantal promises I made to David.
55:4 Look, I made him a witness to nations,
a ruler and commander of nations.”
55:5 Look, you will summon nations you did not previously know,
nations that did not previously know you will run to you,
because of the LORD your God,
the sovereign king of Israel,
for he bestows honor upon you.
You who have no money, come!
Buy and eat!
Come! Buy wine and milk without money
and without cost!
55:2 Why pay money for something that will not nourish you?
Why spend your hard earned money on something that will not satisfy?
Listen carefully to me and eat what is nourishing!
Enjoy fine food!
55:3 Pay attention and come to me!
Listen, so you can live!
Then I will make an unconditional covenantal LOVE promise to you,
just like the reliable covenantal promises I made to David.
55:4 Look, I made him a witness to nations,
a ruler and commander of nations.”
55:5 Look, you will summon nations you did not previously know,
nations that did not previously know you will run to you,
because of the LORD your God,
the sovereign king of Israel,
for he bestows honor upon you.
55:6 Seek the LORD while he makes himself available,
call to him while he is nearby!
55:7 The wicked need to abandon their life style,
and sinful people their plans.
They should return to the LORD, and he will show mercy to them,
and to their God, for he will freely forgive them.
55:8 “Indeed my plans are not like your plans,
and my deeds are not like your deeds,
55:9 for, just as the sky is higher than the earth,
so my deeds are superior to your deeds,
and my plans superior to your plans.
call to him while he is nearby!
55:7 The wicked need to abandon their life style,
and sinful people their plans.
They should return to the LORD, and he will show mercy to them,
and to their God, for he will freely forgive them.
55:8 “Indeed my plans are not like your plans,
and my deeds are not like your deeds,
55:9 for, just as the sky is higher than the earth,
so my deeds are superior to your deeds,
and my plans superior to your plans.
The way He extends His love into the details of our life is in His timing and control.
But God will satisfy in the end.
NO GREATER LOVE HAS NO ONE THEN HE... John 15:3
Jesus offers himself FREELY to all who respond. He loves the needy, the poor, the disobedient, the immature, the charming, He loves all.
In my speaking notes I talk about what the Invitation looks like and by the end of the message God challenges us to respond.
RSVP
R ECEIVE GODS LOVE
S EEK AND YOU WILL FIND
V ALUE THE SPOKEN WORD FOR YOU
P RESS ON AND PURSUE HIS
The message has more bulk but for today's main post I want to zoom in on how God showed me His great love today, Valentines Day.
About 5 years ago I was INVITED to be the main speaker at a women's retreat tucked way in the woods in upper Michigan.
In this place I spoke of God's love...
At this place I met a beautiful woman named Cynda
During this time Cynda responded to Gods love through the spoken word
This day Cynda accepted Christ as we prayed together in the corner of the room. I see it like it was yesterday.
After the retreat I INVITED Cynda to do a study with me. She responded to this invite with a YES! We began to meet and God poured His love into her.
Cynda struggled in this life with addiction
Addiction is real
(let me tie this together for you in a bow)
Last night after I finished the speaking notes I did my nightly stroll through my facebook feed. I noticed a friend mention about her daughters passing.
I felt God nudge me to investigate further because... HE KNEW WHAT I NEEDED TO KNOW.
I have so many friends on facebook from all over so I really did not think I knew this friend but maybe through a mutual friend.
As I read through the moms feed I seen CYNDA'S picture.
After 5 years of not talking to Cynda, I sat at my computer and honestly needed a refresher. I asked God sweetly "Do I know her? I feel like we connected Lord?"
So of course I messaged mom
My message
" I am so sorry for your loss. I am sitting here feeling like I have met Cynda. At a retreat about 5 years ago? Maybe I am wrong and it was another connection but I feel we talked. "
Mom message
"Yes you definitely knew Cynda. Cynda and I went to the womens retreat at camp up north together about 5 years ago. That is where Cynda got saved and then took one of your classes. She talked about you all the time because you made such an impression on her, thankyou for the impact you had in her life."
Honestly friends the impact was a simple INVITATION.
That Invitation 5 years ago has brought peace to a family today knowing she is finally at peace with the abundant life she strived for.
The invitation works in ways we will never know. God works in mysterious ways.
Mom went on to explain the struggle Cynda had for years and how it became stronger then her, she passed away in her sleep last night due to addiction.
Mom also explained that the ONLY thing that has gotten them through is the fact that they know she is with the Lord because she responded to his invitation and now is no longer struggling.
Are you kidding me? I sat in my chair and wept.
I thought what perfect LOVE. God knew I was speaking on the Invitation to LOVE tomorrow with a new community of sisters.
Gods LOVE is so important that the extended invitation could be the matter of ETERNITY for someone in Gods timing.
John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes IN HIM will not perish but have ETERNAL life
To know Cynda's eternity rests on the fact that she responded to an INVITATION at a sweet ladies gathering....then Gods timing to point it out to me as I wrapped up my notes last night at 11:30 with the notes titled ...The GREATEST LOVE INVITATION.
Only God, Only God
What perfect love my friends
Happy Valentines Day
