Without exception, everyone desires to be loved and accepted just the very way we are.  We all want to be embraced not by what we can do and contribute, but by simply being ourselves.  But this fallen and cruel world has so programmed our minds to define success to be recognized as merely great accomplishments, high positions and having surmountable amount of possessions apart from being who we really are.  As a result, many experience identity crisis.

There is a certain stage in our lives where many call this a “searching” stage.  It is a void in our hearts that majority thinks can be filled with mere material and physical things.  Sometimes we gravitate to seek all these in wrong places or from wrong people leaving many more bound and depressed instead of being filled.

But God Who is rich in mercy and abounding in love and grace is always on a lookout for someone who will call upon His name and He will answer.  His eyes go to and from on the surface of the earth watching those who would come home to Himself just like the prodigal son.  Most often than not, when we reach the point of desperation without contentment or when we come to our senses, then real quest begins to head home.

The Lord has positioned believers of Jesus here and there.  Many reach out to us but somehow we never took time to consider listening until we get to a dead end of ourselves and there is no other way up and out but HIM.  Now that we have experienced what it means to discover the missing Link in our lives, Jesus our Savior and King, the cry of our hearts is to do the same, to know Him more and make Him known.

I recently watched the movie “The Greatest Showman” and couldn’t help myself but be so touched by it.  Because of his past, he pressed in and pushed to be successful and yes he indeed was.  Then he was privileged to be in the position to accept, believe in and encourage those who felt different from the rest of us.  I like how the bearded woman expressed it, “the world was ashamed of us, but you put us in the spotlight. You gave us a real family.”   If you look at it, it is supposed to be the way we all should be, carrying the love of Christ and diffusing it to those who are within our reach to make them feel at home, loved, accepted, and embraced.

Back to the movie.  But you see, though he was at the top, it still didn’t stop him from reaching for the stars because there wasn’t any contentment in his heart until one day he realized that those achievements couldn’t fill him up.  He may have the rest of the world in his hands yet the closest to him were left behind.  When he came to his senses, he went home and found those he encouraged in the past were the ones now lifting him up until together they fulfilled one of the greatest shows they could ever dream and to be loved not by the whole word but by the ones around you.

The Love of our Abba Father is our utmost necessity.  He made His love available and receivable before the foundation of time and for eternity.  But what disrupted the flow of His love towards us was when Adam and Eve fell in the Garden of Eden.  It was when sin came that separated us from Him but His love remained the same.  He never said He stopped loving you and me.  In truth His love never fails, never gives up and never runs out.  This is the very reason why God gave His only Begotten and Beloved Son that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.  He never left us alone, defeated and separated from Him.  The fall didn’t catch Him by surprise and the beauty of His love was seen when He already thought of a solution of how we can be reconciled back to Himself.  He made a way where there seems to be no way for us to come to Him in and of our own ability to become blameless and holy, because no one can come before our HOLY GOD without being made holy.  Jesus Who is our  High Priest forever is at the same time the Perfect Sacrifice Who fulfilled the perfect law and His finished work gave us the gift of righteousness, that we can now boldly enter in into His throne of grace and loving embrace.

Jesus is The Way!  No one comes to the Father except through Him!  Unless one believes, one cannot experience and explore what it means for God to be Our Father.  Always remember that our identity as being approved, accepted and loved is what makes us healed, whole and complete.  Apart from Him, we are all broken vessels trying to patch things up with our own ability with temporary results rather than wholeness that comes from finished work of our Savior, Jesus Christ, which is eternal.

“So he got up and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father SAW him and was MOVED WITH COMPASSION for him, and RAN and EMBRACED him and KISSED him.  And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’  But the father said to his servants, ‘QUICKLY bring out the BEST ROBE [for the guest of honor] and put it on him; and give him a RING for his hand, and SANDALS for his feet.  And bring the FATTENED CALF and slaughter it, and let us [invite everyone and] feast and celebrate;  for this son of mine was [as good as] dead and is alive again; HE WAS LOST AND HAS BEEN FOUND.’ So they began to CELEBRATE.”  (Luke 15:20-24 AMP)

Our restoration and reconciliation into our Daddy God’s arms is QUICK and SPEEDILY!  No need for all the requirements of the law and rituals as the old covenant.  The new and living way has come and it is to know His love, mercy and grace fulfilled at the cross.  He desires mercy and not sacrifice for us to be pleasing to Him.  Jesus, our High Priest, offered Himself as our perfect Sacrifice, did it all and fulfilled it all 2000 years ago.

All who need is to BELIEVE!   The just shall live by faith.

“Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears My word and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.” (John 5:24 ESV).

“Therefore do not let your good be spoken of as evil; for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. For he who serves Christ in these things is ACCEPTABLE TO GOD  and APPROVED BY MEN.”  (Romans‬ ‭14:16-18‬ ‭NKJV‬‬)

Prayer:  Heavenly Father, thank You for rending the veil that separated You from Your people when Jesus said, “IT IS FINISHED!”  Thank You that we now can come boldly before You, approved, accepted and loved that changed our identity from insecurity into divine assurance as our reality.  Thank You, Holy Spirit, for filling us and flooding us with Your presence and out of the abundance of what we have received from You, we flood out to overflow to the ones around us and be graced, empowered and anointed to approve, accept and love them, not by might nor by power but by Your Spirit.  Amen!