Welcome Janet Hines to kristinebrown.net today with this bonus devotion celebrating the launch of her new book, Between the Valley and the Mountaintop: Glimpses of God in the Middle Places.
How Big Is Your Love?
Every part of this picture I took while flying over Glacier National Park in
a helicopter shows me how big God is. His presence in every piece
is reflected from the clouds in the sky to the
peaks of the mountains, through the waterfall to the
tree line to the forests, river and valley below.
How big is your love? How big are you loved?
My three year old grandson was telling me goodbye. His new thing is all about how big he is loved and how big he loves. His dad picked him up from preschool the other day. “Dad, did you know God loves me and He loves you?”
Standing on my tiptoes I reached for the ceiling. Opening my arms as far as I could and making circles, “Buddy, I love you this much”. He stood there watching and his eyes got bigger with every circle I made.
He is grasping the concept of love. We hugged and off they went.
There have been times in my life when I have forgotten how big I am loved. Giving love
comes easy for me. Life is hard when we forget we are loved.
There is a love balance for our hearts that keeps us healthy. But there is a never-ending
intention the world sets against us to remind us daily we are not loveable.
Experiencing much loss through divorce and the loss of my parents, I have felt deep
despair as I asked “am I worthy to be loved”? My parents did not choose to leave me
but their exit from this world changed me. I can’t wait to see them again. Divorce is
another story. The depth of loss nearly destroyed me. Every single belief I had rooted
my concept of love in was shattered.
In time, God, who never changed His love for me, never left me or changed his mind
about me, began to show up and remind me in the tiniest of ways of His beautiful and
tender presence.
Sunsets prompt me to reflect back on my day. I look for God in situations I encountered.
Conversations where God showed up as a prompt to bring Him in are evident.
I never take Him for granted. Praising Him and being loved by Him
is my favorite place to be.
This scripture reminds me that I am significant in His eyes.
Psalm 8:3-4
When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which
you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that
you care for him?
God does care for me. God is extremely detail oriented - His creation reveals that to us.
God cares for you.
This scripture fills me up. God’s love for us is very present in these words.
Psalm 147:7-11
Sing to the Lord and give thanks to him. Make music to our God on the harp.
He covers the sky with clouds. He supplies the earth with rain. He makes grass grow on
the hills. He provides food for the cattle. He provides for the young ravens when they
cry out. He doesn’t take pleasure in the strength of horses. He doesn’t take delight in
the strong legs of men. The Lord takes delight in those who have respect for him. They
put their hope in his faithful love.
God delights in us. Haven’t we all longed for a relationship like that?
Love is evasive when we put all our efforts into being loved by humans.
So, when I am feeling the loss of love, I turn to these words and I know taking a step closer to God, envisioning myself being held by Him, brings me to the very place I need to be.
God is fully present in the valleys, on the mountaintops and in every middle place in between. Learning this has been the gift I have received from living this life of mine.
Deuteronomy 31:8
The Lord himself will go ahead of you. He will be with you. He will never leave you. He’ll never desert you. So don’t be afraid. Don’t lose hope.”
Joshua 1:9
“Here is what I am commanding you to do. Be strong and brave. Do not be terrified. Do not lose hope. I am the Lord your God. I will be with you everywhere you go.”
I end with this verse from the new testament. The first scripture I remember memorizing as a child was Psalm 23. The second is John 3:16 - God making “big circles” to show me how much He loves me and you, He gave the ultimate gift and the knowledge of that even as a young child planted a seed deep in me that would sustain me.
John 3:16
“God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son. Anyone who believes in him will not die but will have eternal life.
“Lord, please come close. Fill us up when we feel the barrenness of being unloveable. Show us Your presence. Comfort us through these words of Yours. Thank You, Father God. We love You. We love You. Amen”
Janet Hines is a photographer and author on a journey of restoration and learning to be grateful for brokenness. Through photography, travel experiences and writing, she brings together pieces of life in ways that connect with the hurting people who need to know they are not alone. Her heart’s desire is to build a community of hope through sharing Christ all of her days.