Empowered By Confidence: You Are Loved By God Even In Your Weakness


by Cheryl Ott - Date: 2007-01-25 - Word Count: 1014 Share This!

For 6 months during my prayer time, I was in deep anguish over my sin, my weaknesses, and my failures. I would groan in agony. Why? Because, the things I desperately did not want to do were the very things I found myself doing. And, the things I sincerely wanted to do I felt powerless to accomplish.

I felt like a hopeless hypocrite. I feared that God was weary of my coming to Him again and again with the same issues. I hated my sin. I despised my weaknesses. I mourned my failures. I cried, 'Abba, let me hate the things that you hate and love the things that you love'. Despite my prayers of repentance, and pleas for help, little seemed to change. Until the night the Lord encountered me in a dream.

Here's The Dream…

Suddenly, I was standing eye to eye with a man. No words were spoken. I looked deeply into his eyes and knew everything about him. He was a good man but, he did not have relationship the Lord. Then the Lord whispered in my ear, "Now, I'm going to let you feel my love for this man". Immediately, I felt the tangible manifest presence of God's unconditional love and heart for this man. It was powerful!

All of a sudden, that man disappeared and a second man stood eye to eye with me. Not one word was spoken between us. I looked intently in his eyes and knew everything about him. He had been a believer from his childhood. And for most of his life He had walked in the ways of the Lord. The Lord whispered in my ear, "Now, I'm going to let you feel my love for this man".

Instantly, I felt the tangible manifest presence of God's unconditional love and heart for this man. God's love did not change at all from the first man to the second man. 'Interesting', I thought. The Lord said, "Now, I'm going to let you feel his love back for me". Right away, I felt this man's love and tender heart for God.

Swiftly, that man disappeared and a third man stood eye to eye with me. No words are spoken. I looked steadily in his eyes and knew he had known the Lord for less than 25% of his life. The Lord said, "Now, I'm going to let you feel my love for this man".

Without delay I felt the tangible manifest presence of God's love and heart for this man. I was stunned! God's love did not change from the first man, to the second, or to the third. I was completely fascinated. His love remained consistent, unchanged, and equally powerful. The Lord said, "Now, I'm going to let you feel his love back for me". His love for God was distinctly stronger than the second man. I was astonished.

In a flash, that man disappeared and a fourth man stood in front of me. But, this man did not stand eye to eye with me. Instead, he stood with his back to me. A movie screen of his life played before my eyes. He was a believer. He loved the Lord. Yet, I could see him failing miserably in the present. I could see him struggling with his sin. I identified with this man's struggle. But, in my heart I thought, 'there's no way the Lord's love for this guy is going to be the same as the first, second or the third man. It's impossible. Look at this guy. He's too ashamed to look me eye to eye'.

This man looked heavenward over his right shoulder. In the weakest of voice he cried out to God for help. His countenance was filled with desperation and anguish. I could feel the ache and grief in his heart over his sin. The Lord said, "Now, I'm going to let you feel my love for this man". Surely, God's love for him would be significantly less, I thought.

Immediately, the Lord allowed me to feel His unconditional love and heart for this man. I was shocked! It was the same tangible manifest presence of God's unconditional love. Inside, I screamed, 'how is that possible? Do you see what I see? I don't understand', I said. Then the Lord tenderly whispered in my ear and said, "Now, I'm going to let you feel what I get to feel"!

It was as if He was going to share one of His greatest pleasures with me. What I felt next rocked my world. This man's love for the Lord was off the charts, friend. Off the charts! It was passionate wholehearted love with wild abandon. It was red hot fiery love. It was so intense, it took my breath away. Gasping for air I cried, 'how can this be'? With delight the Lord said, "He who's been forgiven much, loves much".

The dream ended. I was suddenly awake. I felt the tangible presence of God resting on me. My heart was filled with awe and wonder at the heart of God. I could still hear His words ringing in my ear, "I'm going to let you feel what I get to feel… get to feel…get to feel". It had been so long since I had felt His presence. I did not want to move.

'What was it about this last man that moved Your heart so deeply'? I wondered. The Lord said, "Did you see his face"? 'Yes, I saw his face. He gave you a slight glance'. "Yes, but it was a sincere glance. Did you hear his cry"? 'Yes, I heard his weak cry', I said. "Oh, but it was a genuine cry that moved my heart with compassion, love and mercy", He said. "Even the slightest glance My way, even the weakest cry to Me for help, even in his weakness, even in his immaturity, he is a lover of God. He hates what I hate. And, He loves what I love. He pursues righteousness. He aggressively wars against the lust of his flesh. Therefore, his love is real, and authentic and it moves my heart", He said.


Related Tags: love, compassion, mercy, forgiveness, dream, confidence, weakness, sin, unconditional love, loved by god

Cheryl Ott is the Author, Educator, and Speaker for Anchor Of Hope Int'l http://www.anchorofhopeinternational.org

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