I wanted to start from the beginning...
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.~ Genesis 1:1-2
My focal point was going to be on the three words God says over and over again in the first chapter of Genesis: “…it is good."
He looked at all He created and said it was good. ~ Genesis 1:31
Starting from the beginning sounded like a good plan because I’m currently reading from the Book of Genesis and those three words jumped off the pages as I read. If we believe everything He said as truth, and he says those three words several times, I’m thinking those words are rather important.
I had a whole other post drafted, but my message was mottled. The thoughts in my head would not transfer to the page the way I wanted them to. As I stared at my first attempt, the words failed to express what my heart felt. I tried to re-write my post and failed again.
I was going at it all wrong. Never did I ask God what I should write. When I finally did He said, “Beth, tell them what my love story has looked like for you."
I pondered His response for a few days, still unsure of how to begin.
Every other Wednesday night I meet with three ladies to study God’s Word together. One of the women recently had a baby and the other recently announced she’s expecting, so their attendance has been sporadic. On this particular Wednesday, I was the only other person joining the amazing lady who opens her home to us and leads our group.
Once we were done with our needed catch-up time, we opened our Bibles to where we had left off in the Gospel of Matthew. She read from Matthew 7:7-29. When she finished reading she looked at me and asked, “What did salvation look like for you?”
My response…
It was a breath of fresh air; a weight taken off my shoulders. I was forgiven, loved unconditionally, and it was given to me freely. It didn’t come with a price. It wasn’t based on my performance. God already said “it is good.” Salvation offered a better way of living.
What is really on my heart to share with you is how God’s love story will be different for each of us. Yes, when we accept Christ as our Savior He offers the same salvation to all of us.
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life ~ John 3:16
But our stories will look different. He pursues us in a very personal way. Isn’t that what is so amazing about God? He cares enough to pursue us in a way that is unique to our own needs.
Not only will His pursuit of us be personal, He wants to have a daily and intimate relationship with us. He cares about us so deeply that He wants to be involved in every facet of our life.
“God loves each of us as if there were only one of us.” ~ Augustine
I’ve shared my story before. It was actually shared here at Circles of Faith. It is a portion of God’s love story for me. His love story for me continues to play out every day I wake and say, “God, I’m all in.”
I believe God wants us to share our stories with others. When we do He is glorified. Through our stories God’s love story for all of us is revealed.
I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. ~ John 10:10b
So what’s your story? I’d love to hear about it in the comments…and if you need more space, contact us here and let us know a little about what you’d like to share.
Beth Stiff is a wife, mom of two boys, and a mother-in-law. They are a military family with her husband in the Army Reserves and her oldest son in the Navy. Through over 20 years of marriage, Beth and her husband have been through a lot, but their love for each other is stronger than ever.
Beth loves Jesus, family, friends, reading, and a hot cup of coffee to begin her day. She writes on her blog, Simply Beth, about how her relationship with Jesus has changed her life. Her promise is to always speak from the heart...to speak with love.