Sometimes it's hard to breathe, just knowing you found me

[With You, Jessica Simpson]

I had a wonderful quiet time today. Let me just share a snippet of what God said. This is from Colossians 3 in the Amplified Bible.

11[In this new creation all distinctions vanish.] There ^[c]is no room for and there can be neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, [nor difference between nations whether alien] barbarians or Scythians [^[d]who are the most savage of all], nor slave or free man; but Christ is all and in all [^[e]everything and everywhere, to all men, without distinction of person].

12Clothe yourselves therefore, as God's own chosen ones (His own picked representatives), [who are] purified and holy and well-beloved [by God Himself, by putting on behavior marked by] tenderhearted pity and mercy, kind feeling, a lowly opinion of yourselves, gentle ways, [and] patience [which is tireless and long-suffering, and has the power to endure whatever comes, with good temper].

13Be gentle and forbearing with one another and, if one has a difference (a grievance or complaint) against another, readily pardoning each other; even as the Lord has [freely] forgiven you, so must you also [forgive].

14And above all these [put on] love and enfold yourselves with the bond of perfectness [which binds everything together completely in ideal harmony].

15And let the peace (soul harmony which comes) from Christ rule (act as umpire continually) in your hearts [deciding and settling with finality all questions that arise in your minds, in that peaceful state] to which as [members of Christ's] one body you were also called [to live]. And be thankful (appreciative), [giving praise to God always].

16Let the word [spoken by] Christ (the Messiah) have its home [in your hearts and minds] and dwell in you in [all its] richness, as you teach and admonish and train one another in all insight and intelligence and wisdom [in spiritual things, and as you sing] psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, making melody to God with [His] grace in your hearts.

It was really hard to pick out which part to put here, but God's Word is SO GOOD! I love the Amplified Bible. I recommend it if you want to really dig into the intended Greek and Hebrew meanings.

It's so freeing to know that God's desire is to use me. But not just that- He's crazy about me. I've recently met someone, and it's amazing to have someone that's just in awe of me like that. Imagine how much more so God is in awe of me- I mean, He has created and fashioned me. I also read Song of Solomon (aka Song of Songs) today and my breath was stolen away yet again by verse 4:9--

You have ravished my heart, my treasure, my bride. I am overcome by one glance of your eyes, by a single bead of your necklace.

Isn't that absolutely... well, sorry for the redundancy, but breathtaking? That the Lord of all creation feels that way about me, that one glance of my eyes ravishes His heart. Imagine when I stop and behold His face in full.

I love God's Word. I pray I will spend increasingly more and more time in it this summer, as I have a lot of free time.