Jesus, Lover of My Soul
Junior Level

As I sit to write out the lesson for this week, God placed this on my heart.  It is a little different than our normal lessons.  I began to ponder how some times Christians today know what is in God’s word and know that God is love, but so many do not really take it to heart!  I was one of those Christians for a long time.  I knew in my head that God loved me because He loves everyone, but it wasn’t real to me.  I really didn’t understand that He REALLY LOVED ME!  When He began to teach me this and show me His love, it changed my life forever!  His love is better than life!  Oh to be loved by the most wonderful lover of all!  To be loved by God…there are no words to describe that blessing and honor. 

Handout: Jesus, Lover of My Soul

Hearts in the Sky

It’s always been amazing to me that GOD Almighty is mindful of man. I always heard that He would move heaven and earth to show His love and affection but I never understood that He would do that for me until one summer day in 2005. I haven’t told many people of this, because I told a few people and they laughed and didn’t believe me. So out of fear of being laughed at, I just kept it to myself. Then I realize that is just prideful and wrong and if God would do such wonderful things to show His love, then I should share it with others for His glory. It's not my responsibility to make people believe.  I cannot, but it is my responsibility to bring God glory and honor with my life and to tell of the great love God has for us all.

That summer day in 2005, I was at my parent’s house alone in the swimming pool.  It was a hot, sunny day.  Big, beautiful, white, and fluffy clouds filled the blue sky. I was going through hard battles in my own mind at that time, and on that day I was just pondering my life and just quietly talking to the LORD, just being with Him.  I began to thank Him and just worship Him, knowing and understanding that I need Him more than anything and He is my help and my stay. I was singing a song I had heard, several years before.  I didn’t know all the words but I was just singing the part I knew to the LORD, it went like this…

Take my heart
Take my heart
Kindle it with Your heart
For my heart
Cannot be
Kindled without You
With Your heart
Kindle my heart.

I was singing this song to the LORD over and over. God whispered to my spirit and said, “Look up”. Now when I was younger I loved to look up at the clouds and see what shapes they would take on.  That day when God whispered to me to look up, I looked up and in the sky above me there was a cloud in the shape of a heart ♥, the symbol known as love.  
I couldn’t believe it. I thought surely this was coincidence and I kept singing and looking at this heart shaped cloud, when next to it another cloud took the shape of a heart, and then another, and another.

For several minutes I sang to the LORD and looked up, watching clouds take the shape of hearts.  Tears fell as I was in the presence of my LORD, my King, My God!  Some of the clouds were full hearts and others were clouds in the shape of a heart with the blue sky showing through them.  It was the most amazing, beautiful thing I had ever seen. I was wonderfully overwhelmed at how GOD can do all things with just a wave of His mighty hand. Who was I that He would take the time to show me this display of love? I realized that it was nothing about me, but it was just because of the goodness in Him.

As a child, I had been raised to know that GOD loved me and that He is all powerful but in that moment it became real and alive to me.

Cloud hearts in the sky, what an easy task for our Father but such an immense wander and amazement to us.  He didn’t have to do that for me but how sweet that He did this special, wonderful, and beautiful thing for me to see and feel His love. We have the best Father the most loving, wonderful, beautiful, all powerful Father. Praise Him forever and ever.

Now, instead of fearing what those who do not believe will think or say about me, I now smile.  Think about it.  God created the universe.  He created us, and all people.  He created the sun, the moon, the earth, and all the wanders of the universe.  He makes the seasons change and keeps the worlds in orbit.  He made the flowers and the trees.  He causes the sun to shine and the rain to fall. (Genesis 1-2) He caused a flood to cover the whole earth and saved Noah and his family in the ark.  He then set His rainbow in the sky forever as a covenant to us that He would never destroy the earth again with water. (Genesis 6-9)  He took the small stone from David’s sling and used it to conquer Goliath who was defying His armies. (1 Samuel 17) 
He parted the red sea for the children of Israel when their enemies were in pursuit of them so they could walk across on dry ground and then it came back together when they were all safely on the other side.  (Exodus 14)  He walked on water and calmed the sea with a command.  (Matthew 14 and Mark 4)  He shut the mouths of the hungry lions and delivered Daniel from being eaten alive.  (Daniel 6)  He brought the Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego out of a fiery furnace that was so fierce the heat from it alone killed the men who threw them in.  Not only did He bring them out but He walked with them in the midst of that fire and only the cords that had them bound were destroyed.  They came out with not ever the smell of smoke on them…alive!  (Daniel 3)  He fed Elijah by the brook using the Raven’s to bring him food when there was great famine.  (1 Kings 17)  He sent His Son Jesus to earth, born of a virgin, who lived, and died for the sins of the whole world and who, God’s word says, will come back again one day and will rule a perfect Kingdom forever! (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John)   He is able to do all things great and small!  Why in the world would someone think that He is not able to make hearts in the sky from the clouds to show His power, His love and affection for a little country girl who was seeking Him with all of her heart?!  He can and He did and Praise the Lord it was all because He is good and amazing!  This happened not of anything good or special about me, but because of all things good and special in Him!   What He has done for one, He will do for all His children because of His great love for us.  What a Mighty, Lovely, Father We Serve!

Do we really take God and His word personally?  Do we really believe what it says is especially for us individually?  Do really believe that God controls the universe and the planets and the stars, the sun and the moon?  Do we really know that He keeps things in orbit?  Do we really believe when we pray that He will answer our prayers?  We as children of God need to search our hearts and KNOW that HE IS GOD, the one and only and that HE can do all things. 

It is time we start taking the promises of God and believing them with all of our hearts, and stop leaning to our own understanding!  (Proverbs 3:5-6)  It is time that we start looking at His presence all around us in nature and taking it personally!  He shows His love and affection for us in so many ways and if we are not very careful we will be to busy to notice and miss some of the sweetest, most lovely displays of love from God in our lives! 

When is the last time you sit meditating upon God and His word and felt Him caressing your face and your hair through the breeze?  When was the last time you woke up in praise to God and heard the special songs the birds were singing in praise as well for His enjoyment and yours?  How long as it been since you and I looked at a sunrise or sunset and felt the peace of God overwhelm us through His beauty and creativity?  Every spring and summer God gives us flowers and every Autumn He creates the most amazing colors in the trees when the leaves change.  Do we just overlook it or do we see what He is saying to us in all these things?  God forgive us if we just take these things for granted and never see or understand that He is romancing our souls in everything that He does!  How romantic He is!  He shows His love in so many ways.  He sent His only begotten Son to die for us so that we might have ever lasting life.  He gave the best He had for us!  He gave Himself!  Not only did He make a way for us to be saved from wrath, but He is also faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness when we sin. (1John 1:9)  He seals and keeps us in His grace and mercy forever!  How can we not take everything He does personally???  He is indeed the great lover of our souls!  Praise You LORD!

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

Dearest Father…

Thank You for all creation and for all the many things You have done great and small to show Your great love and affection for us.  Father help us to see these displays of love and to take them personally knowing that You are drawing us closer to Yourself.  Father we praise You and worship You and thank You for being the true lover of our souls.  There is none as great as You.  There is no other greater than You.  Lord help us to love You with all of our hearts, souls, and with all of our strength.  Please help us to always be thankful and to know that everyday You wait to fellowship with us and to meet with each of us individually.  Thank You for making time for Your children and for allowing us to come boldly to Your throne and spend time with You.  We love You and praise You in Jesus name.  Amen.

~*Cindygirl*~
September 27, 2009