How Great Your Affections are for Me...

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He is jealous for me, loves like a hurricane, I am a tree  
Bending beneath the weight of His wind and mercy
When all of a sudden I am unaware of these afflictions
Eclipsed by glory and I realize just how beautiful You are
And how great Your affections are for me
And oh, how He loves us, oh
Oh, how He loves us, how He loves us all



I've probably heard "Oh, how He loves us" by David Crowder a hundred times but it wasn't until today that I really listened to what the first verse says.  Its weird how God uses different things at different times to reveal something about Himself to His children. I know the words to this song by heart but I've never heard the song the way I heard it today. As I was listening I suddenly heard the song as if it were written for me. These words came alive! God is jealous for me. Isn't that an amazing thought? He loves me so much, He doesn't want my affections to be placed on lesser things. His love is massive and powerful, like a hurricane and I am like a tree that bends beneath the wind of it. His love is so amazing and I am overwhelmed by it. When focused on His love, I suddenly become unaware of the afflictions I endure. These afflictions are eclipsed, totally surpassed by God's glory as I realize how beautiful He is and how much loves ME. His affections for me are countless. He loves me. Yes, me. 

I have a lot of head knowledge about God's love for me. I mean, truthfully, I can quote verse after verse about God's love but for some reason I don't apply it to myself. I truly do believe that God loves His children. That He pursues us and will never leave us but I unintentionally seem to forget those truths for myself. Its not that I don't believe it is true for me, I just forget that I am loved just as much as everyone else. I am not worthy of His love on my own but because of what Jesus has done for me, I am deserving of it. So, forgetting how much He loves me, after all He has done for me, is appalling really. Still, my precious Savior continues to gently remind me of His incredible, never-changing, all-sufficient love. 

Today I am thankful to have heard this familiar song in a new way.  I really needed the reminder that God loves me. It sounds like such a basic truth but I so easily forget it. I know it in my mind but somehow my heart suffers from amnesia. When the people around me hurt my feelings, forget about me and put me last, my God is still right here, still loving me. Mostly, I am touched by God's patience with me and that His pursuit of me is unrelenting. He has reminded of His love for me a thousand times already but He still continues to remind me. 


Thank you, Father, for loving even me. Thank you for helping me to understand Your love and truly believe it for myself. Please keep my heart from forgetting. Help me to remember how great Your affections are for me. I love you, Lord. Amen

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