I just finished reading a recent post by Paul Ellis (Escape to Reality) in which he stated, “The Holy Spirit’s conviction has nothing to do with your sin and everything to do with God’s grace. It’s not about the bad thing you’ve done but the good things he wants to do in you right now.

So well said. I hear the heart of the Father. It’s His heart that inspires me to change because I know He believes in me. I am free to be who I am and the Holy Spirit helps me to more clearly see who I am. Instead of trying to be something, I am receiving what I already am.

He is whispering words that set me free:

You are beautiful

Loved by a King

There is not spot on you

You are my bride

I am with you

I have put my laws in your heart

I am your shepherd leading you

I am your guard defending you

You are a new creation

You really can’t receive instruction from someone who doesn’t believe in you. Have you ever had a conversation with someone who points out your past behaviors and defines you by them. There is no motivation when someone throws labels at you. It is as if they are helping you stay as you are.

However, words of life offer a bridge we can walk upon because they are backed by faith. When Jesus told Peter to step out onto the water, He spoke with confidence that Peter would and could do this. By faith Peter connected to the heart of the Father toward him in that moment.

My prayer is that I receive those words of life being spoken to me throughout the day. In turn I will be speaking those words of life to my children. Words of life have the ability to ignite a spark in their heart and to remind them of their identity. Resting in who I am and trusting in the work of the Holy Spirit in them brings amazing fruit.

photo credit: Éole via photopin cc

Today our worship leader brought up the passage in which Mary anoints Jesus’ head with costly oil and wipes his feet with her hair, his point being that she didn’t dab a little perfume on Him measuring out a reasonable portion of the expensive ointment. Instead she poured all of it on his head in an extravagant, over the top demonstration of adoration.

Yes this is a good picture of what it means to engage in worship!

As I listened, I realized that Mary was looking beyond her circumstances, beyond her ability to worship, beyond what others would think. She wasn’t doing this because she put down her foot that morning and declared she would be a better worshipper. She didn’t do this because she felt guilty about not doing enough for Jesus in the past. She wasn’t responding to a great motivational speech.

This was a natural overflow.

She was created to worship and she was connected to the source of worship.

The Holy Spirit inside of us cries, “Abba Father, Daddy God … I love you!”

She dove into His love.

It is so much like taking a plunge into a pool. You can’t plunge halfway, part-way, or “a little today, a little tomorrow”. You just jump in and your state is changed.

You are now in the water and it is all over you!

Mary chose to see His love for her. She chose to see who He was. She focused on His attributes and lost track of her own.

What happens if you stop worrying about being worthy to worship? What happens if you believe that the only righteousness you have is His righteousness and that that is all you need? What if you can always come to Him because you have been cleansed by his blood? What if you truly believe you are completely forgiven and that the love the Father has for you is the same love He has for his Son because you are now hidden in Christ?

What if it doesn’t depend upon you to be particularly talented at singing, praying, focusing but you have an open invitation to make a joyful noise and enjoy your amazing Father God who loves to hear your voice and absolutely enjoys you? What if letting go of your fears and burdens and vocalizing His care for you might put a thousand demons to flight? What if singing of His greatness aligns your heart with His love connecting the current of His power to flow in ways you never imagined. What if you are singing over your city or over a nation or over one tormented soul about to receive the very revelation that will unite them to the delivering hand of God?

None of this has anything to do with us.

It is all real when we dive into Him.

The first step is to open your heart to His love.

Boldly believe “my Daddy in heaven absolutely loves me.”

His plan for me fulfills my desires in an intimate personal way.

He brings me to rest.

He empowers my life as I trust in

His ability,
His devotion to me,
The perfect life He lived for me.

Now I come to Him clothed in His robes of righteousness and realize it is a garment of Praise!

Then Mary took a pound of very costly oil of spikenard, anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil. John 12:3

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Living by Grace through Faith.

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