Annalee Reyes invites you to find peace and healing in the finished work and unconditional love of Jesus.
“And there was one…reclining…in the bosom of Jesus, whom Jesus was loving…”(John 13:23 YLT98)
Beloved, there’s nothing more significant and more transformational you can do each day than to gloat, yes, boast in God’s love for YOU…Not your love for or your devotion to Him; not how you can be a better person or a better Christian (don’t focus on self or performance but keep your eyes on Jesus who alone is your righteousness), but HIS love FOR YOU.
It’s the little things. My heart is happy. And this after a very burdensome last couple of weeks. My first ripe tomato!
Sometimes the process for bearing fruit is a hard wait (and weight). We may wonder why it’s taking so long to see what we want to see. But Jesus is doing more than you know in the wait; in your process…in your heart.
“Jesus told them, “This is the only work God wants from you: Believe in the One He has sent.” John 6:29 NLT
The Father sent Jesus to give you the same life as the Source of all Life. He came to be in forever union with you; to share the deepest intimacy with you. Oh Yes. But He also came to put death in its place, so you could be conquered by His Life abundant! He came to put sickness, shame, pain, affliction and lack in its place by bearing them on His body and leaving them in the grave. He came to heal your broken soul; the deep wounds of your heart, your fear, your rejection and your loneliness. He came to free you in His unchanging unconditional love, seating you in the highest place in the resurrected Christ. He came to give you more and better life than you ever dreamed of. He came to take your place so you could take His. Your only work is to believe. Simply trust that He came to give you Life abundant, and that Life abundant is being released to you now. Have a need?…that makes you qualified. His heart is to make you whole. Freely receive.
“… for I, Jehovah, am healing thee.”
Exodus 15:26 YLT98
Some of you may remember the children’s Bible song, “I Just Wanna Be A Sheep.” I remember it from my daughters’ Vacation Bible School days years ago and still sing it under my breath today. If you’re not familiar with the song’s lyrics, no need to google; this post will hum it’s sweet tune to your heart so you can find rest for your soul.
I remember one time the Lord spoke to me and told me His church was tired. I knew exactly what He meant by “tired” because by that time He had already established my heart in His Rest; a rest that is Jesus Himself. A rest that was given freely to be our way of life because of His finished work on the cross. When I speak of rest, I am referring to the inward peace of the soul; a freedom from stress, anxiety, fear and worry that ultimately brings healing and health to your mind, emotions, physical body and yes, even your circumstances and relationships. In other words, the place of rest is the place of blessing.
This year was the first year ever (of my adult life) that I put up our Christmas tree before Thanksgiving. I was that excited about starting Christmas and experiencing the sacredness and fun that comes with this season. Now don’t get me wrong, I despise seeing Christmas decorations lining the shelves of Walmart next to the jack-o’-lanterns in early September, but I have found a new freedom in celebrating this gift alongside Thanksgiving because it is all found, experienced and joyed in Him.
One of the first things I did the day after Thanksgiving was tune into our local FM radio station that plays non-stop Christmas music through December 25th. It’s always amusing to hear the old traditional carols (and annoying to hear repeatedly Mariah Carey’s “All I want for Christmas is you”). Which is why shortly thereafter, I was reminded that what my heart truly yearned for could easily be drowned out by Noel noise.
Did you know the very first game of hide and seek started in a garden? Just like today, the children there hid and were afraid of being seen. However, they weren’t giggling with excitement waiting to hear, “Ready or not here I come!” No. Something in their hearts had gone wrong. A fear that came from a lie. Yet deep deep down, they were hoping to be found, they were hoping to be sought out; not to be “found out” but to be rescued.
Like Adam and Eve, both believers and non-believers are still hiding from God today and it all comes from that one event in Eden. It was there the greatest lie of all time affected all of humanity. This lie from the pit of hell, caused the first two humans to doubt God’s love for them. And this lie tries to get God’s people to doubt His love for them today. Yet, before Adam and Eve believed it, their loving Father already had a new and safe hiding place prepared.
I am so very grateful for police officers. They lay their lives on the line every day to protect our families and communities. Their job is noble as they rise to prevent and detect crime. But while they labor daily in law enforcement, God does not. Beloved, God is not a behavior police.
Every day, I screw up; I miss the mark. In the midst of living in intimacy with the One who loves me and gave Himself up for me, I still get angry, anxious, annoyed, overwhelmed and worst of all, I still allow myself to feel guilty. I even forget to forgive myself. Yes, there are many days when I feel like I’m a bundle of paradoxes. Yet, it’s there I find myself face to face with Grace Himself.
This is why I can tell you with certainty, God is not analyzing your every mood, feeling and action. He is not critiquing your every thought. He is not a serious, stern lawgiver on the move waiting to catch you doing it wrong or not doing it enough…whatever “it” might be. He is not distant and far-off waiting for you to “arrive” at some spiritual level all awhile judging you at your failed attempts to conjure up some super faith.
Whether it’s social media, the radio or the news, everywhere you turn you hear voices of fear and panic these days. The recent tragedies in Minnesota, Baton Rouge and now Dallas are horrific and life-altering for many no doubt. Souls are crushed, emotions are high and despair seems to be setting in.
For those who have been affected personally, in love I grieve with them, mourn for them and my prayers pour out for their healing. But if we are not careful, we can allow what’s going on in our nation to “infect” the precious soil of our hearts. And that’s when we need to take a step back, turn off the noise and renew our hearts and minds with Truth.
No one is more grieved, saddened and hurt by these happenings than God Himself. “In His own being He feels every separation and loss, every heart split open with grief, every cry of mourning down the corridors of time. ” (Brennan Manning, The Relentless Tenderness of Jesus). It is never ever God’s heart for humanity to suffer. It has always been His heart and longing for us to thrive on and in His love.
However, true love cannot be forced. This is why we were given free will thus leading to the fall of man and earth. Of course that is not where our love story ends. God chose His Son to be our ransom long before the world began (1 Peter 1:20 NLT).
Beloved, at the cross, Jesus not only became our sin, He took all our suffering and pain, sicknesses and curse upon Himself so we could be healed! He conquered death and was raised to give you His very life! He is a life-giver, a life-saver, a life-restorer! Jesus came to give you life, life and more life! And there is nothing He wants more than for you to enjoy this life with Him by trusting in what He’s done for you and what He will do for you by resting in His unconditional love.
That’s why you can come to Him as you are. Pour out your heart to Him. Be real and share with Him your doubts, fears and feelings. Cry. Say nothing. Scream. He knows your heart fully and meets you where you are. Just come.
When you do, His perfect love for you will calm those fears and remind you of the truth that leads your heart to His peace that surpasses your understanding. He loves and cares for you so deeply, He doesn’t want your heart weighed down by the very burdens He carried and died to set you free from.
If you are a believer, you are In Christ. He Himself is your Fortress and Refuge; your place of safety. He alone is your Protection when you put your trust in Him.
By all means, there is nothing wrong with staying informed. We are living in perilous times. There is darkness all around us in the world. But we don’t belong to the world. We belong to Him! You are His child! Don’t buy into the lie that because it happened to someone else it will happen to you. To live in constant fear is to partner with the enemy leaving no room for you to enjoy God and yourself.
When anxieties about the future overwhelm you or you find yourself worried about the safety of your family, it’s time to tune-in to the voice of Truth, your Daddy God who says to you, “Don’t be afraid My child. Remain at rest. I’ll fight for you. I’ve got this.”
What you listen to matters. It enters into your soul and spirit. So amidst the tweets, news reports and Facebook opinions, choose to guard your heart by listening to what God is saying. Speak His promises over you and your family and His Word will not come back empty handed! And if you’re not sure what those promises are, just ask Him to show you! He loves that-it’s relationship!
In the meantime, you can start here. “Say this: ‘God, you’re my refuge. I trust in you and I’m safe!’ That’s right—he rescues you from hidden traps, shields you from deadly hazards. His huge outstretched arms protect you—under them you’re perfectly safe; his arms fend off all harm. Fear nothing…” (Psalm 91 MSG).
Now you can let go and breathe easy. In His big tender arms, there is always an abundance of beauty to behold, life to be lived and joy to be experienced.
Resting in His love,
Annalee Reyes
Thank you for stopping in and catching your breath. I pray you’ll leave my site relaxed; feeling a little lighter and a lot more loved! I created this blog to share the Truth about God’s passionate love for you. You. Yes, you; as if you were the only one alive. He pursues you as you are with a constant immeasurable never-ending love for one reason only; He wants and loves to be with you. So, if you have stumbled upon this site and have never accepted Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior, you can believe you are not here by accident. By simply inviting Him into your heart by praying the prayer below and accepting what He did on your behalf at the cross, you will be brought home to your Everlasting Father’s Presence.
Otherwise, go ahead and inhale a fresh breath of hope and exhale your worries. Love is waiting. Religion is leaving. Freedom has arrived.
To accept this Grace gift of Salvation you can pray this prayer:
“Father God, I believe you sent your Son to die for me and by His blood He washed my sins away and took my curse at the cross. Lord Jesus, I ask you to come into my heart and be Lord and Savior of my life. I give my life to you and believe I am now a new creation, raised in newness of life in you. I am now your spotless, dearly loved child. In Jesus name. Amen.”
Resting in His Love,
Annalee Reyes