February 21, 2023
The Manufacturer’s Guarantee
Mary Southerland
Today’s Truth
Know that the Lord is God. He made us, and we belong to Him; we are His people, the sheep He tends (Psalm 100:3 NCV).
Friend to Friend
In the early days of the automobile, a man's Model - T Ford stalled in the middle of the road. No matter what he tried, he couldn't get it started. A chauffeured limousine pulled up behind the stalled car and a wiry, energetic man stepped from the back seat to offer his assistance.
After tinkering with the engine for a few moments, the stranger said, "Now try it!" Immediately, the engine leaped to life. The well-dressed man then identified himself as Henry Ford. "I designed and built these cars," he said, "So I know what to do when something goes wrong."
When our lives are broken, when the plan falls apart and everything goes wrong, we need to wait on God to show up, knowing He created us, that He knows us best and loves us most. We are chosen … and He knows exactly what to do when things go wrong.
You and I were created as a living, fleshed out depiction of God’s love. We can celebrate the precious truth of Psalm 139:14-16 (NCV) that says, “I praise you because you made me in an amazing and wonderful way. What you have done is wonderful. I know this very well. You saw my bones being formed as I took shape in my mother's body. When I was put together there, you saw my body as it was formed. All the days planned for me were written in your book before I was one day old.”
Think about it! God supervised our formation. We were created in love - for love - and with a specific and holy purpose in mind. Wow!
We can rejoice with the Psalmist who wrote, “Know that the Lord is God. He made us, and we belong to Him; we are His people, the sheep He tends” (Psalm 100:3 NCV).
Many women buy into the lie that we are little more than puppets in the hands of God; that He created us as tools for His personal use or slaves to do His bidding and carry out His plan. In this verse, “Lord” literally means “Father” or “dearest Daddy,” indicating an intimate relationship between a loving Father and His child.
God undoubtedly has plans for us, but we misunderstand the character and heart of God when we assume those plans serve as a punishment or penalty for not being good enough. The best plan, the highest plan for our life rests in the hands of the One who created us and loves us most.
We are all desperate to be loved and to love. We innately search for significance and are created with the powerful need to belong.
We pursue worth in worthless places.
We demand validation from invalid sources.
It is only through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ that we can truly experience authentic love, a love that displaces thoughts of rejection and banishes feelings of abandonment. It is in this priceless gift that we comprehend the amazing truth that even if we were never wanted or planned by human heart and mind, we were planned and wanted in the heart and mind of God! And that, dear friend, is enough!
“For God so loved the world, that He gave His one and only son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16 NIV).
Let’s Pray
Father, I thank You for loving me just as I am. Right now, I accept Your love as the priceless gift it is. Teach me to understand the truth that my worth and value rest in You alone – not in the eyes of man. Today, I choose to step out in faith to become the woman You created me to be. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
Now It’s Your Turn
Do you struggle to believe that you are loved and known by God? Have you ever battled the darkness because of the lies Satan feeds you? Read Psalm 40:1-3 and claim every promise God gives you.
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© 2023 by Mary Southerland. All rights reserved.
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Originally published Tuesday, 21 February 2023.
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