His Banner Over Me is Love

When I was little, I loved watching the Miss America Pageant.  There was just something about all the beautiful girls with the gorgeous dresses and the bigger-than-life hair that captivated me.  I especially loved the talent part of the competition and would often imagine myself singing and dancing right along side all the lovely ladies.  Oh, and the Top Ten was always sooo exciting back then.  If you were anything like me, I would always pick who I thought it should be and rant and rave when the judges weren't "right."  

I know you are wondering where in the world this is going, but trust me, I have a method in my madness.  My "madness" is not necessarily to get you thinking about beauty contests and all the pageantry that accompanies them.  Instead, my "madness" is to get you thinking about someone being identified by something.   

Every young girl in that pageant wore something around her torso that identified her with her state.  This "banner" was a very important part of her reign, because it told everyone around her who she was and what she represented.  Even when she wasn't wearing it, the essence of the banner still lingered with her.  She was who that banner said she was - at all times - regardless.  She was "Miss So-and-So."  

The banner was her identity.     

Now, let's move that concept into the spiritual realm.  Song of Solomon 2:4 says, "His banner over me is love."  To me, that's one of the coolest things I've come to understand lately.  When I was a little girl, I had no idea what the phrase meant.  I sang songs about "His banner over me being love," but never could understand it...until now. 

A banner identifies us.  It tell us who a person is.  It tells us who we are.  It explains something about someone or something that everyone needs to know in order for things to make sense.  

When I think about God's banner over me being love, I picture it this way.  Every day, I walk around with a "flag" or banner over my head that identifies me...that tells people who I am.  The banner displays four words...four powerful, life-changing words:  "I love her...God."  God's banner over me identifies me as His beloved.  It tells others (and me) that no matter who people say that I am, He loves me.  It doesn't matter if my hair is standing on end or my eyes are sagging from exhaustion.  It doesn't matter if I am at church in the middle of a prayer meeting, or somewhere else in the middle of doing something I'm not supposed to be doing, my God still looks on me and loves me.  I am, and always will continue to be, the object of His genuine, deep affection...of His love. 

You see, UNLIKE the "Miss America" banner, the banner that God places over me can never be taken away.  Period.  It will always remain.  Romans 8:38-39 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. 

Praise God that His banner over me will always be love!  I can't think of a more beautiful way to be identified!  : )

Jesus, thank You.  Thank You that You love me, You really do.  And thank You that You always will.  Remind me of that love today - of Your banner today - that can never change or be changed.  I love you, Lord.  I truly do. 

The Eyes of the Lord

I couldn't help it.  I just couldn't help it.

I'd been sitting in my bright red, Georgia stadium chair, wincing and flinching at every move - every drill - every exercise.  My poor little (almost-as-big-as-me) boy was going through torture, and I was going through it with him...just not on the field.  He was completely drenched from sweat, and yet, the coach wanted them to line up and run the drill again.  I could tell he was exhausted.  My "Momma's heart" wanted to step out on the field, pull the coach off to the side and politely say, "Don't you think they've had enough for tonight?"

If it hadn't been for the horrid pictures of "Momma's boy" popping into my mind, I might have done it.  Instead, I thought better of myself and decided to stay quiet.  I knew Alex didn't want to quit running...not just yet.  I knew he "had it in him," but I wondered if he knew.

Back and forth, his body's form crossed my line of vision, running so fast and hard his body heaved with every step.  I didn't know if he could take much more...and yet, he kept on pushing...driving to be better and stronger.

I wasn't the only one who noticed my son's effort.  The coach's billowing voice rose above all the moans and groans on the field, "I see you, Kirk!  I see you!"  And wouldn't you know it...the boy who looked as if he was on his last leg, somehow, after hearing his coach's words of encouragement, found new strength to fight harder to finish the race....to push through the exhaustion and pain that was pounding in his thighs and calves with every step.  Somehow, those words spurred my son on to greater strength...strength I don't think he knew he had.

So I couldn't help it.  I just couldn't help it.  I teared up.  Pools of salty water welled up in the corners of my eyes, and I almost lost it,  for quietly off in the distant places inside my spirit, I heard those words repeated.  Except this time, the recipient was different.  This time, the Author was different:  "I see you, Kirk.  I see you." 

II Chron. 16:9 says that the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him, (NIV).  Isn't that cool?  God's eyes roam the earth not to judge those He loves, but to strengthen those who love Him - who are devoted to Him.  That should mean something to us.  It should bring us great comfort that we're not hidden from God's sight.  He sees us.  He sees our struggles...our difficulties...our weakness...our victories.  He sees us when we think we're too tired to go on and just can't take another step.  And it's at those points where He does what only He can do.  He comes along side of us and strengthens us with His kindness.  He encourages us with the knowledge of His presence.  He spurs us on and responds to us and our situations according to His great love for us.    

Dearest Jesus, 
Thank You for your comfort.  Thank You for searching me out and fulfilling my need for encouragement today.  Thank You for strengthening my tired body and mind...for exchanging my energy for Yours.  Thanks for being such a good and gentle Father.  
I praise You, Jesus.  I praise You.   

I Shouldn't Be Alive

Once in a blue moon, the kids will watch a TV show called I Shouldn’t Be Alive.  Occasionally, I get sucked into the plot, as people endure some horrific accidents, only to emerge from the impossible situations, alive and well. 

The program lasts an hour - minus commercials.  So, in actuality, it’s probably only about 45 minutes.  But, because of its length, you can imagine the detail with which the writers go to keep the audience attentive.   They quickly draw you in by causing you to “know” the person or people involved.  You “become acquainted” with someone you’ve never met...and then something tragic occurs.  Well, of course, you’ve got to watch the rest of the show to see what happens to your new-found friend! 

There’s just something so captivating about someone being in a near-death experience and then being able to beat the odds and remain alive.  It always makes me think of how thankful these people need to be to the Lord for sparing them - for giving them one more chance to find Him.  For the most part, though, you don’t hear a lot of them talking about how God led their rescuers to find them, or how God gave them the strength to pull themselves along the desert floor, until they could reach the safety of their plane wreckage.  Most of the time, you just hear them speak of their strong desire to never give up, and their decision to fight for their lives, until the end.

Well, can I just say, as I thought about my own life the other morning, I realized their were many times that I, too, was in a life-threatening situation and lived to tell about it.  At those times, Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future,” was so very evident!  Whether it was the time our family car rolled off an embankment and tumbled into the water or the time a pack of wild dogs came to visit my brother and me in the field, there have definitely been times in my life that were very questionable as to whether or not I would survive.  Yet “Somehow,” I did - without a scratch! 

Thinking about those instances in particular, made me think of a few more times the hand of God had been evident in my early life.  I thought about God’s protection and how I could see His plan for my life at those moments - how I could picture Him saying, “Enough” or “Leave her alone,” and instantly, my circumstances obeyed His every command.

I thought long and hard about those things...and I was thankful and humbled at the thought of His preciousness towards me. 

And then, I began to think about other times - times when I didn’t emerge from my “accidents” unscathed - times when Jeremiah 29:11 didn’t look so obvious - when it seemed that everything that could have gone wrong, did.  But you know, something about remembering God’s plan in days’ past - remembering just how “in control” I had seen Him be - made me think more confidently about His plans in days’ present.  It assured me that in those hard times, His control didn’t lessen.  His protective nature wasn’t dulled towards me.  Instead, His provision remained constant and the times when He didn’t command my circumstances to “Stop,” His plan - His perfect plan - just looked a little bit different than what I expected.

Thank You, Lord, for Your plan for me - for Your saving graces on the days I knew I was in a fight for my life, and even on the days I didn’t.  Thank You for Your control over my circumstances and their obedience to Your will.  Thank You that I can trust You to see what needs to happen in my life - and in me - in order to make me more like You.  Help me, Lord, to remember Your plan...Your design for my life...when the days get hard and situations seem insurmountable.  I praise You, Lord.  Praise You, Jesus.

“For God causes all things to work together for good, for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose,”  (Romans 8:28).