Life of the Belovedنموونە

Life of the Beloved

Think of your life as a pilgrimage through time.

From the moment you were born until the day you exhale your final breath, God is and will continue to pursue an intimate, interactive relationship with you. Daily, He knocks at the door of your heart, inviting you to walk hand in hand with Him through this life. You were created in His image as a unique work of art, unlike anyone else who has ever lived. In you, He placed a deep longing, a void that can only be filled by Him.

On the sixth day of the creation account, we read that "God created humankind in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them." (See Genesis 1:27 NRSV)

Psalms 139:13-14 NRSV reminds us that we are "fearfully and wonderfully made" by a loving God, who "formed our inward parts" and "knit us together in our mother's womb."

And the Apostle Paul, writing to the church at Ephesus, declares, "For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life." (See Ephesians‬ ‭2‬:‭10 NRSV)

Friend, today, in this very moment in time, how are you and God?

Perhaps you believe in God but are not sure what to make of Jesus and His life, death, and resurrection. Maybe you are a follower of Jesus but struggle to incorporate His teachings into your everyday life. Or is it possible that the trials of this life have beaten you down, leaving you with a permanent cloud of doubt hanging over your head?

Regardless of your current relationship with God, these truths about God are unshakeable, forming a solid foundation on which you and I can build our lives. Scripture repeatedly paints a picture of God's love for humankind and His desire to know and be known by every person who has ever walked the earth.

This reading plan will explore four fundamental truths about who God is and who we are as His beloved children. In Him, we are chosen, blessed, broken, and given.

Today, as you go, consider the picture of God that has been imprinted on your heart. How might what you believe about Him and how you think He sees you be impacting the person you are becoming?