Until His Love Overwhelms You

All of our attempts to live a Godly life will continue to frustrate and fail us until his love overwhelms us. When you know how deeply loved you are by God you will go on a journey that will continue to open your eyes to the lies you tell yourself and the truths of God we have a hard time believing.

Sara and I just finished reading together The Deepest Well by Dr. Nadine Burke Harris, a great encouragement to the medical profession to take Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) into account as they assess the health care options available to their patients. A surgeon friend of mine recommended it, as he is now using ACE assessment in his cardiology practice and finding it illuminating.

So, now it was time to select another book and Sara wanted me to read He Loves Me to her. I love this book, and its companion devotional Live, Loved, Free Full. This is the most significant message I put into the world, learning to live each day inside the Father’s affection. So, as we work through the book, I might be sharing some of my favorite quotes from time to time. Here is an excerpt I love from the Introduction to the Third Edition:

What the Father showed us in the gift of his Son is that he was unwilling to settle for the indentured servitude of fearful slaves. He preferred instead the intimate affection of sons and daughters. He knew love would take us deeper into his life than fearful obligation ever would. It would teach us more truth, free us from our selfishness and failures, and make us fruitful in the world.

Since I published this book, I’ve heard from hundreds of people who have told me that God used it to transform their own journeys as well. Many told me that I had put into words something they knew deep inside was already true, but they were afraid to believe it. Others have said it completely redefined the life of Christ for them and sent them on an amazing journey mining the depths of that love and affection.

I hope you, too, come to the end of these pages convinced that he loves you with a deep and unrelenting affection. Nothing fulfills his purpose more than when his love overwhelms you, then transforms you, and then leads you through the rest of your life as a reflection of his glory in the earth.

— He Loves Me! Learning to Live in the Father’s Affection by Wayne Jacobsen

I know we can’t control when that “overwhelming” takes place, where the gravity of his affection becomes more believable than the fears and anxieties that constantly assail us. It is Jesus’s job to lead us into our awareness of the Father’s affection and there is nothing more beautiful. All he asks of us is a ready and receptive heart, open to him as he begins to reveal the path he wants to lead us down He is the Way, remember. We cannot do this ourselves only learn to relax into his reality.

He wants nothing more for you. I you don’t know it yet, just keep coming to him and leaning into his heart. That will provide a fertile place for the seeds of his love and the beauty of his wisdom to take root in you. It takes time, sometimes years, so don’t be discouraged if he seems elusive. He never is, but the distractions of this age can make it seem so.

And if you want to connect with me this weekend, I am holding two Zoom opportunities:

Someone asked me this week to consider a Zoom book study through He Loves Me, and I may well do that when we finish the Jake Colsen Book Club. We will hold the next discussion of  So You Don’t Want to Go to Church Anymore on Saturday, February 4, at 1:30 pm. We are going to talk about Chapter 8: Unplayable Lies, where we’ll explore how God wants to lead us out of the hard places some of our choices have put us in and, while doing so, teach us how to trust him and his wisdom. You can email me if you’d like a link for that. Anyone can join in; we only ask that you re-read that chapter so it’s fresh in your mind. You can also listen live (or afterward) as we stream it on my Wayne Jacobsen Author Page on Facebook.

And, there’s still some room in our Sunday conversation for those Wrestling with Trauma or those who love someone who is. We will gather on Zoom this Sunday, February 5, at 11:00 am PST. If you’d like to join us this week, please email me for the Zoom link. We’ll be limiting it to the first twelve who request a link, but don’t worry; we will schedule more such times. These are not teaching sessions, nor will they build on each other. Each will be a conversation to serve those who join us and help encourage them to the Way Jesus wants to lead them through the pain of trauma into his increasing freedom. These conversations are not streamed live or recorded. They are for the personal benefit of those who can join us.