Unreserved Devotion—

Have you ever done something or gone somewhere that required you make arrangements long in advance? Maybe you went on a trip or dined in a fine restaurant? Perhaps you went somewhere that was a famous location and had to wait for your turn to get a glimpse of what made the place so special? You get the idea. You put your name in, so to speak.

You had to have a reservation.

I remember very early in my marriage my husband bought me tickets to go to San Francisco and watch the musical Phantom of the Opera. The tickets were a Christmas gift, but the tickets were for a showing spring of the following year. He had to purchase the tickets more than six months in advance to get the quality seating he desired. They were such good seats! You could see the orchestra pit and the sweat fly off of the actors on the stage. We were so close! (But not too close. Perfect seats) I loved that trip.

I’m not completely sure where I am going with this other than I woke this evening from a sound sleep and heard the words,

“unreserved”.

I immediately thought of my Heavenly Father and how He feels about me. He never holds back. We are the ones who fail to truly let him in. The more I have gotten acquainted with my Maker over the years the more I have come to know His heart more intimately with mine. It can be scary to allow people into our heart. I find most people actually don’t do that very well—myself included. But when we let God in He covers our heart chamber with His protective care and we suddenly become aware that we are in a safe place. He really does care and it is special and unique and we can feel it—down deep.

Do you struggle to “feel”? Is it difficult to let people into your life, your heart, your world? Do you appreciate people, but find you don’t miss them all that much when you are not with them? Even the people you feel you should miss? You may even have varying degrees of this experience with different seasons or people. If this describes you, then this word is for you.

There is nothing wrong with you.

You know how science has shown that we have a mind capable of so much yet most people only use a few perfect of its capability? The same is true for human emotional intellect. Your emotional quotient is a type of intelligence. Some have a higher EQ than others, just like an IQ. Again, nothing wrong with that. But here is what I know. People who have a high EQ I think are subject to fitting into the category of questions I listed above. Because they naturally feel and experience the power of love and human emotion more deeply, from birth, they are the most vulnerable to damage. If the young life doesn’t receive enough of what it needs the EQ becomes buried so to speak. Now, I can’t prove any of this scientifically. I am taking bits of my education in human cognition and development and combining it with what I know of God’s Love and my own experience. I’ve also seen it in others. Because we feel deep we learn at a young age to protect our heart. It’s like we overprotect it (and maybe that’s what was necessary by our environment or experience) and in the process we become emotionally numb. It becomes harder to feel and experience deep love or connection.

But the tender finger of God works like a shoot and burrows a root and grows in the hearts chamber. It may be scary, but we begin to experience and feel and sometimes this is very painful, but it is also a necessary component to the process of inner healing. Emotional health is such a vital part of overall health.

Here is what I am sure of. No matter if I am describing you, someone close to you or you have no clue what I am talking about...God is love. His love is whole and complete and designed to swallow up every ounce of your pain. Every painful memory. Painful experience. Painful circumstance. He hung himself with unreserved devotion to a Cross. He nailed it there—all your misery, hurt, fear, regret, sadness. All of it. Whatever plagues your heart and soul and keeps you from experiencing more. He took it. We must simply let go of our hold. We simply must learn to let go and instead of holding back we must hold on to the one who loved so big He endured it all.

God is love.
He loves you.
He loves you.
He loves you.
He loves you big.
He loves you strong.
He loves you all day and all night long.
He loves you through the shadowy seasons of soul and he loves you when your life is going all right—brilliant with sunshine.

He loves you.

Don’t hold back. Release. Once you have let him in you will realize what an enormously faithful friend you have in Jesus.

“I have seen you in the sanctuary
and beheld your power and your glory.
Because your love is better than life,
my lips will glorify you.”
Psalm 63:2-3

“Lord. We come to you with unreserved devotion. Forgive us for our reserve. Forgive us for holding back, even when we don’t know we are doing it. Come in. Enter my heart more deeply. I want to know you more. I desire deeper encounters with the Holy Spirit. I am not afraid. I do not want to be afraid because where your love is, all fear is cast out. So enter in. Today’s the day I want to know your heart more deeply. No more veils. Like a Bride on her wedding day, pull back the drapes that conceal our face. Kiss our life with your goodness, full and bright with Light. Illuminate as only you can do—the areas of our heart we have been protecting from you. Amen.”

I am praying that this word impact your heart in a Tender and loving way. God sees your big heart...it matches His.
It’s time to go to the Next Level in your personal relationship with Him!

I hear God’s arms are strong—
they are also strong enough to lift your load and long enough to fulfill your task.

You are never out of reach.
He is only a heartbeat away.

“The Lord reigns, he is robed in majesty; the Lord is robed in majesty and armed with strength” Psa. 93:1

~Nicole