God is Good!

My birthday was this past Tuesday, and I've never felt more loved than I did on that day! I spent the day surrounded by so many wonderful people who God has so graciously put in my life. I laughed so hard all day long! Harder than I have laughed in a long time! It was probably the best birthday I have had. :) All that to say, God is just good. He's way too good to me. I am definitely not worthy of how good he is and how good he treats me. He lavishes me with love like a princess. With joy like his bride. He is so wonderful. He brings healing to the crevices of my heart like a father bandages his daughters wounds. He holds my heart and protects it like a child protects a starfish they find on the beach. I am that precious to him. I am that worthy of love because of him. God has really been speaking to my heart a lot about how much he loves me, how much he cherishes me, and how much he fights for me and my heart.... Sometimes I fail to realize how much he fights for me, and how much I fight myself and his tugging for me to just give up. To give up fighting, give up hurting, give up longing for something more; and just BE in his presence. Just let Him take complete control of my life... I so often fail at letting him have complete control of my life, my worries, and my heart--and try to fix everything myself. What I'm realizing now, is if I just let him work in EVERY part of my life than I will be so much more joyful. Last night I decided to let go. I decided to give up holding on the comfortableness of my past hurt to protect myself from getting hurt in the future. I realized I've been holding on to the lie from satan that no goldy man will love me because of my past....But I also know that because of Jesus I am justified. I am made righteous, and there is no condemnation. My past does not hover over my head like a big dark rain cloud. I can let the brightness and the joy of the Lord shine through me because of what Jesus did on the cross for me! This is the truth I now cling to: Jesus Christ came and obeyed his Father because I am a sinner, but because he obeyed and died on the cross, I am justified and can be in the presence of the Lord. I can live without condemnation and can walk in freedom from my sin. I am no longer dead, but alive in Christ! "Consequently, just as one trespass resulted in condemnation for all people, so also one righteous act resulted in justification and life for all people. For just as through the disobedience of one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous." Romans 5:18-19