Daily Devotional

LOVING ONESELF IN THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD

October 30

hild of God, do you love yourself? “What,” you ask? “Isn’t that selfish?” Let me be very serious about this! It is not selfish. It is necessary that you come to a place where you love yourself! Do I not command you in my word, “Love thy neighbor as thyself?” (Mark 12:31) But, you protest, “I am so weak at times, and I do such foolish things, and I can’t trust myself to be faithful in spiritual matters.” My child, all these excuses indicate that you project a negative statement about yourself which truly is a form of self-judgment. This projection of self-judgment is an evil thing that you cast upon yourself. It weakens you and causes you to fall under the punishment of the scripture which says, “Judge not that ye be not judged.” (Matthew 7:1) Of course, I am not talking about arrogance or pure selfish self-love as a kind of loving of yourself. I am talking about the kind of love for yourself that allows you to say to your Father, “Lord, I hereby repent of self-rejection and self-judgment in the precious name of Jesus! I will love myself. I have been created in your holy image, and how dare I cast this evil upon your precious creation---- me!” You know that you are a precious creation. When I was forming you in your mother’s womb, I thought, “This is my beloved baby and I will delight myself in you, and I will shout when this baby is born--- shout with joy! I will command the angels to sing and rejoice when this baby is born!” I did all that when you were coming forth. Do you believe this? It is true. I think more highly of you than you can ever know or understand! Will you accept these loving words about you from your Heavenly Father? Please do, my child. I have a good future planned for you. It is not just a future here on the earth alone, but I have plans for you which stretch into eternity! You see, even if your little legs and arms were missing or crippled here on the earth, you will have a future in heaven where you will be given an eternal perfectly healthy body to enjoy forever! Even if you are less than perfect here in any way, in your future with me you will never lack for anything! Now, love yourself and get on with your life in your Father’s love.

Prayer

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Father, I have had such a hardship at times with loving myself. I truly look forward to the rest of my life loving and blessing myself with your goodness and loving acceptance. In you, I am enabled to love myself and others with the empowerment of your Holy Spirit. Father, I need some new beginnings! Help me O Lord in the precious name of Jesus, amen!