Daughters of Great Worth -

I vault between wanting to write/talk/preach about this topic and feeling unqualified. 

However, I feel like that's exactly why I need to write this. For me. For you. 

For why I tell myself I'm unqualified. 

This morning I got a message from one of my best friends (hey there).

Her message went something like this (minus all the details): 

"It's super easy for me to believe the lie that I can lose God's love....and to feel worthless."

I dropped everything I was doing to text her back immediately: 

"Babe. You are of great worth. 

The King of the whole world looks at you with pride and calls you Beloved. Daughter.

Equal to Jesus. Higher than angels. With an inheritance that cannot be shifted by sins or weak faith.

{an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in Heaven for you." (1 Peter 1:4)}

His love for you will never run dry. His mercy upon you will never be revoked. 

His plans for you can never be ruined. His glory through you will only shine brighter until you SEE Him face to face." 

... and then I started crying. 

*images by Shannon Ashley Photography*

These past 3 months I've felt the most worthless in my entire life.
I can't tell you how many times I've texted the word "worthless" to my friends in tears.
There have been days I've stared in the mirror and told my reflection:
 "You are NOT worthless. You have great worth in the Father's eyes." 

And the truth is, I've had to stare down my own gaze that tries to contradict me in that moment. 

Ohhh, Satan is so so good at it. He tells us that Jesus won't love us anymore. He won't want us.

If one person walked away, what's keeping Jesus from doing the same?
He knows more than anyone else. He knows our sins more than anyone else. 

Surely I'm the exception of all that the Bible says about mercy and grace. 

I can clearly see I'm not enough. Not good enough. Not perfect enough. Not true enough. 

Not faithful enough. Not obedient enough. Not beautiful enough. Not enough for that kind of love. 

Listen up. There is a place where your gaze should rest and it is not upon yourself. 

It is the cross. 

You cannot stare down the cross and see worthlessness. 

You will only see LOVE COME DOWN. Love slain for you.
 When your Jesus took your sins away from you. 

Satan would love to take your eyes off the cross and put them on you and how you'll never be enough. 

PRAISE GOD YOU AREN'T, CHILD. 

There is only One who is worthy to hold the title of Savior, and it isn't you. It's Jesus. 

He won it in a way you could NEVER attain. Your sins are paid for. Your crown made by gold you could never acquire.
Your inheritance bought with a sacrifice you could never make. 

Only Holy can pardon Holy. Only Holy can redeem a people. Only Holy can bring the dead to life.

Baby crying in a manger. Angels singing. Throngs rejoicing. Multitudes in awe. 

Blood running down wood, nails piercing hands and feet, and thorns pushed upon a brow. 

Only Jesus could say: "It is finished." 

"You can trust a God who is not only sovereign but BLEEDS for you." - Don Carson 

No one can take from you what Jesus has given to you: a place with Him at the table.

Not serving with eyes downcast. Not beggars at the door. Not the dogs eating crumbs underneath. 

Beside Him. His Beloved Bride. His chosen one. His Daughter. His Pearl of great price.  

Beside Jesus at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. His gaze resting lovingly upon you. 

You cannot be worthless under the radiance of such a love.
You cannot be left out with His name emblazoned upon your forehead.
You cannot be forgotten outside the gates. You cannot be cast out of His family.
You cannot be erased from where He has etched you on His heart, written you in the Lamb's book of life.
You cannot be unworthy anymore, because Jesus calls you HIS. 

Once cowering in shame underneath our sin cloak....now we run triumphantly to Jesus:

His righteousness our own white robe, His death our death, His life our life, His worth our worth. 

Do not seek any other worth, for this alone is PRICELESS and will NEVER DIM through Eternity.

"Grace is God's REFUSAL to allow us to define ourselves or to have the last word." - Michael Horton

He loves us, oh, He loves us so. 

"Dost thou think, O Christian, that thou canst measure the love of Christ?

The riches of His goodness are unsearchable." - C.H. Spurgeon 

Hold your head high, today and every day, the crown you wear isn't your own. 

It does not bow to Satan's lies. It doesn't slip off when you sin again and again. It doesn't tarnish with sin.

You are wearing a crown bought by the Holy King, and He placed it there upon your head, 

Beloved Daughter of the High King, Bride of great worth, so you may shine radiantly for His glory. 

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing 

in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, 

that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons 

by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, 

by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.

In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace 
which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, having made known to us the mystery of His will,
 according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times 
He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth - in Him. 

In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him 
who works all things according to the counsel of His will, that we who first trusted in Christ 
should be to the praise of His glory.

- Ephesians 1:3-12 -

Preach it to your heart. He loves you so. 

- JM -