I can't make people fall in love with Jesus, but I can arrange dates.” — Andy Stanley....
Meaning of dedicated (of a person) devoted to a task or purpose; having single-minded loyalty or integrity.
The word dedicated can be found 25 times in the Bible.
How does He orchestrate happenings in our lives that draw us to clues of discovering more?
This week I stumbled across a movie called Mary Magdalene. I watched the movie and the next day I discovered that March is woman’s month … hmm
Many would say that it is just a coincidence. But I have discovered that I love how He works.
Women have played such a significant role in the Bible. But when looking back with the exception of Mary the Mother of Jesus they seem to be overshadowed by the men…
Do we try to understand the roles and the significance they played in such a male-dominated world??
When I began my discovery of Mary Magdalene I knew very little about her. But I soon discovered these facts.
1. Jesus cast out 7 demons from her. Is it a coincidence that there are 7 deadly sins? (pride, envy, wrath, gluttony, lust, sloth, and greed) hmm
2. She boldly left her family to follow Jesus
3. She was a witness of the crucifixion
4. She was the first witness of the empty tomb
5. She was mentioned in all four of the Gospels
6. Her amazing story was one of darkness and torment until Jesus freed her from the bondage that raged within her soul…
I do not want to take away from the important facts, but what impressed me the most, was not only her loyalty to her Savior … But beyond that was her deep love for Him…
I believe she felt she owed Him her renewed life…
She must have felt spiritual, emotional, and physical death when He was taken from our world.… Losing the one who freed her.. the one who brought light into her dark world… It must have crushed her heart and made her soul bleed…
But the “good news” was she was the first one to lay eyes on Him at His resurrection. She was the first witness… She was set apart. She was chosen.
It was a woman that He appeared to first. It was a woman that He trusted with such monumental news. It was a woman that He trusted to share His amazing legacy of love and life beyond death to the world.
She had such an unwavering trust, deep love, and gratitude for Him. She did not just love Him. But I believe she indeed fell in love with Him… It has been written that there may have been a physical attraction to Jesus.
But a physical attraction is not necessary to fall in love with our Creator…It’s a much deeper love, it comes from a deep place within our soul...
As I traveled on this journey I have been blessed to discover a few souls that carry this type of love for Him. It transcends time, space, and human understanding … It’s a spiritual gift from Him… and Him alone.
I believe we get confused when we try to dissect this love… The hows and whys, the “scientific” result from testing.
When speaking of the possibilities of Heaven, eternity, and the spiritual realms we will never fully understand. It contains such vastness and depth, just how do we wrap our human mind around it?
That is why we must open our hearts and trust Him and love Him with the innocence of a child….
It’s Him… He WOWs me.
I urge you…
Love Him like Mary… love Him with that type of dedication… with that type of depth… fall in love with His soul… take your love to the next level… Don’t keep your love for Him restrained to what our world has deemed as acceptable… Set your love free… Just as He freed Mary…
I have discovered when dealing with Him there is always MORE!!!
Jesus replied: “ Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ Matthew 22:37
“Learn this well: Unless you dramatically change your way of thinking and become teachable like a little child, you will never be able to enter in Matthew 18:3 TPT
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy, he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead 1Peter 1:3
Photography & Written by Lori Garner
Bible collaboration - Joann Turnbull
inspiring Music by (youtube)
Falling In Love - Phil Wickham (Lyrics)
