But now, O Child, listen to the Lord who created you.
O Child, the one who formed you says,
“Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you.
I have called you by name; you are mine.
When you go through deep waters,
I will be with you.
When you go through rivers of difficulty,
you will not drown.
When you walk through the fire of oppression,
you will not be burned up;
the flames will not consume you.
For I am the Lord, your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.
I gave Jesus as a ransom for your freedom;
I traded his life for yours
because you are precious to me.
You are honored, and I love you.
“Do not be afraid, for I am with you.
I will gather you and your children from east and west. (Isaiah 43:1-5 NLT, alt.)
“I want you to love yourself—to be absolutely crazy about the you I created. I want you to look in the mirror, see all of the flaws and imperfections, and love yourself anyway. I want you to learn to laugh about your quirks instead of being embarrassed by them and to feel comfortable in your own skin and to remember that it is the home I have chosen for my Holy Spirit. I want you to truly enjoy the person I am perfecting in you.
“Until you have fully embraced my love for you and actually believe that I think you’re amazing, you won’t be able to love yourself—not to mention you won’t be able to love others correctly. So first, let the reality of my unrelenting, unstoppable love for you seep in. Lose yourself fully in this awareness. Then, if for no other reason, love yourself because I do. Honor me in this way. Stop being so hard on yourself. If there are changes to be made, we’ll make them together. But first, believe you deserve to be happy, healthy, and whole. Take care of yourself. Let my love for you, combined with your love for yourself, lead you on a journey of wholeness.”*
God,
Help us to see ourselves through your eyes and to accept the love you have for us, we pray in Jesus’s name. AMEN.
*I Hear His Whisper written by Brian Simmons and Gretchen Rodriguez