God Loves Clara Joy

A family in our church celebrated the birth of their second child yesterday. Nine months and one day of excited anticipation ended in great joy. The parents knew their baby was a girl before she was born. They had pictures of her from the ultrasound and now they have Clara Joy in their arms. Her parents will marvel at her first words, first steps and first firsts of all kinds of things. As Clara Joy gets older they will discover her favorite colors, the things that make her giggle and what she is passionate about.

God already knows all those things about Clara Joy. God has seen her before she was ever an image on an ultrasound; even before she was a positive result on a pregnancy test.

Psalms 139:13-16
For You created my inmost being;
    You knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
    Your works are wonderful,
    I know that full well.
15 My frame was not hidden from You
    when I was made in the secret place.
When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,
16     Your eyes saw my unformed body.
All the days ordained for me
    were written in Your book
    before one of them came to be.

God knows when Clara Joy will get her first skinned knee. He knows if she will like baiting her own hook or if she will play ice hockey. God knows what her greatest joy in life will be and what will be the greatest wound in her life. God has already decided when He will step into her life in bold and dramatic ways protecting, providing and bringing healing to her life. He has already decided when He will allow the corruptness of the world to injure her and when He will allow her free choices to go in directions that take her further from His side. And when God’s love allows pain into Clara Joy’s life, God’s heart will break even deeper than her parents’ hearts.

God has destiny and purpose for Clara Joy. He has plans to prosper her and to bring her joy.  God will always be available to Clara Joy whenever she pursues Him with passion.

Jeremiah 29:11-13
For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12 Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek Me and find me when you seek Me with all your heart.

Everything that God has for Clara Joy, He also has for you.

Take a minute to re-read this blog and after the first paragraph say your “name”, “I”, “me” or “my” wherever you read Clara Joy’s name or reference to her.
How does this affect  your day?

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