I am worthy!  These  are the words I heard during my quiet time this beautiful Sunday morning and these are the words I choose to affirm over myself.  I am worthy!

I am worthy not because I have done anything so great or magnificent.   I am worthy because of God’s unconditional love for me.  I am worthy because of His grace and mercy towards me. I am worthy because He created me; He fearfully and wonderfully made me.

I am drawn to the scripture of the adulteress woman.  In the scriptures, her accusers forced her to stand before Jesus because of her part in adultery. She had to stand alone before Jesus accused of actions that required more than one person to commit.  Her accusers really wanted to see how Jesus would respond.  However, Jesus did not respond the way in which the accusers thought He would.  John 8:7-11 (NIV) says “When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.”  Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.   At this, those who heard began to go away one at a  time, the older ones first until only Jesus was  left with the woman still standing there.  Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they?  Has no one condemned you?” She replied “No one, sir.” Then neither do I condemn you, Jesus declared.  Go now and leave your life of sin.”

I can’t begin to imagine how she must have felt after Jesus said that to her.  Did she run away in a hurry or did she back away slowly?  Did she even say thank you?  I am thinking she might have been saying “what in the world just happened back there?” What happened was that Jesus spared her life in front of all her accusers and He showed her love and compassion.   I wonder how long it took for her to realize how much He loved her.  When did she realize that she was worthy? In spite of her actions and in spite of her accusers, when did she realize her worthiness?

Your poor decisions and failures have a way of making you feel as if you don’t deserve God’s love.  The way others treat and talk about you will also make you feel as if you don’t deserve His love.  You may pull away from God because of your shame.  Or on the flip side, as you try to draw closer to Him, you may continue to  feel as if you are not worthy.   James 4:8 (NIV) says in part, “come near to God and he will come near to you.”  Then verse 10 says “humble yourself before the Lord,  and he will lift you up.”  To me, in these scriptures, God is saying  no matter what you have done, no matter the shame and guilt you feel, draw closer to Me because I love you and  you are worthy.  You are worthy of My love and you are worthy of My forgiveness.

Will you join me in this affirmation of “I am worthy” ?  Say to yourself  “I am worthy!  I am worthy! I am worthy!”  I encourage you to speak these words over yourself.  I encourage you to believe  you are worthy.  You are worthy of God’s love and all the blessings He has already given you and all the blessings He has in store for you.

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Dear Lord,  thank You for loving me even when I find it hard to love myself.  Thank You for showing me how precious I am in Your sight.  Forgive me of my sins and help me to release the shame and guilt.  Help me to speak and walk in the authority that I am worthy because of You!  In Jesus’ name I affirm that “I am worthy!”   Amen!