Another timely guest blog from Laci – may you receive a greater measure of love today!

“See what an incredible quality of love the Father has shown to us, that we would be named and called and counted the children of God! And so we are! For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.” – 1 John 3:1 (AMP)

My word for 2024 is beloved. And although this word is my word, Jesus has already shown me this year how much the people around me need to be reminded that they are His beloved as well. My friends and family around me have already experienced so much pain and suffering in this new year, and it hurts my heart to see them suffering. I have already begun to make it a priority of mine this year to comfort those close to me and be there for them because so many are suffering in this new year. So far, it seems that perhaps my word is for them as much as it is for me. The reason I chose the word ‘beloved’ for 2024 is simply because I needed to go back to this simple reminder—I am loved by God. 

He calls me His beloved daughter, and He is with me always. I consider myself to be a very empathetic, compassionate person, and it is easy for me to love others. However, it is not easy for me to allow others to love me and be there for me, because I struggle to believe I am worthy to be loved by others. Recently, when listening to what Jesus is saying to me, I have repeatedly heard this phrase—’Let Me love you.’ This phrase is so accurate for me in this season. I’ve done a good job of loving those around me, and now I need to let Jesus love me and let Him show up for me so that He can do good work in my life. But I have to let Him. I need to give Him permission to do His good work. And so this year, I’ve decided that I need to remind myself that I am His beloved.

I recently discovered a beautiful song that is so on theme with my word, as it is titled ‘Belovedness’. It was written by Sarah Kroger, and these lyrics just stop me in my tracks every time:

“He says, ‘You’re mine, I smiled when I made you. I find you beautiful in every way. My love for you is fierce and unending. I’ll come to find you, whatever it takes. My beloved…’”

Later on in the song, it says:

“You’ve owned the mess you see in the mirror. You’ve owned the lies that you’re just not enough. You’ve been so blinded by all you’re comparing. It’s time to own your belovedness.”

And so in 2024, I am holding on to the truths in this song and the truths in God’s word. I am His beloved, fully loved and fully known. And I believe the truths found in this song and in Jesus’s words are for so many others as well, not just me. I believe many of us are struggling right now in 2024. Struggling to see that we are worthy of His love, struggling to understand why things are unfolding the way they are, why we feel a certain way. But Jesus loves you deeply. We are counted as His children, which is a greater honor than we are worthy of. This reminds me of the parable of the prodigal son, found in Luke 15:11-32, and I am going to include it here so we get the full story:

“Jesus continued: There was a man who had two sons. The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them. Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything. When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ So he got up and went to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate. Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. ‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’ The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’ ‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’”

This is one of my favorite parables for so many reasons, but with my word being beloved this year, it seems to really stand out even more to me. As I mentioned before this, we are counted as children of the Most High King, which is an even greater honor than we could ever be worthy of. In this parable, the man’s younger son went out and sinfully squandered His inheritance money, given to him by his father ahead of time. In the time that this parable would have taken place, inheritance money is the money left to children by their father when he passed away. Taking his inheritance before his father’s passing was a great dishonor in Jewish culture, and by doing so, the son essentially wished his father was dead. By taking his inheritance before his father was gone, he was also rejecting his father and his place in the family lineage. Not only did the son dishonor his family by taking his inheritance, but he spent it in sinful ways. Essentially, the son was not worthy to be a part of the family any longer after what he did. He sinned and rejected his father. And yet, as soon as his father saw him coming down the road, he ran (also not customary for that time and culture) to his son, embraced him, and threw a huge feast to celebrate the return of his son. The son wasn’t worthy to be called ‘son’ any longer, but his father welcomed him home, calling him son and celebrating his return. In the same way, we are not worthy to be called sons and daughters of Jesus, the Most High King. We are sinners, living in a fallen world, and we have all done things that make us unworthy to be welcome in His family. But He leaves the 99 to run after the 1 who has stranded away. The lost sheep parable is another absolute favorite of mine. It reads:

“Then Jesus told them this parable: Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep. I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.” – Luke 15:3-7

When He finds the one lost sheep, He “joyfully puts it on His shoulders and goes home”. What a beautiful thing it is that we get to be a part of His family. Ephesians 1:5 (AMP) beautifully describes our place in God’s family when it says:

“He predestined and lovingly planned for us to be adopted to Himself as [His own] children through Jesus Christ, in accordance with the kind intention and good pleasure of His will…”

We are dearly beloved children of Christ, and it was by no accident, as this verse affirms. “He predestined and lovingly planned” our place in his family. This year, I hope you hold tightly to these truths. You are loved unconditionally by Jesus. Don’t ever be convinced otherwise.

“This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and His love is made complete in us.” – 1 John 4:10-12 (NIV)

Further Encouragement:

• Ephesians 1:3-14
• Romans 8
• Hebrews 12
• 1 John 5

Songs I’m Loving:

• “Belovedness” by Sarah Kroger
• “I Am Your Beloved” by Bethel Music, Jonathan David Helser & Melissa Helser
• “Pieces” by Bethel Music & Steffany Gretzinger
• “Been So Good” by Elevation Worship & Tiffany Hudson
• “Why” by ELEVATION RHYTHM
• “Surrendered” by ONE HOUSE WORSHIP, Amanda Cook & Mitch Wong
• “Psalm 23” by Phil Wickham & Tiffany Hudson
• “Nothing to Buy” by Rita Springer & kalley