God’s Banner Over You is Love
In this series on healing, we are identifying the lies that women in abuse may believe about God and replacing them with the Truth that sets us free. Today, Valentine’s Day, the Truth is that we are loved through and through by an amazing God.
Lie: I am unloved and unlovable
Truth: God’s Banner Over You is Love, He Delights in You, He rejoices over you, He sings songs over you! He is crazy about you!
Women in abusive marriages and relationships feel unloved and unlovable, primarily because their husbands or partners have told them so many times, that they eventually believe the lie. Sadly, women who believe this let the voice of their abuser – the lying voice of the Enemy – drown out the voice of God and of the many good people who cherish them.
The Truth is that women in abusive marriages have some of the biggest hearts on the planet and are dearly loved by God and adored by nearly everyone – except their abusers. Women in abusive relationships are not only loved and lovable, they are quite loving too. They are generous of spirit, and are giving and kind almost to a fault. It is high time we replace the voice of the Enemy and let the thundering voice of the Almighty fill our hearts with His comfort.
Imagine a new daddy cradling his infant daughter, cooing over her, singing soothing lullabies to her, looking into her face, marveling at her tiny hands and star struck at how exquisitely her little eyes shine in the soft glow of the nursery. She hasn’t even done anything yet – she’s not a star athlete or a straight A student or a music prodigy – but he is head-over-heels in love with her. Just because she is his little girl. He is just giddy with delight. Over her crib, he has hung a big sign that looks like a pink ribbon that says, “Daddy loves you.” The sign will stay there in her room – even after she has moved away and started a family of her own – as a constant reminder that Daddy loved her first, last, and always. And if his little girl is ever in danger, he will break down any doors, go to any lengths, fight any bad guys, and travel to the ends of the earth to make sure that she comes home safely.
This is how our Heavenly Father feels about his daughters. He adores us, he delights in us, he rescues us, he sings songs over us, his banner over us is “Daddy loves you,” not for anything we have done, but because we are His. Like all proud papas, he is beaming saying, “That’s my girl!! Isn’t she something! I was showing off when I made that one!” God’s crazy about us! And His love heals.
Let His voice be the one you hear above all the others.
Dear one, you are loved.
His banner over me is love. Song of Songs 2:4.
Do not fear, Zion, let not your hands be weak. The LORD your God in your midst, The Mighty One, will save. He will rejoice over you with gladness. [He will take great delight in you. NIV] He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing. [He will renew you in His love. NSRV] Zephaniah 3:16-17 NKJV
See what great love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are. 1 John 3:1
Prayer: Heavenly Father, I don’t always feel loved. Remind me of your love for me. Take me in your big strong arms and tenderly speak to my heart. Let me hear the lullabies you sing over me, let me feel your smile that says you delight in me. Remind me that you call me your daughter and that over my bed hangs a banner that reaches to the heavens saying, “Daddy loves you.”
