Day 1: All You Need Is Love

You see the CHOCOLATE.

You know it is FILLED with something,

yet the something is

hidden inside.

What would you do?

Would you take a bite without knowing?

I wouldn't it.

Every VALENTINES day my dad would give me my own

HEART shaped box,

filled with the different chocolates.

Since I didn't want to take a chance

and bite into one that had peanut butter (as not my favorite),

I would squeeze them all first to see to what was inside.

And if I thought it was safe to bite,

I would.

If I liked it, I would finish it.

If didn't, I would put it back.

And I could do it.

Because this box was MINE.

Eventually,

my box would be filled with

squeezed and half bitten

chocolates.

An ugly site, but I could do what I wanted to do,

because they were MINE.

Oh what control I had.

But this doesn't work in LIFE.

You don't get to squeeze things first

to see if you are going to like what will happen,

before you experience it.

Forest Gump said it best~

"LIFE IS LIKE A BOX OF CHOCOLATES,

YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO GET".

So what do you do when your

 LIFE gives you something

that you don't like.

Do you put in a box

and close the lid and FORGET about it.

But closing the lid doesn't make your HEART stop beating,

for a

 BROKEN HEART remains BROKEN

if it is kept hidden.

But what if GOD then hands you a

 HEART shaped box,

with the WORDS

" I LOVE YOU"

engraved on it.

And it is hand signed in gold with

LOVE JESUS.

You take off the lid

and you see the chocolates,

but you KNOW what is in each one them,

for there is a WORD written on each one.

You start to salivate.

You take a bite of the first one.

And then PEACE overwhelms you.

And then you bite another one.

And then HOPE fills your spirit.

And then another.

And then another.

And before you know it

the box is empty

and you are so FULL,

yet not a feeling fat kind of FULL,

but a FULL

that makes you forget about the other

HEART box

with all your BROKENNESS that is under the lid.

Because JESUS does

HEAL THE BROKENHEARTED.

But then it happens again.

LIFE happens.

And it hurts.

You want another piece of JESUS,

but you ate all the chocolates in HIS box

But you open the lid one more time.

And you can't believe your eyes.

The box is FULL. 

And there they are once again.

Each beautiful piece of chocolate

with the WORDS written on them.

You reach for the piece that

has

HEALING on it.

You take the first bite

and then gobble it all down.

PEACE returns to your HEART.

And you don't want close the lid yet,

because you see the piece with

FORGIVENESS written on it.

Oh this is the one your HEART really needs.

You lift it up to your lips

and then take the first bite.

And it happens again.

PEACE FILLS your HEART.

And your HEART is FULL once again.

You close the lid.

You notice that there is a card attached to the

HEART

with your name on it.

You begin to read it,

“The Spirit of the LORD is upon ME (the Messiah),

Because HE has anointed ME to preach the good news to

you, ___________*(put your name).

HE has sent ME to announce release (pardon, forgiveness) to you, ______________*.

And recovery of sight to you, ____________*.

To set free you, ______________*

when you are oppressed (downtrodden, bruised, crushed by tragedy).

Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing and in your presence, ___________*.

Now taste and see, _____________*, that the LORD is good.

 (Luke 4:17-19,21; Psalm 34:8).

You are overwhelmed with TRUTH. 

HIS PEACE never dries.

So

Forest Gump

GOD'S LOVE IS LIKE A BOX OF CHOCOLATES,

FOR YOU ALWAYS KNOW WHAT YOU ARE GOING TO GET

WHEN YOU EAT HIS WORD

for when you eat from HIM

you will never be disappointed

because GOD always delivers on HIS PROMISES~

"And my GOD will meet all your needs according

to the riches of HIS glory in CHRIST JESUS" (Philippians 4:19).

Today is the first day of our

FAST.

And it begins with you,

What BOX are you eating from

that is filled with half bitten squeeze ugly chocolates,

because you keep eating from the same box expecting different results?

Is it a person who you keep going to get your HEART needs meet,

 yet keep ending up UN~fulfilled?

Is is a thing, that you do

to silent the BROKEN HEART BEATS of your heart,

 yet just numb them temporarily?

Is it a place where you run and hide

 so that

 you don't have to deal with what you need to deal with?

Well today is the day you say

 NO MORE

and FAST from going to

________________,

and lose that stubborn pound

of

 UNMET NEEDS

by

eating of

JESUS

first

by ust asking

HIM~

"JESUS I, _________*, NEED YOU"

(listen to the song below)