In my daily journal, I was reading Psalm 128. Such a beautiful Psalm of hope, promise, and love.

As I wrote, I could feel joy rising up in my heart, and I couldn’t help but end my writings with the words, I love you, Jesus.

It struck me and unnerved me at first, because I’m not sure how often I have personalized it such that way. I mean I do love God, I believe He is good, I put my hope in Him, and I do love Jesus, but just how often do I say, or write, or pray those words so directly?

Today though, the sincere personalization of I love you, Jesus, resonated deeply within me, and flowed from the deep joy abiding in my heart.

True joy, as I read His words, brought to mind His many blessings in my life, His kindness, His help, and His personal love for me. How wonderful, how glorious, how promising, how awesome is it to know such love – a love that swells the heart, fuels the soul, and refreshes daily life.

For life is often hard, heartless, and filled with pain – but with Jesus, truly we are more than overcomers, we are expressions of God’s love, gently cared for, freed from judging, jockeying and competing, and freed to love as freely as we are loved.

Those words are heavy with meaning and sometimes can be diluted by taking out the “I”. Or causally replacing “you” with “ya”. Kinda like loving the beach, or ice cream.

I am full this morning, and may no doubt be drained by the end of the day, but I also know His miracles are new and fresh each day, and He’s always just a prayer and heartbeat away.