“While he was still speaking, a bright cloud overshadowed them,
and behold, a voice out of the cloud said, ‘This is My beloved Son,
with whom I am well-pleased; listen to Him!'”
Matthew 17:5
WHAT IT MEANS…
Used both in the Hebrew and in the Greek, the word beloved is attributed to those who are deeply and dearly loved. It is a term of endearment used in both the Old and the New Testament for those loved dearly.
Beloved is attributed to Jesus in Luke 3:22, Luke 9:35, and Luke 20:13 as well as in Matthew 3:17; 12:18; 17:5; Mark 1:11; 9:7; as a descriptive term. However, in Ephesians 1:6, Jesus is called by the name, The Beloved.
Beloved in the Greek is agapaō. In Ephesians 1:6 we discover the foundation for our acceptance to the Heavenly Father.
“to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.”
We are accepted AS beloved because we, who have been saved, are IN The Beloved.
HOW IT APPLIES TO OUR LIVES…
Life has a way of trying to define us, doesn’t it?
Sometimes, the mental image we create of ourselves was molded by what we’ve been through, what others have said about us, or what we have said about ourselves.
That becomes who we believe we are.
I was becoming who I believed myself to be. Unloved. Unlovable. The throw away girl who should have never even been born.
Conceived as a result of rape and sexually abused for a decade of my childhood had a way of leaving scars on my heart that no-one really saw and that I didn’t even know were there.
But in October of 1987, Jesus took this girl with a bad past and a bleak future and gave me a new heart… a new life… and a brand new identity.
For the first time in my life, I didn’t have to prove my love to anyone. I just had to receive His love for me. And I did. With arms wide open, I flung myself into the arms of Jesus and became fully His and, when I did, I realized I was fully loved.
Today, maybe as you’re reading this, you may be that person who is looking for love, who’s trying to prove you’re worthy of being loved, or perhaps, feeling like you’ll never be loved.
You don’t have to feel as though you are unloved or unlovable anymore.
I don’t know. But I can assure you that when you receive the love of God, the One who gave His only BELOVED Son, you’ll finally experience what real love is.
And when you do, you enter into the family of the Beloved because you are accepted in the Beloved.
By the way…If you’re a Christian and have experienced the love of the Beloved, don’t allow the shouts of the world, the wicked whispers of the enemy, or the echoes of your own fallible heart to cause you to lose site of just how loved you really are.
HOW WE CAN PAUSE TO WORSHIP HIM TODAY…
- Praise Him for who He is. The Beloved. Loved of the Father. Given to us because of His great love for us, so that we can become beloved in the Beloved.
- Thank Him for being the Beloved. There is such joy and such peace knowing that He IS the Beloved, and because of who He is, He makes us His beloved when we come to Him in repentance and faith.
- Repent of any disobedience to or disregard of the Beloved.
- And just take a few minutes to listen to this beautiful song. Allow yourself to bask in the beauty of knowing the Beloved and worship Him for who He is.
If you can’t view this in your reader, please click this link.
HOW WE CAN FIND OUT MORE…
Read this article at biblestudytools.com for more insight.
Look up the various occurrences and originals words in the Strongs at biblehub.com
SUGGESTIONS TO HELP DIVE DEEPER:
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- Create a “Knowing God More” Journal. Write out what you learn & how God speaks to you.
- Write each name on a 3 X 5 and meditate on them throughout the day.
- Contemplate the significance of the name or title in context.
- How does that name or title relate to you?
- How can you honor Him more as ______________?
- In what areas have you seen Him be ______________ in your life?
- How can you pray to Him by this specific name or title?
- How can you pray His specific names or titles over your husband, your children or those you know and love?
- Use a Bible Dictionary and Commentaries to help deepen your level of understanding.
What did you know about The Beloved before today? How has this helped you know Him more?
Thanks for joining me in this journey to know Him more!!! Please be sure to share any comments or questions you might have!
Eternally His,
Steph
Phil 3:7-14