^“Therefore the redeemed of the Lord shall return, and come with singing unto Zion; and everlasting joy shall be upon their head: they shall obtain gladness and joy; and sorrow and mourning shall flee away” Isaiah 51:11

I attended a young adults conference last week. It was a sweet time of fellowship with dear friends, a time for laughter, learning and worship well into the night.

The focus of the conference was God’s love. More specifically, it dealt with how God loves you and me and the implications of that to our lives. It is always good to be reminded of how God loves us. Have you truly considered that thought and begun to cry out of gratitude and love for your savior as a result? There were times I was so overwhelmed by God’s love me, my heart overflowed with joy and all I could do was cry from thankfulness.

From conversations during and after the conference, I know there were others who were touched as well by what we learned. We needed to be reminded that God loves us with an everlasting love, a love that transcends human love – a love that would never fail us and that we can lean on.

Some of those I spoke with had recently been through disappointments from people. Their hearts were hurt and only the Lord can reach out and heal the pain and comfort them. As we spoke, we were reminded that we are but vessels of clay, and that even if we get bruises and scars, we were Fashined by the Potter, and He would not let us get crushed.

I thought of the Song “Who Am I”, by Casting Crowns as I pondered on the events of the conference. I remembered a verse someone once shared with me, which greatly encouraged me. So I shared it with you now (at the top of this post). I encourage you to listen to the song and to consider that verse and, if you are going through a time of trouble, doubt, fear or uncertainty, be assured that He longs to adorn you with a crown of joy to replace the sorrow. It is not because of who we are, but because of what He is, a God of love. Not because of what we are, but because of who He is, Our God.

© Hannah Kramer

Who Am I – Casting Crowns