You are currently browsing the tag archive for the ‘God’s love’ tag.
So stop telling lies. Let us tell our neighbors the truth, for we are all parts of the same body. Ephesians 4:25 (NLT)
The foundation of any relationship is honesty. Like any building, if the foundation isn’t built on solid ground, the entire building will crumble regardless of the skills of the architect and the builder. In the same way, relationships built on passion alone, or money or ‘having things in common’ are only as strong as the amount of honesty between the parties in the relationship.
‘Thou shalt not lie’ is much more than one of the Ten Commandments. It’s foundational to our social, political and spiritual well being. Even so, it’s dishonesty that comes naturally to us and destroys even the best of relationships.
Lies. They come in all sizes shapes and colors. We consider ‘little white lies’ as being harmless. We see lies about our sexuality, bank account size, income and religious or political beliefs as being major or even immoral.
So where does true honesty start? True honesty begins in the heart of each of us. Until we are honest with ourselves we can never hope to be honest with others. In their book “Telling Yourself the Truth” William Backus and Marie Chapain tell us ‘most of what happens in your life happens because of the way you think.’ The way you think of yourself is the foundation of how you think of others.
A 2007 study by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention states that the number of suicides in the USA was double the number of homicides! It’s safe to say that a majority of those taking their own lives believed lies about themselves. Lies they conjured up in their own minds or lies others have said about them.
So what is the truth about you? The truth is you are created in the image of God. You are his special creation. Nothing you have done will ever change that. Nothing anyone says about you will ever change that. You are God’s chosen possession. His masterpiece.
Secondly, no matter what your past is like, Jesus Christ came to forgive you of your sin and make you a new creation. A new person inside and out. It’s time to stop listening to the lies you are telling yourself or others are saying about you. It’s time to listen to what God says about you in His Word, the Holy Bible. Religion won’t tell you the truth. Social movements and political parties will lie. Only God will tell you who you really are.
PRAYER: Hey God, I’ve been listening to what people say about me and I’m starting to believe all the awful things they say about me. I’ve been dishonest with myself, with you and with others. Empower me by your spirit to be honest with myself first and then with others. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.
I will make you my wife forever, showing you righteousness and justice, unfailing love and compassion. Hosea 2:19 (NLT)
Every good love story has the same basic plot when you think about it. Boy meets girl and a friendship begins. It grows to love. It endures struggles along the way. Somewhere in the life cycle of the relationship something happens to threaten the very life blood of their love.
Let’s say, for the purpose of this story that the boy thoughtlessly hurts the girl. He does everything he can to make it up to her. But the wound is too great. Time and again he pleads with her to give him another chance. Time and again he is rejected. He showers her with gifts. He takes her to all her favorite places. He listens (something that he should have done before) and learns what things make her the happiest.
Finally, the final rejection comes. He realizes that the love he cherished so much will never be had. Painfully, he turns his back and walks towards the gate where his flight is waiting. His heart is heavy with remorse. His mind replays all the good times he had with her. He longs to hear her voice once more but he can’t hear it. He wishes just once more he could feel her soft and gentle touch on his arm the way she always used to as they walked the beaches together.
As he makes his way to the gate, he feels it. For a nano second he thinks it’s his imagination. Then the voice comes. “I love you. I forgive you. I can live without you but I don’t want too. Come home.”
He turns with tear-filled eyes to see her before him. He takes her to himself and holds her in his arms. The world goes on around them and they don’t notice. The gatekeeper comes up to ask him if he is ready to board but thinks twice and closes the gate in front of him.
After a tremendously long embrace and without a word they leave with her hand softly on his arm. And of course, they live happily ever after.
That, in a sense, is how our passionate father feels about us. He seeks us out. He longs for our love. He does whatever he can to draw us close in his arms. He’s not concerned about our faults. He’s not concerned about what we can do for him. He loves us and that is all that matters to him.
But like the young woman in the story, we hold the trump card. We are the ones that choose to accept his love or reject his advances towards us. The one huge difference in this story of course is that our Fathers love is pure and unconditional. Even though he may allow difficulties in our lives they are never intended to harm us but, rather, to make us grow stronger and draw us closer to him.
Your heavenly Father is passionate in his love for you. It’s not important where you are, what you have done in the past or what you bring to the table. He only wants to feel your touch on his arm and to hear your voice say “I love you. I choose you. I want to be with you forever.”
PRAYER: AH! Father God. Such love you have for me. Such passion I hear in your voice. I bring so little. You give so much. I stray from you but you are always there when I need you. Thank you for your love. Thank you for this most remarkable love story you have allowed me to be a part of. In Jesus name, Amen.
Your kingdom is built on what is right and fair. Love and truth are in all you do. Psalm 89:14 (NCV)
Do what is right! You have to be fair! No one would disagree with those two statements. We all want fairness. We all want the ‘right things’ to happen in life. But sometimes ‘fairness’ and ‘rightness’ are hard to define.
To the farmer who needs rain to refresh his crops a good shower is not only fair, but needed. Not so for the bride who planned an outdoor wedding in a beautiful park. To the child that desperately wants to attend a certain party it may seem unfair that mom and dad say no. On the other hand it never seems fair when someone is killed by a drunk driver.
So what is it that we can use for a standard to determine what is right and fair? The double edged sword of love and truth. Love without truth leads to enablement and a failure to see reality. Truth without love becomes legalistic and unbending. But love and truth together shows itself in loyalty and loyalty is the key ingredient in relationship.
Many times we demand something be fair or right when we really just want our own way. We may think God is unfair when the innocent die or ‘good people’ are devastated by illness, financial ruin or relational disaster. We may think it unfair when children endure starvation or abuse.
While we may not understand why God allows things to happen as they do, we need to always keep before us the fact that everything He does is done in love and truth. He sends things into our lives to draw us to himself. He allows things to happen so we keep our focus and dependence on him.
Because everything God does is tempered by his love and truth, there are times when he brings things we don’t like into our lives. His discipline isn’t like the punishment of an abusive parent or political tyrant. The pain he brings is meant to build us up and make us stronger. Doing what is right and fair may be painful at times, but it never squelches one’s spirit.
Going through some hard times? Afraid of the future? Angry at your past or at those who have hurt you in the past? Remember that God’s kingdom is not of this world. His kingdom is one of love and truth and, as such, we can know that nothing he does is done in anger and vindictiveness. It’s done to bring us to a place where we can love him more fully. He will never leave you or forsake you no matter what has happened in your life.
PRAYER: Father God, I struggle at times to know what is fair and what is the right thing to do. I’m pulled in so many directions politically, emotionally, relationally and spiritually. Empower me with your Spirit to be able to see things as you do and to act in love and truth in every situation so I can show others the grace you’ve shown me. In Jesus name, Amen.
As a young man marries a young woman, so will your Builder marry you; as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so will your God rejoice over you. Isaiah 62:5
Have you ever noticed the groom as the bride walks down the aisle? Most people don’t. They all look at the bride. Her walk down the aisle is all about her. She’s the princess. She is the one we all look at in admiration, happiness and maybe even a little jealousy.
But the eyes of the congregation aren’t the only ones fixed on the bride. Someone else has his eyes on her. As she walks down the white path he is mesmerized by her beauty. The crowd seems to disappear. The nervousness of remembering the vows vanishes…for the time being. His full and complete attention is riveted on the beauty of this goddess as she moves towards him.
I wonder if that was on the mind of the song writer as he wrote the words:
My love must be a kind of blind love; I can’t see anyone but you.
Are the stars out tonight? I don’t know if it’s cloudy or bright, I Only Have Eyes For You, Dear.
The moon maybe high but I can’t see a thing in the sky, ‘Cause I Only Have Eyes For You.
I don’t know if we’re in a garden, or on a crowded avenue.
You are here, So am I, Maybe millions of people go by, but they all disappear from view.
And I Only Have Eyes For You.
But let me let you in on a little secret. Few even think about it at the time of the ceremony, but here goes. Are you ready for a shocking revelation? Here it is. The bride isn’t perfect. Yep, that’s right. She’s flawed. Defective. She has moments of anger. She can be downright stubborn and rude at times. She can be demanding and selfish and downright cranky. But few think about that. At least today. Today is the wedding day.
What a wonderful picture of the love our Heavenly Father has for us. Imagine him as the groom. You are the bride. As you walk towards Him, Jesus’ eyes are glued on your beauty, not on your flaws. Do you see the pride in his face? The smile on his lips? The reflection of yourself in his eyes? You should you know. As the Bride of Christ you are loved beyond measure.
Oh, sure, like any bride you have your flaws. Like the tirade your co-workers endured last week and the over-reaction to the dent in the car? Oh, and lets not forget the thoughts that ran through your mind when that cute young thing down the street walked by this morning. Flawed? Yep, you are. Defective? From day one. Loved beyond measure by Jesus? Exactly.
He’ll work on the flaws with you. But for today, He only has eyes for you.
PRAYER: Father, when I contemplate the great love you have for me I’m speechless. You look on me with such pride when I’m so undeserving of your grace and mercy. You see me as a beautiful bride even when I don’t feel very pretty. Thank you for your love that is higher than the mountains and deeper than the sea. I’m blessed and honored to be your bride. In your name, Amen.
I am the LORD your God. I am holding your hand, so don’t be afraid. I am here to help you. Isaiah 41:13 (CEV)
The parking lot was as treacherous as a hockey rink. I walked gingerly around the car to let my two-year-old out of the car seat. I offered my hand in support so that he wouldn’t fall on the icy surface. However, my belligerent son ‘knew better’. “I can walk by myself!” He announced, having confidence in his newfound independence.
I, on the other hand, knew how quickly one can slip and fall. Since he was inexperienced, I insisted that I hold his hand. We continued our ‘discussion’ for a few moments until an idea came to my mind. A compromise of sorts that he reluctantly agreed to. I would offer my finger to his small hand. He in turn would agree to hold my finger until we reached the safety of the building.
After he grabbed my finger I wrapped the rest of my hand around his small hand. He thought he walked across the ice with no problem. I knew that his real support came from my large hand which enveloped his.
At times we are afraid because we don’t know what the future holds. There may be times when we see the road ahead and see no way out, no safe way to succeed. There may be times when we confidently push forward, not realizing until it’s too late that we couldn’t handle the challenge before us.
Isaiah reminds us that just as I wrapped my hand around the hand of my over-confident two-year-old, our Heavenly Father wraps his hand around ours. It doesn’t matter what lay ahead. It’s not important how you got to the place you are in life. He is there walking beside you.
I kept my two-year-old from falling and hurting himself. He slipped on occasion. A couple times he landed softly when the ice was too slick. But together we made it through. In the same way, there may be times when you stumble. There may be times when you fall. In every situation Your Heavenly Father is there to uphold you and protect you.
As a loving father, God will do whatever he can to help you, his child, through the tough times of life. There may be pain. There may be struggles. You may fall. There may even be pain. But he never leaves your side.
Don’t be afraid. Don’t feel like you are going this struggle alone. The God of the universe has his hand wrapped tightly around yours. He will never leave you.
PRAYER: Father God, I’m scared. I’m going through things right now I never thought I’d be faced with. I went ahead on my own power and now I’m struggling to stand. You promised you will always be with me. Help me today to feel your presence in a whole new way. Let me feel your hand wrapped tightly around mine. In Jesus name, Amen.
