Category: God’s Love

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Love Letters

Each day I am thankful that God has allowed me to share His word with you. I don’t know where I would be without the Father’s love or His wonderful love letter, His Word! In fact, I don’t even want to think about what my life would be like without Him.

God’s Word has brought me forgiveness of sins, health to my body, peace to my soul, healing for my children, enrichment in my marriage. It has provided wisdom when my human intellect was lacking, protection in physical and emotional storms and safety in the face of danger. God’s promises have let me know that He would always supply, and He always has.

I do have to tell you; it hasn’t always been this way. I lived a defeated life for a long time until I saw in God’s word that He has made provision for more than just eternal life and that He wanted me to live victoriously while I was here on earth.

God’s promises are the same today as when He made them. His Word is for everyone. We must appropriate what God has given us; simply put, we must believe it regardless of how we feel or what circumstances tell us we should believe. There have been days that I wake up and don’t feel very saved; but my salvation isn’t founded on my feelings, it’s based on God’s love and Jesus’ sacrifice. There are days that I wake up and may not feel healed, but I am because it’s based on God’s promise and Jesus’ sacrifice.

Circumstances said there wasn’t enough lunch to feed 5000 men with five loaves and 2 fishes, but the blessing of God flowed and there was more than enough. The circumstances said the apostles should lock themselves away and hide at the crucifixion, but the power of God was released through His Word and resurrection came!

The medical world said nothing could be done for the woman with the issue of blood but just one touch brought healing to her body. Yes, the word of God changes our circumstances when we believe; it’s called faith! Not faith in ourselves, but faith in God’s unchanging, unfailing love and the power of His word.

“With all my heart I praise the Lord, and with all that I am I praise his holy name! 2 With all my heart I praise the Lord! I will never forget how kind he has been. 3 The Lord forgives our sins, heals us when we are sick, 4 and protects us from death. His kindness and love are a crown on our heads. 5 Each day that we live  he provides for our needs and gives us the strength of a young eagle.” Psalm 103:1-5 CEV

These verses have a heading of “The Lord’s Wonderful Love”.

His love is everlasting – it never comes to an end. All of His goodness can be found in His love letter to us, it’s called His Word!

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Carry the Load

I know there are so many hurting people in the world and those who are friends and family need us to help them with our prayers and encouragement. But as hard as we try, we can never really know the pain they are going through.

We can empathize and sympathize with them, but we are limited in truly understanding their grief, sorrow and personal battles.

However, there is One who knows the depth of the pain and has come to carry it.

“He was hated and men would have nothing to do with Him, a man of sorrows and suffering, knowing sadness well. We hid, as it were, our faces from Him. He was hated, and we did not think well of Him.

4 For sure He took on Himself our troubles and carried our sorrows. Yet we thought of Him as being punished and hurt by God, and made to suffer. 5 But He was hurt for our wrong-doing. He was crushed for our sins. He was punished so we would have peace. He was beaten so we would be healed.” Isaiah 53:3-5 NLV

In one version of these verses it says, “He was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief”.

Christ came to carry the load. We are limited in our resources and understanding to help in life’s most trying times but not Jesus. He knows the depth of the hurt and He doesn’t want us trying to handle it on our own. He wants us to let Him carry the load.

“ Give all your worries to him, because he cares for you.” I Peter 5:7 ERV

We can become weary, exhausted and emotionally drained from “trying” to do it all on our own. Our own efforts will fall short every time. But there is a place of rest and that is found in Jesus.

“If you are tired from carrying heavy burdens, come to me and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28 CEV

Jesus grieved the death of His friend Lazarus. He wept. His heart was broken over the calloused ways of humankind. He wept. He was moved with compassion over those suffering with sickness and disease and also those who were ridiculed and considered social outcast.

He came to bring comfort and healing. He promises to be our help.

“ We have a great high priest who has gone to live with God in heaven. He is Jesus the Son of God. So let us continue to express our faith in him…16 With Jesus as our high priest, we can feel free to come before God’s throne where there is grace. There we receive mercy and kindness to help us when we need it.” Hebrews 4:14-16 ERV

When we come to Him, He promises to carry the load.

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Joy, Joy, Joy

When I was a little girl we sang a song in Sunday School. “I’ve got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart…down in my heart to stay”.

And when I was a teenager we sang, “Jeremiah was a bullfrog. Was a good friend of mine…Joy to the world, all the boys and girls”.

At Christmas time we sing, “Joy to the world, the Lord has come”.

Each day I wake with a joyful heart, not because life is perfect but because the Lord promises to never leave or abandon me. His grace is sufficient to carry me through my storms and disappointments. He heals my broken heart , restores my soul and gives me joy!

Today my joy is just a little more exuberant! Had a wonderful time yesterday with Dave, Kim, Austin, Kaci, Stephen and Kaci’s littles. We missed Koy and Kym. (I hate that they live so far away.)

It was a day of giggles and hugs, love and laughter. Kisses and tickles. It was a day of family.

When I put the word joy into the search engine of my Bible app this morning it came up with 444 references on joy. Oh my, yes, our heavenly Father wants our life here on earth to be joy-filled.

“ But the fruit that the Spirit produces in a person’s life is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these kinds of things.” Galatians 5:22-23 ERV

Just like fruit grows in an orchard or vegetables sprout in a garden, the Lord plants seeds that will produce fruit in our lives and the Holy Spirit is the gardener Who is always there to see that they grow.

In the hard times, and there will be hard times, the Lord is there to sustain us.

“Lord, hear my prayer, and be kind to me. Lord, help me!” 11 You have changed my sorrow into dancing. You have taken away my sackcloth and clothed me with joy. 12 You wanted me to praise you and not be silent.  Lord my God, I will praise you forever.” Psalm 30:10-12 ERV

Jesus knows what it’s like to face life’s worst circumstances. The night of His arrest He spent time with His apostles talking to them about the anxiety they would feel. Speaking peace into their hearts and telling them to ask the Father for what they needed and then they would be filled with joy.

“Until now you have not asked for anything in My name. Ask and you will receive. Then your joy will be full.” John 16:24 NLV

Joy is an emotion but it’s also a decision. It’s the act of letting God’s goodness always reign in our hearts. When we are weak His joy gives us strength.

“You have not seen Christ, but still you love him. You can’t see him now, but you believe in him. You are filled with a wonderful and heavenly joy that cannot be explained.” I Peter 1:8 ERV

“…Today is a special day to our Lord. Don’t be sad, because the joy of the Lord will make you strong.” Nehemiah 8:10 ERV

I hear the birds outside and each morning they wake singing praise to the Lord. Their joy is contagious. Yes, this morning I will sing, “I have the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart. Down in my heart to stay.

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A Strong Heart

So many advertisements and commercials encourage us to be “heart smart”. I agree we should, but it won’t come from eating a certain cereal, taking a low grain aspirin every day, or any other thing that man can advertise.

To truly have a strong heart we must take a good dose of Scripture every day.

“Let your heart therefore be perfect with the Lord our God, to walk in his statutes, and to keep his commandments, as at this day.” I Kings 8:61

“Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6

We should be trusting the Lord always and letting him direct our paths. He will keep us from accidentally running off course and colliding with discouragement, depression, anger and bitterness.

“Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.” Psalm 27:14

The Lord will strengthen our hearts when we feel emotionally drained and unable to go on. He came to heal the broken-hearted.

“ The Spirit of the Lord is on Me. He has put His hand on Me to preach the Good News to poor people. He has sent Me to heal those with a sad heart. He has sent Me to tell those who are being held that they can go free. He has sent Me to make the blind to see and to free those who are held because of trouble. 19 He sent Me to tell of the time when men can receive favor with the Lord.” Luke 4:18-19 NLV

What we believe can either cause our hearts to fail or to be encouraged.

“If you openly say, ‘Jesus is Lord’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from death, you will be saved. 10 Yes, we believe in Jesus deep in our hearts, and so we are made right with God. And we openly say that we believe in him, and so we are saved. 11 Yes, the Scriptures say, ‘Anyone who trusts in him will never be disappointed.'” Romans 10:9-11 ERV

Never disappointed – now that’s an amazing promise! I can honestly say I have not attained that, yet. I deal with disappointments some are just temporary, but others remain for a while and really increase my dependency on Jesus.

“ I pray that the God who gives hope will fill you with much joy and peace as you trust in him. Then you will have more and more hope, and it will flow out of you by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13 ERV

Our Father desires to fill us with hope, joy and peace. He will as we trust Him, keep your heart strong.

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Up Close & Personal

This morning as I was praying, I found myself thinking about and depending on my “personal” relationship with my heavenly Father, Jesus and Holy Spirit.

My Father, my Savior and older brother, my Holy Spirit given as helper, comforter and constant counsellor.

It would have been strange, growing up, to have called my dad the Father. Nothing personal about that.

I have an older brother and I always called him by his name because we had a personal and loving relationship. I have no counsellor or trusted confidant but one and I call him Holy Spirit.

With all three, my relationship is deeply personal. That’s the way He designed it to be.

He was always willing to announce who He is and who He desires to be in our lives.

To Abraham: “Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.” Genesis 15:1

“I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.” Genesis 17:1

To Moses: “And God said unto Moses, I Am That I Am: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I Am hath sent me unto you.” Exodus 3:14

To Israel in the wilderness: “for I am the Lord that healeth thee.” Exodus 15:26

“I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.” Exodus 20:2

To David: “Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth” Psalm 46:10

To those who followed Him, Jesus said: “I am that bread of life.” John 6:48

“Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” John 8:12

“I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, ” John 10:9

“I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.” John 10:11

“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” John 14:6

“I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.” John 15:5

To the church: “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.” Revelation 1:8

God the Father isn’t the I was but He is the great I AM!

We can spend time looking at the problems in our world and our lives, but I encourage you to look at the answer and not the problem!

“May you have loving-favor and peace from God our Father and from our Lord Jesus Christ…4 Even before the world was made, God chose us for Himself because of His love. He planned that we should be holy and without blame as He sees us. 5 God already planned to have us as His own children. This was done by Jesus Christ. In His plan God wanted this done.” Ephesians 1:2-5 NLV

Our Father chose us before the world began. He has no greater desire than to have us as His children. He wants us to be up close and personal.

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Lather Up!

It’s important that we have the proper covering in life. I was thinking about that the other day when the grandkids were here.

They were dressed in their swimsuits, and we were ready to head out the door but first things first. Time to lather up – they needed to be covered with sunscreen and they also needed to have their hats on.

The Arizona sun is so hot!

We don’t always think about being covered because the water is cool and inviting but it’s important that we keep from getting sunburned. As excited as they were about getting up to the pool they waited, not so patiently, until each one had been sprayed and had their hats in hand.

It made me think, I should never start the day without being covered.

“How happy he is whose wrong-doing is forgiven, and whose sin is covered! 2 How happy is the man whose sin the Lord does not hold against him, and in whose spirit there is nothing false.” Psalm 32:1-2 NLV

Because of God’s great love for us we are forgiven, we have our sins covered. That was the example of the Old Testament. The blood sacrifices that were made covered their sin. However, in the New Testament, the blood of Jesus not only covers but completely blots out our sins.

“ David tells of this. He spoke of how happy the man is who puts his trust in God without working to be saved from the punishment of sin. 7 ‘Those people are happy whose sinful acts are forgiven and whose sins are covered. 8 Those people are happy whose sins the Lord will not remember.’…25 Jesus died for our sins. He was raised from the dead to make us right with God.” Romans 4:6-8, 25 NLV

Over exposure to the sun’s harmful rays can cause skin cancer. Over exposure to the world’s way of thinking and living can cause a cancer of the soul.

“He will cover you with His wings. And under His wings you will be safe. He is faithful like a safe-covering and a strong wall…14 Because he has loved Me, I will bring him out of trouble. I will set him in a safe place on high, because he has known My name. 15 He will call upon Me, and I will answer him. I will be with him in trouble. I will take him out of trouble and honor him. 16 I will please him with a long life. And I will show him My saving power.” Psalm 91:4,14-16 NLV

Oh, I didn’t forget about the hats. God has taken care of covering our heads too.

“17 The covering for your head is that you have been saved from the punishment of sin. ” Ephesians 6:17 NLV

I’ll say it again. We need to be well covered before we face the harsh elements of the day. Let’s make sure that we are aware that we are completely covered with the Father’s love.

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Positive Affirmation

Lately we have ordered quite a bit of stuff on line and each day after I receive my delivery confirmation I receive an email asking for my feedback. It seems the whole country needs positive affirmation.

We read the warnings on how hard social media can be for our young people. Not enough friends, not enough likes, too many bad comments and their worlds fall apart. But we adults fall prey to that thinking as well.

We wondered why we didn’t have more people like a picture or comment on something we’ve posted. When the numbers aren’t what we think they should be we wonder if anyone is even interested in us anymore.

Each morning when I open the app for writing my blog the first page it opens too is the stat page. This page tells me how many people read or clicked through on my blog from the day before. Let me tell you, some days the numbers aren’t great. In fact, there has been an occasion or two when I’ve wondered if I should keep writing each day.

Now before you think I’m seeking positive affirmation, let me stop you. The moment that thought comes into my mind I replace it with this:

“ Whatever you say or do, do it in the name of the Lord Jesus. Give thanks to God the Father through the Lord Jesus.” Colossians 3:17 NLV

His is the only positive affirmation I need!

I know the Lord called me to do this blog and I will keep doing it until He tells me to stop. Readership doesn’t matter, presenting you with the life-changing, positive, confidence building, encouraging, correcting, love of God is my soul goal and purpose.

“The Lord came to us from far away, saying, “I have loved you with a love that lasts forever. So I have helped you come to Me with loving-kindness.” Jeremiah 31:3 NLV

When we put our faith and trust in Christ, receiving Him as our Savior, we have all the positive affirmation we need. He will not leave us, He gives us strength, He walks with us through the valley of the shadow of death fearlessly.

There is no one, no number of likes, no amount of hearts to our comments that can ever outweigh the love of the One who gave His life for us!

Now this comes from a reformed people pleaser. I used to need all the affirmation and kind words and acceptance I could get. It was a death sentence to my soul. Then I found that in Christ I had been accepted and that’s all I needed.

“God already planned to have us as His own children. This was done by Jesus Christ. In His plan God wanted this done. 6 We thank God for His loving-favor to us. He gave this loving-favor to us through His much-loved Son. 7 Because of the blood of Christ, we are bought and made free from the punishment of sin. And because of His blood, our sins are forgiven. His loving-favor to us is so rich.” Ephesians 1:507 NLV

You have been affirmed! God loves you and has chosen you as His own. That’s more than enough!

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Increased Knowledge

For those of you who aren’t very tech savvy you will be able to empathize with me.

In the past week I have backed-up my old phone and activated and downloaded all my info to my new phone. Then I received my birthday present from Dave a couple weeks early – an Apple watch. Final tech treat was a GoPro camera which we will take to Greece with us in September.

My goodness I had to go to YouTube just to learn how to charge and turn these things on! I do ok with my laptop and my old phone (which had started to malfunction) but three new devices in one week put my brain on overload.

“But as for you, Daniel, keep these words hidden and lock up the Book until the end of time. Many will travel here and there and knowledge will be more and more.” Daniel 12:4 NLV

We are definitely living in a time when knowledge is “more and more”, increasing. Every year or so Apple comes out with a new phone, so do the others. More advancement. Technology hasn’t just aided communication but it has also brought great advancement to the medical field. In my younger years, a surgical procedure would require several days stay in the hospital but now those same procedures are considered outpatient surgeries and you go home in the same day.

I could go on with the list of advancements in industry – automobile, entertainment, travel, information technology and so many more. Knowledge is amazing, just what I have seen in my lifetime is mind boggling.

But I like simplicity.

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” Hebrews 13:8 NLV

“ God’s plan looked foolish to men, but it is wiser than the best plans of men. God’s plan which may look weak is stronger than the strongest plans of men.” I Corinthians 1:25 NLV

The Gospel of Jesus is simple and it’s unchanging. The love of God will far surpass and outlast the knowledge of man.

“Love never fails— but where there are prophecies, they will pass away; where there are tongues, they will cease; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.” I Corinthians 13:8 TLV

Although the knowledge of this generation is greater than any generation before it will never compare to love of God. Technology will always require an update to function properly but the love of God will never fail.

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Light in the Darkness

What do you do on an Arizona afternoon when it’s too hot to go outside and work on anything?

Well, if you’re retired, like Dave and I, you have a nice lunch and watch a movie. Yesterday’s movie is titled, Unbroken. It’s based on the true story of a young man who excelled in long distance running, qualified for the Olympics, enlisted in the Army in WWII, was a bombardier, spent over a month in a life raft in the Pacific, was rescued by Japanese and spent the rest of the war as a prisoner.

It wasn’t a light-hearted Hallmark movie.

At one point, he was imprisoned in a cell that had no light. I don’t know how many days he was there, but the movie showed him screaming out in the darkness. It was almost more than he could handle. This is what I was thinking about this morning when I woke up.

The darkness. Fighting the darkness.

“You save those who are suffering, but You bring low those who have pride in their eyes. 28 You make my lamp bright. The Lord my God lights my darkness.” Psalm 18:27-28 NLV

“The Lord is my light and the One Who saves me. Whom should I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life. Of whom should I be afraid? 2 When sinful men, and all who hated me, came against me to destroy my flesh, they tripped and fell. 3 Even if an army gathers against me, my heart will not be afraid. Even if war rises against me, I will be sure of You.” Psalm 27:1-3 NLV

I don’t believe I will ever experience that type of darkness but, in life, we all face circumstantial darkness. For some its prejudice while others face the death of a loved one. Some face the relational darkness of loneliness and depression, many fall into the dark place of long-term illness and pain. And then there is the dark prison cell of financial destruction.

No matter the darkness, each one of us has the promise of God that He will be our light in the darkness! Amen and amen.

Going over all this I heard the words of a song I sang as a child: I Know Who Holds Tomorrow.

1 I don’t know about tomorrow,
I just live from day to day.
I don’t borrow from its sunshine,
For its skies may turn to gray.
I don’t worry o’er the future,
For I know what Jesus said,
And today I’ll walk beside Him,
For He knows what is ahead.

Refrain:
Many things about tomorrow,
I don’t seem to understand;
But I know who holds tomorrow,
And I know who holds my hand.

3 I don’t know about tomorrow,
It may bring me poverty;
But the one who feeds the sparrow,
Is the one who stands by me.
And the path that be my portion,
May be through the flame or flood,
But His presence goes before me,
And I’m covered with His blood. [Refrain]

I pray these words bring light to your dark places. Remember Jesus said, “I AM the light of the world”.

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All the Fathers

Today is a day that we honor fathers. Yes, it was probably started by a greeting card company but the foundation is definitely Biblical.

Our heavenly Father is loving and gracious, always there to encourage and direct. We learn from Him. He protects and corrects. His love is never ending. Be thankful for the men the Lord has placed in your family – fathers, sons, uncles, grandsons and dad-like role models.

I’m going to ask you to do something this morning before you start the celebration of honoring the fathers in your home. Please pray for those fathers who are estranged from their children, pray for those who have lost children to death or bad decisions.

Some men have a heart’s desire to father but have no natural children so they provide fatherly influence to nieces and nephews or mentoring to children in their community . All of these men need our encouragment and love today.

Our heavenly Father has adopted us and called us to be His own. He welcomes us to come to Him always – come to Him and find rest and help in time of need.

He knows all about us and His love sustains us.

“We sinned against him, but he didn’t give us the punishment we deserved. 11 His love for his followers is as high above us as heaven is above the earth. 12 And he has taken our sins as far away from us as the east is from the west. 13 The Lord is as kind to his followers as a father is to his children. 14 He knows all about us. He knows we are made from dust. 15 He knows our lives are short, that they are like grass. He knows we are like a little wildflower that grows so quickly, 16 but when the hot wind blows, it dies. Soon, you cannot even see where the flower was. 17 But the Lord has always loved his followers, and he will continue to love them forever and ever!” Psalm 103:10-17 ERV

Take time to thank the men who are fathers in your family and also thank those who have been role models, men of character and godliness. Then thank and honor Your heavenly Father for all He has done for you and for bringing these men into your families.

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