Tag: GodIsLove

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The Heart of God

We’ve all seen those little labels that are put on the products we buy. Made in U.S.A., China, Japan, Mexico, Canada…

Do you realize that we were made in the heart of God and He sees us as priceless?

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. In Christ, God has given us every spiritual blessing in heaven. 4 In Christ, he chose us before the world was made. He chose us in love to be his holy people—people who could stand before him without any fault. 5 And before the world was made, God decided to make us his own children through Jesus Christ. This was what God wanted, and it pleased him to do it. 6 And this brings praise to God because of his wonderful grace. God gave that grace to us freely. He gave us that grace in Christ, the one he loves.” Ephesians 1:3-6 ERV

We were conceived in God’s heart before He made the world! I know, it’s almost impossible to fathom that God had us in mind before anything that we know and see was created. He was thinking of us.

“You have looked deep into my heart, Lord, and you know all about me. 2 You know when I am resting or when I am working, and from heaven you discover my thoughts.3 You notice everything I do and everywhere I go. 4 Before I even speak a word, you know what I will say,
5 and with your powerful arm you protect me from every side. 6 I can’t understand all of this! Such wonderful knowledge is far above me.” Psalm 139:1-6 CEV

Our heavenly Father knows the words we will speak, where we will go and even the number of the hairs on our head. He has tattooed our picture on the palm of His hands.

“I drew a picture of you on my hand. You are always before my eyes” Isaiah 49:16 ERV

We are priceless to Him!

“ Yes, God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him would not be lost but have eternal life” John 3:16 ERV

He gave the One He dearly loved so that we could be joined to them.

“Even before I was born, you had written in your book everything about me. 17 Your thoughts are far beyond my understanding, much more than I could ever imagine.
18 I try to count your thoughts, but they outnumber the grains of sand on the beach.
And when I awake, I will find you nearby.” Psalm 139:16-18 ERV

God has spent eternity thinking of us. The thoughts He has toward us are immeasurable.

“Christ’s love is greater than anyone can ever know, but I pray that you will be able to know that love. Then you can be filled with everything God has for you.” Ephesians 3:19 ERV

“But Christ died for us while we were still sinners, and by this God showed how much he loves us. 9 We have been made right with God by the blood sacrifice of Christ. So through Christ we will surely be saved from God’s anger.” Romans 5:8-9 ERV

God, our heavenly Father, wants us to know Him personally. He wants us to know the depth of His love for us. He wants us to know that we are priceless to Him!

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The Debt of Love

Just recently we received our tax bill from the County. I don’t know why it should surprise me because it comes every year, but sometimes it catches me off guard. Two days ago, I went online and paid it. That action was fresh in my thinking when I read these verses this morning.

There is one indebtedness we should deal with on a daily basis.

“Give everyone what you owe them. If you owe them any kind of tax, then pay it. Show respect to those you should respect. And show honor to those you should honor.

8 You should owe nothing to anyone, except that you will always owe love to each other. The person who loves others has done all that the law commands. 9 The law says, ‘You must not commit adultery, you must not murder anyone, you must not steal, you must not want what belongs to someone else.’ All these commands and all other commands are really only one rule: ‘Love your neighbor the same as you love yourself.‘ 10 Love doesn’t hurt others. So loving is the same as obeying all the law. 11 I say this because you know that we live in an important time. Yes, it is now time for you to wake up from your sleep. Our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.” Romans 13:7-11 ERV

The Apostle Paul wrote these words from Rome while he was a prisoner, unjustly accused. If anyone had the right to be bitter, resentful and vindictive he did. Instead, he used his time encouraging, instructing and giving hope to those around him.

Paul learned this from Jesus.

He knew how the religious elite tried to trip Jesus up by asking which of God’s commands was the greatest.

“He said, ‘Teacher, which command in the law is the most important?’ 37 Jesus answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and most important command. 39 And the second command is like the first: ‘Love your neighbor the same as you love yourself.’ 40 All of the law and the writings of the prophets take their meaning from these two commands.” Matthew 22:36-40 ERV

And then there were these words of Jesus spoken from the cross.

“Jesus said, “Father, forgive them. They don’t know what they are doing.” Luke 23:34 ERV

On the cross Jesus showed the ultimate expression of love. We owed a debt for our sin, but we were unable to pay it because none of us are perfect. But Jesus, the perfect lamb of God, paid the debt for us. He showed His love for the Father and for us, His neighbor, for all the world to see.

Paul never lost sight of that sacrifice, and he wanted everyone who read his words to remember that we also have a debt of love.

“I give you a new command: Love each other. You must love each other just as I loved you. 35 All people will know that you are my followers if you love each other.” John 13:34-35 ERV

It’s not a debt that we can pay with our checkbooks or credit cards. It is more costly than that. We pay the debt of love with our obedience and our daily living.

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Reflect the Light

The last couple of evenings Dave and I have sat on the patio enjoying the cool evenings! It has been wonderful to smell the fresh air, see our surroundings turn slowly from night into day and rest in all that God has done and is doing in our lives.

As the sun was setting, I was reminded once again to reflect the light. The light of God’s love.

And the greatest of these is love! God’s love for us is beyond amazing. Jesus said to us that the greatest commandment was to love the Father and then love our neighbors.

“… So the Pharisees had a meeting. 35 Then one of them, an expert in the Law of Moses, asked Jesus a question to test him. 36 He said, ‘Teacher, which command in the law is the most important?’

37 Jesus answered, ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and most important command. 39 And the second command is like the first: ‘Love your neighbor the same as you love yourself.’ 40 All of the law and the writings of the prophets take their meaning from these two commands… None of the Pharisees could answer Jesus’ question. And after that day, no one was brave enough to ask him any more questions.” Matthew 22:34-46 CEV

The Pharisees were trying to test and even trick Jesus into a wrong answer; they were looking for something that would discredit him to his followers and better yet, something that would give them reason to prosecute him and silence him in public.

What Jesus did with his answer was discredit the Pharisees.

By giving the answer that He did, Jesus proved that their heart’s motive was anything but love. If they weren’t walking in love toward Him, their neighbor, they weren’t keeping the greatest commandment. He went on to correct them in their thinking about the Messiah as well. No wonder they decided not to ask Him anymore questions.

The Pharisees had all the outward trappings of religion and righteousness but their hearts were wrong. It was a self-righteousness and it was religion instead of relationship. Jesus was talking about a living relationship with the Father. As we spent time loving the Father we will reflect His love to others.

The moon has no light source in itself but it reflects the light of the sun. In the same way, as we spend time absorbing the Father’s love we will reflect that love to others. We can’t give what we don’t have – so as we receive more and more love from the Father we are able to love others more.

“Stay joined together with me, and follow my teachings. If you do this, you can ask for anything you want, and it will be given to you. 8 Show that you are my followers by producing much fruit. This will bring honor to my Father. 9 ‘I have loved you as the Father has loved me. Now continue in my love.'” John 15:7-9 ERV

The fruit we produce is love, joy, peace, gentleness, kindness, patience, goodness, faithfulness and self control. There is no law against this kind of fruit; in fact, it fulfills the law.

Father, I desire to love You with all that I am and then to reflect Your light, Your love to those around me today.

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It Takes My Breath Away

Sometimes when I am reading my Bible, it takes my breath away!

The capacity of Almighty God to love me – to reach out for me – to choose me, goes beyond my comprehension. There is only one answer to the “why” and it’s because He is God and He decided to do so.

But, not only did He decide to choose me but that is the decision He made for all of us.

“ My dear children, I am writing this to you so you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, there is One Who will go between him and the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the One Who is right with God. 2 He paid for our sins with His own blood. He did not pay for ours only, but for the sins of the whole world.” I John 2:1-2 NLV

God’s love and provision is not just for a chosen few but He has chosen everyone who has ever lived or is yet to be born, to be a recipient of His love and forgiveness.

“ 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.

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.”4-7 NLV

Before the world began we were chosen!

“What can we say about all these things? Since God is for us, who can be against us? 32 God did not keep His own Son for Himself but gave Him for us all. Then with His Son, will He not give us all things? 33 Who can say anything against the people God has chosen? It is God Who says they are right with Himself. 34 Who then can say we are guilty? It was Christ Jesus Who died. He was raised from the dead. He is on the right side of God praying to Him for us. 35 Who can keep us away from the love of Christ? Can trouble or problems? Can suffering wrong from others or having no food? Can it be because of no clothes or because of danger or war? 36 The Holy Writings say, “Because of belonging to Jesus, we are in danger of being killed all day long. We are thought of as sheep that are ready to be killed.” 37 But we have power over all these things through Jesus Who loves us so much. 38 For I know that nothing can keep us from the love of God. Death cannot! Life cannot! Angels cannot! Leaders cannot! Any other power cannot! Hard things now or in the future cannot! 39 The world above or the world below cannot! Any other living thing cannot keep us away from the love of God which is ours through Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:31-39 NLV

The love of God takes my breath away!

He has chosen us. So, now the question comes, do we choose to Him?

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No Matter Where

I love how you can see God’s work all around – each day there are new reminders of His amazing love. The songs of the birds at the ocean are different from the ones in the desert but they are sweet just the same.

The sound of the waves coming to the shore is as exciting as the sight of the sunrise or sunset that captivate me each day at home.

The earth is truly filled with the glory of God!

“The heavens keep telling the wonders of God, and the skies declare what he has done. 2 Each day informs the following day; each night announces to the next. 3 They don’t speak a word, and there is never the sound of a voice. 4 Yet their message reaches all the earth, and it travels around the world. In the heavens a tent is set up for the sun. 5 It rises like a bridegroom and gets ready like a hero eager to run a race. 6 It travels all the way across the sky. Nothing hides from its heat.

7 The Law of the Lord is perfect; it gives us new life. His teachings last forever, and they give wisdom to ordinary people. 8 The Lord’s instruction is right; it makes our hearts glad. His commands shine brightly, and they give us light. 9 Worshiping the Lord is sacred; he will always be worshiped. All of his decisions are correct and fair.

10 They are worth more than the finest gold and are sweeter than honey from a honeycomb. 11 By your teachings, Lord, I am warned; by obeying them, I am greatly rewarded. 12 None of us know our faults. Forgive me when I sinwithout knowing it.

13 Don’t let me do wrong on purpose, Lord, or let sin have control over my life. Then I will be innocent, and not guilty of some terrible fault.” 14 Let my words and my thoughts be pleasing to you, Lord, because you are my mighty rock and my protector.” Psalm 27 CEV

May your day be filled with seeing the Lord’s majesty and filling your heart with wonder, No matter where you are!

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Out of Balance

Practical. God is practical.

Everything He does has balance. Gravity, sunrise, sunset, changing seasons; earth, sky and water created before fish, plants and animals. Sun produces light and heat, the moon on reflects light and no heat. Balance.

What is out of balance and impractical about God is His unconditional love!

It doesn’t matter what we do or don’t do, God’s love for us will be the same. (Now that doesn’t mean He approves of everything we do, not in the slightest but He always loves us.)

Men won’t go to hell because God hates them. They will go because they don’t accept His gift of love and His sacrifice for them.

But let’s look at how God expects us to put His love in action. Since we have Christ living in us it’s His love that should be flowing out of us.

” Together with these things, the most important part of your new life is to love each other. Love is what holds everything together in perfect unity. 15 Let the peace that Christ gives control your thinking. It is for peace that you were chosen to be together in one body. And always be thankful.

16 Let the teaching of Christ live inside you richly. Use all wisdom to teach and counsel each other. Sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 Everything you say and everything you do should be done for Jesus your Lord. And in all you do, give thanks to God the Father through Jesus.” Colossians 3:14-17 ERV

The most important thing we can do is love God and one another. Love brings us to a place of peace. When we love we know that we have done all God has asked of us and we are responsible to let God do the rest. When we trust God to do what only He can do we can be thankful because He definitely has the talent and capability of handling His part.

We love not because those around us deserve our love but because God first loved us and so we can extend that love to others. It makes our Father happy to see us acting like Him.

I’m not asking you to go out and love the whole world today but I am asking that you extend God’s love to your co-worker, your neighbor, your child or spouse or sibling.

Love unconditionally the way God loves you. Being out of balance isn’t practical but it is beneficial.

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God’s Love Never Fails

If you read yesterday’s blog you will understand my opening comments.

I got up this morning, made another pot of coffee, filling it to the 11-cup mark and I will do that again tomorrow. I enjoy the coffee each morning, I don’t get tired of making it and I am even willing to share it with others.

That’s how I feel about sharing God’s word with each of you, every morning. It was so good to read Psalm 136 this morning. There are thirty verses and thirty times one phrase is repeated, “God’s love never fails”! In another version it says “God’s love endures forever”.

Forever is a long time.

“Praise the Lord! He is good. God’s love never fails. 2 Praise the God of all gods. God’s love never fails. 3 Praise the Lord of lords. God’s love never fails. 4 Only God works great miracles. God’s love never fails.
5 With wisdom he made the sky. God’s love never fails. 6 The Lord stretched the earth
over the ocean. God’s love never fails.7 He made the bright lights in the sky. God’s love never fails. 8 He lets the sun rule each day. God’s love never fails. 9 He lets the moon and the stars rule each night. God’s love never fails.” Psalm 136:1-8 CEV

Before the earth existed, God’s love was there. Before the sky or the oceans, God’s love never failed. Before the sun, moon and stars God’s love always was!

Before you failed to acknowledge His presence, God’s love never failed. Before great accolades and fame, God’s love was there. When we were prodigal and when off to our own devices and ignored His love, God’s love never failed.

I may need to be filled daily with joy, peace, hope, faith but God’s love never fails and He is always there sharing it with me. Reminding me that:

“ God loved the people of this world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who has faith in him will have eternal life and never really die.” John 3:16 CEV

“Christ died for us at a time when we were helpless and sinful. 7 No one is really willing to die for an honest person, though someone might be willing to die for a truly good person. 8 But God showed how much he loved us by having Christ die for us, even though we were sinful. 9 But there is more! Now that God has accepted us because Christ sacrificed his life’s blood, we will also be kept safe from God’s anger.” Romans 5:6-9 CEV

Dave just refilled my coffee cup and that brought one more thought to mind about the love of God.

“You prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies. You honor me by anointing my head with oil. My cup overflows with blessings. 6 Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the Lord forever.” Psalm 23:5-6 NLT

God’s goodness and unfailing love pursues me all the days of my life. My cup is running over with His love. His love never fails!

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My Father Did That

A couple weeks ago Dave and I went camping. We went to a lake that I had fished as a child with my family. It was one of our favorite spots. It has changed a lot since then. There is an organized campground and the water level is lower than it used to be but somehow it felt like home.

My Heavenly Father made that lake.

This morning has me thinking about my dad. Dad was a good man. He loved mom, us kids and the Lord. He was an impressive figure of a man; handsome, strong, rugged, loyal, outspoken and he hated injustice.

Dad wasn’t well educated, only went to the 7th grade but he was one of the smartest men I know. He could read people, their sincerity or deceit and he could fix or build anything.

Dad’s been gone for 21 years now and I miss him. When we find a great new lake, I think of Dad. Driving through a river valley and spotting a good place to fish, building a new shed, fixing the car – all make me think of him.

Watching my grandchildren grow into good people, playing with our smallest grandchildren and the greats, talking to our grown kids – all these make me miss him and I’m grateful that I have so many wonderful memories.

There were times that I needed Daddy to come to my rescue and he did. Never a question that he wouldn’t be there to help and defend. Now if I had done something stupid he would talk to me about that later but first instinct was to come to my aid.

Maybe you don’t have such good memories of your relationship with your dad. Our Heavenly Father desires a relationship with you that is so much greater than any you’ve ever had with your earthly father.

“All of you are God’s children because of your faith in Christ Jesus. 27 And when you were baptized, it was as though you had put on Christ in the same way you put on new clothes. 28 Faith in Christ Jesus is what makes each of you equal with each other, whether you are a Jew or a Greek, a slave or a free person, a man or a woman. 29 So if you belong to Christ, you are now part of Abraham’s family, and you will be given what God has promised…Now that we are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts. And his Spirit tells us that God is our Father. 7 You are no longer slaves. You are God’s children, and you will be given what he has promised.” Galatians 3:26-4:7 CEV

In God’s family we are all equal – the same blessings are available to all of us. God’s love is not greater for one than the other; His mercy is given freely to us all and His protection and provision are not awarded with prejudice or bias. It’s our faith in Jesus Christ that makes us equal.

My Father did that – He made me one of His own!

You’re heavenly Father loves you and whatever you may be going through today He’s right there with you and when things get bigger than you can handle your Dad’s got this. Let Him handle it!

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Bright Hope

Every night the stars and the moon come out and every morning the sun comes up. To some that may seem like a monotonious repetition but to me that’s hope!

Hope that God is faithful to bring the end to one day and to bring new life to start the next. Without God’s presence we can be without direction and purpose or worse yet we try to become our own god and that means that we are responsible for making everything happen, making everything work out right and it’s simply not in our power to do so.

The sunrise and the sunset are God’s examples of His faithfulness.

“We are still alive because the Lord’s faithful love never ends. 23 Every morning he shows it in new ways! You are so very true and loyal! 24 I say to myself, ‘The Lord is my God, and I trust him.” Lamentations 3:22-24 ERV

When we give up living for ourselves and find our life in Christ we can have rest from this vicious cycle of dependence on self. In Christ, we are promised a new and abundant life; life filled with joy, peace, love, forgiveness and grace.

“But we know that no one is made right with God by following the law. It is trusting in Jesus Christ that makes a person right with God. So we have put our faith in Christ Jesus, because we wanted to be made right with God. And we are right with him because we trusted in Christ—not because we followed the law. I can say this because no one can be made right with God by following the law…I died to the law so that I could live for God. I have been nailed to the cross with Christ. 20 So I am not the one living now—it is Christ living in me. I still live in my body, but I live by faith in the Son of God. He is the one who loved me and gave himself to save me.” Galatians 2:16-20 ERV

Each day is a new opportunity to receive God’s mercy and strength, to be wrapped in His love. Each evening we are given an invitation to rest securely.

“I can lie down and sleep soundly because you, Lord, will keep me safe.” Psalm 4:8 CEV

Great is the faithfulness of God; He is faithful to a thousand generations.

“Great is thy faithfulness,
Great is thy faithfulness,
Morning by morning new mercies I see.
All I have needed thy hand hast provided;
Great is thy faithfulness,
Lord unto me.

Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth,
Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide;
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,
Blessings all mine and ten thousand beside.”

In Christ we have new life and in Him we have the power to live a life of purpose and a bright hope for tomorrow.

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Everlasting Love

This morning when I woke I picked up my journal and wrote:

“Father, thank you for my life, my family and Your amazing blessings. You have given me so much more than I could ever ask or imagine! Thank You for your everlasting love!!”

There was a time that I was not confident in God’s love for me. I thought I had failed too many times and surely, I was past being forgiven and was no longer lovable. But then I heard a testimony of a woman who insisted that God’s love for us was everlasting. That He would not desert us or abandon us. She said nothing could separate us from the love of God and that when we are in Christ we are complete having all we need.

When we have Jesus, He and I are more than enough. That changed my life.

“Before the world was created, God had Christ choose us to live with him and to be his holy and innocent and loving people. 5 God was kind and decided that Christ would choose us to be God’s own adopted children. 6 God treated us with undeserved grace because of the Son he dearly loves, and so we should praise God.” Ephesians 1:4-6 CEV

“God our Father loves us. He treats us with undeserved grace and has given us eternal comfort and a wonderful hope. We pray that our Lord Jesus Christ and God our Father 17 will encourage you and help you always to do and say the right thing.” II Thessalonians 2:16-17 CEV

“ I say this because all of God lives in Christ fully, even in his life on earth. 10 And because you belong to Christ you are complete, having everything you need. Christ is ruler over every other power and authority.” Colossians 2:9-10 ERV

“So what should we say about this? If God is for us, no one can stand against us. And God is with us. 32 He even let his own Son suffer for us. God gave his Son for all of us. So now with Jesus, God will surely give us all things…38-39 Yes, I am sure that nothing can separate us from God’s love—not death, life, angels, or ruling spirits. I am sure that nothing now, nothing in the future, no powers, nothing above us or nothing below us—nothing in the whole created world—will ever be able to separate us from the love God has shown us in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:31-32, 38-39 ERV

These are the verses that have been the foundation of my life for the last 55 years. Today is my 73rd birthday and I can tell you that nothing has ever separated me from the Father’s love.

“ The Lord appeared to me in a faraway place and said, ‘I love you with an everlasting love.
So I will continue to show you my kindness.'” Jeremiah 31:3 GW

He has been gracious and kind to forgive my sins, my failings and shortcomings and He will do the same for you. His love is everlasting!

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