You brought to my mind how beautiful Your love is. It is pure and lovely. It brings down barriers that are humanly immovable, it transforms hearts, it illumines the dark places, and it bears the eternal fruit of the Gospel of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
What a privilege it is to know the love of God the Father! There is no greater treasure on this earth than to have this divine love dwelling within us through Your Holy Spirit.
“See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are.” 1 John 3:1
“So we have this treasure in earthen vessels so that the surpassing greatness of the power
will be of God and not from ourselves. 1Cor 4:7
There is no one on this earth that can earn the love of God. It is a free gift and ready to be given to any that are willing to ask and receive it. “For by grace you have been saved through faith, not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not of works, lest any man should boast.” Eph 2:8-9
Having accepted this marvelous gift, You, Father, continue to pour it out to us daily, hour by hour, minute by minute; to be held, but not kept. When we allow Your love to be active within us, it is a crystal clear river divinely appointed to flow to the lost, the unlovely, and the ones in our lives most difficult to love in our own strength. What hope You give to us Father! It is not us, but it is Your love flowing in the grace of Your Spirit.
Thank You Father for the amazing grace to know this divine love You have loved us with. His name is Jesus.
Friday, October 22, 2010
Monday, October 18, 2010
A Mom's Heart
In reading Luke 2:48, there is an interesting passage that caught my attention;
: 48 “And when they saw Him, they were astonished; and His mother said to Him, “Child, why have you treated us this way? Behold, your father and I have been anxiously looking for you.”
: 49 and He said to them, “Why is it that you were looking for Me? Did you not know that I had to be in my Father’s house? (lit: affairs; in the things of My Father)
: 50 And they did not understand the statement which He had made to them.
His parents were troubled and worried because they had not found Jesus after three days of looking for Him. When they did find Him, the scripture says that they were “astonished” perhaps that here He was, sitting with the teachers, listening to them and asking questions.
After finding Him safe and well (I wonder where He spent the night or who He had eaten with, if He had eaten at all?) they asked Him, “Why have you treated us this way?” They were relieved yet perhaps a little angry and frustrated at His seemingly inconsideration and irresponsibility for not letting them know what He was going to do and where He would be. (would they have understood that?) All they could think of was the fear and anxiety they had as they sought Him for three days. Three days is a long time.
Mary had been told by the angel that she would conceive through the power of the Holy Spirit and that the child would be the Son of God. Yet it had been more than twelve years and they had raised Him among His other siblings, so perhaps for those days of His being “missing”, her heart knew Him more as her first born son rather than His real identity, the Son of God. We know that Jesus was perfect, therefore the type of behavior that this seemed to be was totally out of character of their responsible first-born.
"Why have you treated us”…also speaks to me of the hurt Mary felt that He would do such a thing and worry them so.
Their reaction was totally human and from our standpoint, understandable. But God’s ways are not our ways, and His thoughts are not our thoughts.” (Is 55:8)
But Jesus answered them first with questions, “Why are you looking for me? Did you not know…? Jesus had never forgotten who He was, who His real Father was, and His business here on this earth. He was not apologetic in anyway. He had expected them to know He was tending to the affairs of His Father God. He expected them to trust in knowing this and therefore not be alarmed. His attitude was totally divine. This is how he thought… in the reality of God’s will all the time.
This is also a rebuke to them for not understanding; for perhaps seeing Him as only their human son. Mary had conceived Him by the power of the Holy Spirit and had been told He was the Son of God. But in her mom’s heart he was her son to be cared for and watched over.
This mainly reminded me of believer’s relationships with their families, especially parents. Sometimes we tend to our human family at times when the Father is calling us to do something else. It can cause misunderstandings and hurt on the family’s part. Yet God will provide the grace necessary to do His will
when we ask for it. Our priority must be His will even at the cost of family relationships.
Matt 10:37 He who loves his father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.
Matt 19:29 And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or farms for My name’s sake, will receive many times as much, and will inherit eternal life.
In this last verse he includes houses and farms. To me that means any thing or possession that could hold us back by hesitating or not doing His will.
We are very human and our Father knows it. Just like Mary, we have our human heart and emotions and He knows that too. I am so grateful to you Father, that You see our human hearts and love us where we are.
What a wonderful, marvelous, and awesome Father you are to us!
: 48 “And when they saw Him, they were astonished; and His mother said to Him, “Child, why have you treated us this way? Behold, your father and I have been anxiously looking for you.”
: 49 and He said to them, “Why is it that you were looking for Me? Did you not know that I had to be in my Father’s house? (lit: affairs; in the things of My Father)
: 50 And they did not understand the statement which He had made to them.
His parents were troubled and worried because they had not found Jesus after three days of looking for Him. When they did find Him, the scripture says that they were “astonished” perhaps that here He was, sitting with the teachers, listening to them and asking questions.
After finding Him safe and well (I wonder where He spent the night or who He had eaten with, if He had eaten at all?) they asked Him, “Why have you treated us this way?” They were relieved yet perhaps a little angry and frustrated at His seemingly inconsideration and irresponsibility for not letting them know what He was going to do and where He would be. (would they have understood that?) All they could think of was the fear and anxiety they had as they sought Him for three days. Three days is a long time.
Mary had been told by the angel that she would conceive through the power of the Holy Spirit and that the child would be the Son of God. Yet it had been more than twelve years and they had raised Him among His other siblings, so perhaps for those days of His being “missing”, her heart knew Him more as her first born son rather than His real identity, the Son of God. We know that Jesus was perfect, therefore the type of behavior that this seemed to be was totally out of character of their responsible first-born.
"Why have you treated us”…also speaks to me of the hurt Mary felt that He would do such a thing and worry them so.
Their reaction was totally human and from our standpoint, understandable. But God’s ways are not our ways, and His thoughts are not our thoughts.” (Is 55:8)
But Jesus answered them first with questions, “Why are you looking for me? Did you not know…? Jesus had never forgotten who He was, who His real Father was, and His business here on this earth. He was not apologetic in anyway. He had expected them to know He was tending to the affairs of His Father God. He expected them to trust in knowing this and therefore not be alarmed. His attitude was totally divine. This is how he thought… in the reality of God’s will all the time.
This is also a rebuke to them for not understanding; for perhaps seeing Him as only their human son. Mary had conceived Him by the power of the Holy Spirit and had been told He was the Son of God. But in her mom’s heart he was her son to be cared for and watched over.
This mainly reminded me of believer’s relationships with their families, especially parents. Sometimes we tend to our human family at times when the Father is calling us to do something else. It can cause misunderstandings and hurt on the family’s part. Yet God will provide the grace necessary to do His will
when we ask for it. Our priority must be His will even at the cost of family relationships.
Matt 10:37 He who loves his father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.
Matt 19:29 And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or farms for My name’s sake, will receive many times as much, and will inherit eternal life.
In this last verse he includes houses and farms. To me that means any thing or possession that could hold us back by hesitating or not doing His will.
We are very human and our Father knows it. Just like Mary, we have our human heart and emotions and He knows that too. I am so grateful to you Father, that You see our human hearts and love us where we are.
What a wonderful, marvelous, and awesome Father you are to us!
Monday, October 4, 2010
Servants of God
Rev 22:3 No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and the Lamb will be in the city, and His servants will serve Him
You say Father, that your “servants” will serve you. In Rev 19:10 the angel speaking to John calls himself
“a fellow servant of yours and your brethren who hold the testimony of Jesus”. So believers are servants with the angels. If we are called “servants” in heaven then serving You when we come home to You, will be complete fulfillment for us.
But also in Galatians 5:13 Paul encourages believers to ..."through love serve one another." You do call Your children to “serve” You here right now on this earth. When a believer is centered in Your will, we are serving Your plans and purposes.
Here on earth there is sin and struggle. We find it difficult and struggle not only in discerning Your will but doing what You are asking of us. Sometimes because of fear, embarrassment, laziness, etc. we hesitate and selfishly talk ourselves out of what we know we should do. We are weak! I am thankful my strength lies in You! Eph 6:10 Be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might.
At home with You and all the heavenly host, serving You by doing Your will is how we will live moment by moment forever and ever! It will be our joy, our deep desire, our way of life and delight!
You have brought to my mind that it needs to be the same NOW in our life; practicing the servant hood of Christ, knowing that is our future. Yielding to your will and serving others for their best interests is something we truly need to remember!
But Father, it is not a matter of simply remembering; it is a matter of a change of heart through the working of Your deep and marvelous Grace. To grow to “be” a servant so that serving comes from a transformed heart and becomes a real part of who I am, by the working of the Holy Spirit.
So much to learn! Thank you for seeing me with eyes of infinite love and mercy.
Thank You that I am perfectly acceptable to You today; You look at Your children and Your love envelopes us and brings hope and promise to our weary hearts.
Hebrews 12:1….and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,
:2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross , despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
You say Father, that your “servants” will serve you. In Rev 19:10 the angel speaking to John calls himself
“a fellow servant of yours and your brethren who hold the testimony of Jesus”. So believers are servants with the angels. If we are called “servants” in heaven then serving You when we come home to You, will be complete fulfillment for us.
But also in Galatians 5:13 Paul encourages believers to ..."through love serve one another." You do call Your children to “serve” You here right now on this earth. When a believer is centered in Your will, we are serving Your plans and purposes.
Here on earth there is sin and struggle. We find it difficult and struggle not only in discerning Your will but doing what You are asking of us. Sometimes because of fear, embarrassment, laziness, etc. we hesitate and selfishly talk ourselves out of what we know we should do. We are weak! I am thankful my strength lies in You! Eph 6:10 Be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might.
At home with You and all the heavenly host, serving You by doing Your will is how we will live moment by moment forever and ever! It will be our joy, our deep desire, our way of life and delight!
You have brought to my mind that it needs to be the same NOW in our life; practicing the servant hood of Christ, knowing that is our future. Yielding to your will and serving others for their best interests is something we truly need to remember!
But Father, it is not a matter of simply remembering; it is a matter of a change of heart through the working of Your deep and marvelous Grace. To grow to “be” a servant so that serving comes from a transformed heart and becomes a real part of who I am, by the working of the Holy Spirit.
So much to learn! Thank you for seeing me with eyes of infinite love and mercy.
Thank You that I am perfectly acceptable to You today; You look at Your children and Your love envelopes us and brings hope and promise to our weary hearts.
Hebrews 12:1….and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,
:2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross , despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
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