His Love Song

“The LORD you God is with you, he is mighty to save.

He will take great delight in you,

he will quiet you with his love,

he will rejoice over you with singing.”

Zephaniah 3:17 NIV

The garden path today is one of colorful delight! Shades of deep foliage surround delicate white and pink chrysanthemum. A bright red-orange Bromeliad holds its head up proud and the cheerful deep pink Kalanchoe offers a visual of delicate ambiance along the pathway. I hear the song of many birds singing back in forth in a harmony understood only by them and their Creator. My heart too is full of joy! Then in an unsuspecting moment fear begins to cloud my mood. I am not worried about anything in particular just the unknown of the future in general. In quick response I shoot up a quick arrow prayer to God’s throne of grace. My words are simple, “Father, help me!” and he does.

 

Jesus reminds me that I must never forget that he is always good. There will never be a circumstance in my life that will be void of his goodness. In all that comes my way I must seek to recognize his goodness. I stop and lean against the trunk of a beautiful red maple. I humbly bow my head, breathe in the presence of my Creator and begin to soak up his love just as the flowers soak up rain after a time of drought. As I begin to listen I hear in the distance a song. It is a love song. It is now right above my head. I look up into the tree and there sits the Master Gardener, perched on a limb. To my amazement he is singing over me a beautiful song about his amazing love for me. I know in this moment he is also rejoicing over me because of the twinkle in his eyes and the smile on his face.

 

I close my eyes and I begin to listen. Every note is clear, mellow, and beautiful! The lover of my soul has perfect pitch and impeccable timing. I feel my shoulders begin to relax and I find that I am totally immersed as I listen to the poetic lyrics as they flow like the sweetest of honey, as he sings of his great love for me.

 

As I listen to his joyful, quick moving allegro and I am amazed at the sure precision with which he sings. My sweet Savior never misses a note or a beat. As he continues to sing his words of love he escalates into the loudest crescendo of love that I have ever heard and then gradually decrescendos into the softest melody of care and concern for me and all that concerns me.

 

My Lord sings above the heights of an Irish tenor and below the depths of the deepest bass in a gospel quartet. I am reminded of how high and deep the Father’s love is for me. This endless song goes on and on. The refrain is always the same, “I have loved you with an everlasting love”. Yes, today I hear it loud and clear. Oh, that I would hear his song everyday!

 

My time in the garden today has been extraordinary! When I reflect on what the Holy Spirit has taught me today I am feel deeply loved.  Trusting God is an awesome way to live. I know that his word is true because my God cannot lie. “The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing.” Zephaniah 3:17 NIV Because I belong to him, he takes great delight in me and rejoices over me today and everyday with singing. Even on days with my needs are great, my faith is weak, and my thoughts, deeds, and words are sinful, he is the same. My faithful God is always above me singing of his love for me. He is my hope for today and all my tomorrows.

 

Questions:

1. How does it make you feel to know that God rejoices over you with singing?
2. Are you willing to listen to his love song?
3. Will you take time today to sing back to him a happy song of praise and worship that is full of your words of love and gratitude for all he has done, is doing this day, and will ever do for you?

Prayer:

Dear Lord,

 

Today my prayer is simple. Thank you for the amazing gift of your beautiful, encouraging love song. Forgive me when I become so self-absorbed that I forget to listen for your song of love. Lord, you are marvelous and greatly to be praised because of your everlasting love. How wonderful it is to realize that every day you rejoice over all your children with singing.

 

In your name I pray. Amen.

The Hand Of God

“My times are in your hands;” Psalm 31:15a NIV

 

Many mornings I enter the garden from a chair in my great room. More often then not my hubby is in his recliner, across the room, entering his own garden. I like it quiet and he likes to share. He often gives me wonderful food for thought. This particular morning was one of those days. He mentioned how significant the hand of God is in our lives. Of course, that became the spring board for my thoughts for the next few days.

 

That same day I headed deeper into the garden with God’s Word in my hands. As I walked among the lilies, smelled the sweet sent of the roses, and found delight in the trumpet shaped petunias I saw anew the amazing hand of God, the creator. With each stroke of his creative fingers God adds magnificent color to his garden using hundreds of shades of heavenly paint. The hand of our creator is like no other hand.

 

Exodus 33:18-19, 21-23 Moses asked the Lord to show him his glory. God’s response to Moses was “I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the LORD, in your presence.” (vs. 19) In (vs. 20) God said, “But, you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live.” Then the Lord said, “There is a place near me where you may stand on a rock. When my glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft in the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by. Then I will remove my hand and you will see my back; but my face must not be seen.” (vs. 21-23) This is a beautiful example of God’s protection. As believers we so want to see his face, yet this life is not the time or the place. Yet, during difficult times we stand on Jesus our Rock and firm foundation. During trouble God places us in the cleft of a rock. This hard place in life is very real and we long again to see the face of God. In his grace, God covers us with his hand of protection. When all is safe, he removes his hand and we are blessed as we see his back as he passes by. We do not see his face but we see his glory in all its splendor.

 

I Chronicles 6:4 “Praise be to the LORD, the God of Israel, who with his hands has fulfilled what he promised with his mouth to my father David.” Solomon, David’s son had ordered that the Ark of the Covenant be brought to the temple in Jerusalem. David had wanted to build the temple but his son Solomon was the one God appointed to do so. Now as a final act of completion the Ark was to be brought into the temple and placed in the Holy Place. How wonderful it is to know that it is the hand of God that accomplishes his perfect will through imperfect people.

 

“My times are in your hands;” Psalm 31:15a NIV This scripture reminds me that God holds my time in his hand. He knows the number of my days and he has a plan for my life. God has a plan to give us all a hope and a future. There is no safer place to be.

 

Jesus told the disciples that if they had seen him they had seen the Father. For three short years the twelve were privileged to see the very hand of God at work. They were hands that healed. They were hands that fed the hungry multitudes. It was the hand of God that reached out to Peter when he was sinking into the sea. Jesus lifted his hands toward heaven and prayed. His hands touched children and gathered them into his arms. He used the fingers of his hand to write words of rebuke in the dust. His hands turned over the money changer’s tables in the temple as he drove out the merchants who were making the house of God a den of thieves. Jesus, the Son of God used his hands to wash feet, break bread, and pour wine.

 

It was the arms of Jesus Christ that was stretched out so that his hands could be nailed to the cross. It was his nail scared hands that purchased our freedom from the curse of sin. The Word of God tells us that those who belong to him have their names engraved upon his hands. “See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands;” Isaiah 49:16 NIV

 

It was into the capable hands of the Father that Jesus committed his spirit in the final moment of his life. “Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” Luke 23:46 It was after the resurrection; Jesus appeared to the disciples and used his hands to cook breakfast for them on the seashore. He later appeared to Thomas, who doubted that he had risen, still he allowed Thomas to see his nail scared hands. Jesus also offers us his hands to lift us up, pull us close to his heart, and help us in our times of fear, doubt, and even in our times of unbelief.

Because Jesus was obedient even to death on the cross, God the Father has given him a place of honor. Jesus now sits in heaven at the right hand of God and He is still using his hands on our behalf as he prepares a special place for us in heaven.

The hand of God is still outstretched to all humanity. It is not his will that any should perish but we must, like Peter, reach up and take hold of his saving hand of grace. It is not enough to believe that Jesus exists. We must go one step further and make it personal by grasping his hand. It is the hand of Jesus that offers us freedom from our sin. This is a free gift for all those who will believe that he lived, died, was resurrected, and is in heaven preparing an eternal home for those who love him.

It is important to understand that accepting Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior is not where it should end.  The sobering truth is that we are an extension of the hands of God. We not only reach out and take his hand we praise the works of his hand. We lift our hands in holy praise and we lay hands on those in the body that we love as we encourage them and pray for their needs and God’s blessing. We use our simple human hands to minister, to give, and to serve.

 

We have been led in the past, we are being led this very moment, and we will continue to be led by the hand of God all our days. When this life is over and it is all said and done, when we breathe our last breath, we too, like Jesus, will submit our spirit into the hands of God for all eternity. It seems that this morning in the garden I am overcome with the many facets of the hand of God. How precious is the hand of God? It is more precious than silver or gold, success and fame, or power and position. Precious, precious, simply precious!

 

Questions:

1. How is God’s hand leading you today?
2. Do you remember a specific time in your life when you experienced being under the hand of God’s protection?
3. Is God reaching his hand out to you asking you to follow him, obey him, or to trust him?
4. Are you allowing God to use your hands as an extension of his hands in this world today?

Prayer:

 

Dear God,

 

I stand amazed at all the works of your hand! Today I humbly reach up my hand to yours. Forgive me when I doubt that you are aware of my comings and goings. Forgive me when I doubt your love. Forgive me when I refuse to trust your loving capable hands. Forgive me when I forget to thank you for your hands that provide for me. How I praise you Father, that my name is engraved on your hands. I am so grateful that I am not just a simple string you have tied around your finger so that you can remember to take care of me.  It is comforting to realize that you know that a simple string could slip off a finger and be lost in the shuffle of life. No, your love and care is complete. Father I am in awe because you willingly outstretched hands on the cross for me. I am also blessed because you have branded my name upon your hands for all eternity. Lord, I am so grateful to experience this kind of boundless love. Without a doubt, I am in good hands!

 

It is in Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

Is Life Really Like A Box Of Chocolates?

“Taste and see that the Lord is good;

blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.”

Psalm 34:8 NIV

On Valentine’s Day we women love to be romanced and told we are loved. I believe that men also enjoy special attention as well. We especially like surprises! Nothing says love to a woman like a beautiful red rose unless it’s a box of chocolates that we DO NOT need! Dinner out is nice and a surprise weekend is even better! But what if none of the above happens? Does that mean we are unloved, unappreciated, or not worthy of someone’s love? I don’t think so. Some of you may be broken hearted by a lost love. Others of you may have chosen to live the single life and love it!

 

Someone once said that life was like a box of chocolates, you never know what you will get. In some ways that is so true. One bite might be a delicious creamy milk chocolate with a butter cream filling, another might be a chewy caramel that pulls out expensive dental work, and still another might be dark chocolate nougat. Each bite holds a surprise all of its own. Yes, life is a bit like that. When we depend on the world for happiness we always come up short. Jobs are lost, the bank account is depleted, people disappoint and fail us, friends forsake us, illness overcomes us, and death separates us. However, it is occurring to me this Valentine’s week that when the chocolates we receive are from the hand of God we get a very different box of chocolates and we know exactly what to expect! There is not a single chocolate in God’s box of candy that is not delectably delicious. At times we blame God when we get a bad chocolate, but that is a wrong assumption.

 

Imagine for a moment the doorbell rings and it is Jesus! First he flashes you his captivating smile, then he hands you his beautiful “handmade” rose picked especially for you from his own personal garden. Then he presents you with a beautiful RED HEART box of chocolates that is topped with a pure white bow. It is no mistake that this gift is a gift of love that symbolizes his heart’s blood that was shed for your sin. But now his once mutilated body has been healed, restored, risen and glorified! The pure white bow on top of this heart shaped box shimmers in the sunlight as it radiates with the message of God’s love and your hope of heaven.

 

Because of this miracle of love and grace, my life has also been transformed. My sin has been forgiven, my sinful heart has been washed clean, and I have been restored back into the family of God. I also know beyond a shadow of doubt that some day I will rise up to live with the Lord forever and my body will also be glorified, for I shall be like him! It is this transformed life and hope of eternal glory that all believers share.

 

On this Valentine’s Day my glorification has not yet taken place. I remain here in this life with all of its trials and disappointments. In my humanness I am still dust. But as I live out my days, as I wait, God’s valentine chocolates are plentiful, sweet, and always available to me. It is amazing to me that when I eat the chocolates found in the box of life, sometimes there are many delicious bites to be enjoyed and savored. Other times I may bite into a chocolate and it may surprise me because it is not the chocolate I had hoped for. However, it is a chocolate I must eat. But my Lord is so good! He knows when I get a chocolate that is not so good. When this happens the lover of my soul reminds me that his ways are pleasant and sweet. One by one he replaces the not so good chocolates of life with the scrumptious chocolates of his grace, love, joy, comfort, and peace. These chocolates are sweet and satisfying. In life’s box of chocolates the truth is, we never know what we are going to get, but our Lord does and he stands ready to replace that which is hard to swallow with his sweet tasting chocolates that have been hand dipped in his agape love. We never have to fear what is in our Lord’s box of chocolates because they always taste of his goodness and mercy.

 

Oh taste and see that the Lord is good. Most of the time God’s chocolates always make me crave for just one more! Each of his chocolates is unique and complete. I think that you will find that they are the yummiest chocolates you will every taste! These chocolates are plentiful and I always know exactly what I am going to get. With our Lord Jesus Christ everyday is Valentine’s Day because we are his beloved! Even in times of despair we can trust that Jesus will bring only the finest of chocolates to our door.

 

Questions:

1. What chocolate are you currently eating from life’s box of chocolates?
2. Have you found that often they taste good going down but then leave you unsatisfied?
3. When you get to the end of life’s box of chocolates will there be more for you?
4. Have you ever eaten the delicious chocolates that are from the heart of Jesus?
5. Do you find Jesus’ chocolates to be satisfying and plentiful?
6. Which of his chocolates are you enjoying the most this Valentine’s Day?

…and don’t forget…even men need chocolates!

 Prayer:

 Dear Jesus,

 Thank you for being the lover of my soul. Lord I pray for those who may feel unloved on this day. Wrap your arms of love around them and help them to know that you will never leave them or forsake them. Help them to rejoice in the knowledge that you are the lover of their soul. If they do not know you, I pray they will seek to know you this very day.  Father, today I thank you for my salvation that entitles me to eat from your hand of love and grace. Your gifts of love, peace, joy, faithfulness, comfort, and hope are all that I really need. Thank you that your gifts are fresh and new every morning and your promises are sure and true. Your compassion and mercy has made you a Father who loves all his children and provides exactly what we need. This very special Valentine’s Day I am thankful for all those in my life who love me, but above all I am thankful for your abundant love. So today I praise you, I worship you, I adore you because you love my soul so much that you died for me. You paid the price and you alone are worthy of my praise and love.

 

It is in your name I pray. Amen.

Lavish Love

“How great is the love

the Father has lavished on us,

that we should be called children of God!

And that is what we are!

1 John 3:1a NIV

 

I never cease to be amazed at the word pictures that are provided for us in the Word of God. This Father’s Day I am thinking about the love of the Father. The Bible says in 1 John 3:1 that God lavished his love on his children.

My children have occasionally disappointed me but the bottom line is there is absolutely nothing in this world they could ever do or say that would keep me from loving them unconditionally. As a mother I love them beyond words. I believe this confession of love is true for my husband as well. We love our children more than life.

Lavishing love on our children IS NOT our ability to give them great gifts and opportunities. As great as those things are, there are still things that are greater. A Christian heritage that models our faithfulness to God is the greatest gift we can give our children. It is a gift that is not purchased. It is a gift that is lived by example. We love our children lavishly when we teach them to respect God and teach them that each person is personally accountable to God. As we teach our children about the love of God we also teach them the necessity of having a personal relationship with God. We are to teach them the importance of developing a dependency on God for every need in their life. We teach our children that God can be trusted and that he is faithful. When we invest in our children’s lives in this way we love them lavishly!

My husband and I are Christians and we have for the most part had a healthy family life. This principle was modeled to us by our parents and we in turn are in the process of passing it on to our children. I wish I could say we have always done this perfectly, but we have not. There have been times when we let life get in the way. There were times when we thought that gifts, activities and opportunities came before example. I’m sure our children always knew we loved God but sometimes our example of living it out was lacking. Now our children have both left home and are currently living out their own faith. God has been faithful to them and they are faithful to God. Still, my husband and I are not free of the responsibility of example. Only spending time with God in the garden of our hearts enables us to continue to lavish God’s love on our children by example. We must remain faithful and become overcomers when we experience trouble that is always a part of life.

God is so good to give us the model of “family” so that in our humanity we can better understand his love for us. God had a son that he adored. Yet he sacrificed his one and only son, Jesus, so he could lavish his love on humanity. When we accept Jesus Christ as our personal Savior he lavishes his love on us personally in the form of forgiveness. Yet the Father did not forget the Son. His son, Jesus Christ sits at his right hand in heaven; this is a position of honor. Some day soon Jesus will return to earth and this time he will not be a suffering servant giving his life as a sacrifice for sin, but he will be the King above all Kings and the Lord above all Lords! On that day we who have accepted Jesus as our personal savior will rule and reign with him forever. This IS lavish love for the Son and for all of God’s children. “How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!”

I am amazed that not only do we have the opportunity to teach our children, but our children sometimes out trump us and teach us more about God’s love and faithfulness than we could ever hope to teach them. Once again, truth is taught by example and many times our children are the perfect example to us. There are times when our hearts ache for our children when they are hurting and experiencing hard times. Other times are hearts sing for joy when we see our children choosing Jesus during difficult circumstances or during a time of loneliness or loss. Our love for our children is a beautiful picture of how much our Heavenly Father loves us. Our Heavenly Father’s heart breaks for us when we are in need and he rejoices when we choose him. Everyday is Father’s Day when it comes to our Father in heaven cherishing and loving all of his children lavishly!

Questions:

1. How do you feel knowing that God’s love for you is lavish, plentiful, generous, and abundant?

2. Have your children ever taught you anything about the love of the Father?

3. What did they teach you?

4. Have you asked God to help you as you strive to be a godly example to your family?

5. Is there anything in your life that is sending the wrong message to your children?

Prayer:

Heavenly Father,

It is an awesome responsibility to be a parent. Sometimes I do it well and other times not so much. Father, forgive my short comings and challenge me to do a better job. Thank you for the gift of my family and help me to love them lavishly just as you love me. How blessed I am to be called your child. I pray God that I would regularly take stock of my priorities so that I can make sure you remain first, number one, and at the top of my list. Bless all fathers everywhere this day. If there are hurting men who are childless I pray that they would realize that there are always children to be loved and ministered to by example. Give each of them opportunities to touch the lives of children. I pray that every man on this Father’s Day would know the lavish love of the Father. Give every dad the wisdom to lavish on his children God’s love through his leadership, teaching, his faithfulness to the Father, and his loving example.

In you Son’s name I pray. Amen.

...He Loves Me Not...He Loves Me...He Loves Me Not...He Loves Me!

“And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands.”

2 John 1:6 NIV

This morning I am learning an amazing truth as I sit before the Master Gardner in the garden of my heart. I am looking at a patch of beautiful daisies and remembering my childhood game of plucking off the petals one at a time and saying, “he loves me, he loves me not, he loves me, he loves me not,” as I tried to determine if the cute boy I liked, liked me.

There are days that I question God’s love for me because I am hurting. Some days I feel overwhelmed by life and because I can’t seem to be able to get ahead, life seems hopeless and void of God’s love. Other days when I feel sad and I find myself lost in loneliness I wonder where God is. I question why death and personal loss hurt so much. On those days I find myself playing my childhood game as I ask God, “do you love me or do you love me not?” Some days I wonder if God still loves me because I have failed him. There have been times that I haven’t loved myself very much and when I am in that mindset I really struggle with the question, why should God love me because I’m not really worthy of his love. So today I look up into the clouds and remember that as a believer, I am a precious child of God and he does love me. I also know that God especially loves those who love him in return. As I continue to meditate on the truth of God’s love for me, a light goes on in my brain and I find myself on the brink of discovering why I may be experiencing times of insecurity regarding God’s love for me.

I am beginning to realize that accepting Jesus Christ as my personal Savior is exactly that and no more. Basically, when I accepted Jesus, I simply reached out to God in simple faith and accepted God’s free gift of salvation. This gift was made possible by the loving obedience of his Son, Jesus Christ, who was obedient even unto death, even the death on the cross. Yes, God’s unconditional and lavish love for me and all mankind is second to none. I am beginning to comprehend that it is not a matter of God loving me, but rather a matter of me loving God. How well do I return my love to God? That is the question tugging at my heartstrings today.

What does loving God look like? It looks like obedience. “And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands.” 2 John 1:6 NIV The Bible is pretty clear that if I love God, I will obey him. If I don’t obey God I must view him as a casual acquaintance rather than being someone with whom I have a loving relationship. God is not satisfied with merely dating humanity, he wants a loving bride!

I think that when I fail to be obedient to God it is because I try to obey him for all the wrong reasons. Sometimes I obey God because I need to stay on good terms with him in case I need something. Sometimes I obey because I am afraid to disobey. Other times I obey because it makes me look good. That kind of selfish obedience is not based on love! Pure obedience is impossible unless it is fueled by love. As in any relationship, where there is pure love, obedience flows freely! I may not always do this perfectly. I’m pretty sure I won’t, but God loves it when I do! My obedience puts a smile on the face of God and he may even do the dance of joy! He shouts from the throne room in heaven, “She loves me! She loves me! She loves me!”

Obedience is my gift of love to God. He wants my obedience in my thought life, my words, my actions, my attitudes, my deeds, my giving, my work, and through loving others. “This is my command: Love each other.” John 15:17 NIV

It is our sinful nature to disobey God. We can blame Adam and Eve all we want to but even if they had not eaten the fruit, somewhere down the road some other couple would have. It could have been Sarah and Abraham, or Rebekah and Isaac, or Ruth and Billy Graham, or Paula and Joe, or You and _________. I am convinced that all of us, from the beginning of time up until this very moment, are more than capable of succumbing to the temptation of believing the deadly lie of Satan that whispered, “Eat this fruit and you can be like God.”

Because God is all knowing, God knew that weak, frail humans would take Satan’s bait. God knew that the beautiful apple would look so appealing that it would be impossible for us to resist. God knew that mankind would fail. Adam and Eve would eat and as they tasted the apple the juices would be deliciously sweet and delectable. But at the very moment they swallowed the flesh of the apple sourness would overcome them carrying with it a fatal, lethal poison. That poison was sin! At that moment in time all humanity became victims of sin.

Even before the foundation of the earth God knew that we would fail, in fact he set us up for failure. He created us from dust to be weak and needy. Why on earth would a loving God do that? Because God knew that it was only out of our failure and despair that we would need him. It was out of this need that we would come to know the full extent of his love. God’s love says, “I want you back. I am a jealous God and I want you all to myself because I love you and I need you to love me in return.” God knew it was the only way. He had to let us go so that we could choose to come back to him and love him. God knew that we were lost and could not find our way home so he implemented his perfect, already in place plan. God would provide a perfect, sinless sacrificial lamb to atone for our sin as a means of getting us back. Because of God’s great love for humanity he gave us his one and only Son, Jesus Christ, who became that lamb.

God did all he could to fix the sin of man but still his solution still needs each individual’s personal acceptance of his remedy. You see love is not taken or forced, it is given. “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” John 15:13 NIV Does God love us? Yes indeed!

Mankind has walked so far away from the garden that we have no memory of what God’s perfection really looks like. We don’t remember Eden. We have forgotten what the loving relationship between God and man really felt like. We have come to accept the good of God’s love yet we are still missing the best of his love that is reserved only for those who love him in return. I am starting to see that the only way I can return love to my precious Father in heaven is through my obedience. My obedience must be motivated only by my love.

God loves me… He loves me not… yes! …He loves me! God has two valentines for all of us today. The first valentine is his blood red heart that bleeds forgiveness and provides a covering for your sin and mine. The second valentine is his nail scared hand that carries a valentine that has written on it, “I love you and I will never leave you or forsake you. Love, God.” When I accepted his first valentine I accepted forgiveness for my personal sin. When I accept his second valentine I claim this precious promise.

These two valentines are available to all who will reach up and take them. Jesus’ valentines are intended for his bride. Believers are the bride of Jesus Christ and it is God's intention that we walk life together in a two way intimate relationship. Someday soon, Jesus will come again for his bride, his church, and we will go to live with him forever. Imagine this, God has lavished his love on us even before the foundation of the world and all he wants in return is to be loved back!

Questions:

Are you feeling unloved?

Have you been wondering if God loves you?

As a believer is your obedience motivated by your love for God?

What can you do to fall deeper in love with Jesus?

What is God asking of you this day?

If you are not sure if God loves you pray and ask God to come into your life and give you that assurance.

Prayer:

Dear Almighty God,

God you know everything. You are all powerful. God you have the ability to be everywhere all the time. God you have created all things. God I now see the one and only thing that you are in need of is fellowship with mankind that is based on our love for you. God I see more clearly now that your perfect plan was designed to lure us back and make us your bride. God, I am reminded that you call me but you do not force me. The choice of loving you is mine alone. God I am beginning to realize that if I am to get the most out of my salvation I simply must walk with you daily. God forgive me when I only take from your gracious loving hand. Father, forgive me for all of the times that I have failed to be obedient. God I want to fall deeply in love with you. I now realize that if I am to fall deeper in love with you I must spend more time with you and I must be willing to demonstrate my love to you through my obedience. God I pray that I would give you my obedience one “yes God” at a time. I want to thank you for loving me. God, I am beginning to understand that every time I choose to be obedient I am sending my valentine of love up to you. God, I thank you for your valentines of love and faithfulness to me. Father, I pray that I will strive to know you more intimately, and as a result, fall deeper in love with you.

In the name of your precious Son I pray. Amen

Love is in the Air

“A word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.”
Proverbs 25:11 NIV

Valentine’s Day can conjure up all kinds of emotions. Sad feelings of a lost love, a love that is yet to be experienced, or a current love that brings with it immense happiness. Even as a child I remember decorating Valentine boxes at school. The most popular children received Valentines from everyone in the class, other children got a fair amount, and still others got precious few. Unlike God, we are very selective in who we choose to love. As a result we base our self worth on how many valentines we get, how we look, what we do compared to what others do, or how much we have.

As Valentine’s Day draws near we are inundated with perfume and jewelry ads on television. But today I am reminded that God’s Word says it very simply. The very best Valentine we can give to another person is “A word appropriately spoken.” This verse further explains that this word, this compliment, this encouragement is like golden apples set in beautiful silver!

This morning I am imagining that today when I go out to my mail box and open it out will spill hundreds of red, pink and white valentines in all shapes and sizes. They will be flying everywhere. Some I will be able to retrieve and others will fly away unread. The Bible, God’s Word to you and I is that mailbox. When we open up the Bible there are hundreds of wonderful valentines that will fly out as you read and study. These are your personal Valentines straight from the heart of God. They will remind you of God’s love for you. They will encourage you because they will be a word aptly spoken. These Valentines will give you self worth because they will remind you of who you are in Christ Jesus!

Over the years God has given me many wonderful Valentines from his Word. These valentines are the scriptures that have taken root deep in my heart and will remain there forever! Many of those verses were given to me in times of darkness and despair. Others were given just too simply delight my spirit. Still others remind me of something that God has promised me. God has also given me valentine scriptures of hope and assurance for myself and for those I love. Today I am thinking that it is no coincidence that I have underlined in my Bible each of these “God Valentines” and drawn a small heart next to that verse. As I read my Bible, again and again I am drawn to these special verses revealed to me by the Holy Spirit. As I re-read these scriptures time and time again, God always brings to mind exactly where I was in my life when I received his valentine of love to me, and I am reminded of why I was in need of that special valentine. Yes, these loving words are among my finest pieces of jewelry. They are indeed apples of gold in fine settings of silver. They always remind me of my self worth. They tell me of who I am in Christ Jesus, and they remind me of the faithfulness of the lover of my soul. Yes, God’s love for you and me is in the air. In fact it is the very air we breathe!


Questions:

When was the last time you spoke a word to another person that was appropriate for them as a source of encouragement in their time of need?

Can you remember a time when someone spoke a word to you that you still cherish in your heart?

Has God given you Valentines from his Word that he sent specifically for you?

What are those verses and how do those verses still make you feel?


If you have not had a Valentine from the Word of God, begin reading his Word regularly and pray that God’s Holy Spirit will help you find those verses meant just for you. Be patient as you read. Do not seek the verse, rather seek the giver of the verse and you will be amazingly surprised when the Valentine comes. It will be a Valentine that you will cherish forever and ever.


Prayer:

Dear God,

I thank you for the Bible, your Holy Word to humanity. I admit that there have been times that I did not understand your Word because I did not know you. I confess that there have been times that I have not made reading your Word a priority. I am thankful that somehow in your divine plan for my life you continue to draw me back again by giving me a desire to read and understand your Word. I thank you for the opportunity to understand your Word through listening to ministers and Bible teachers. You have said if we seek you we will find you. Help me God to seek to know you through reading your precious Word. Help me to find those Valentines that you have for me to treasure and store up in my heart forever.

In Your Son’s Name I pray. Amen.

Precious Thoughts

“How precious to me are your thoughts,

O God! How vast the sum of them!
Were I to count them,

they would outnumber the grains of sand.”

Psalm 139:17-18 NIV

Recently I was enjoying a wonderful early morning at the beach. As I was walking along the North Carolina shore, I was enjoying watching the waves crash upon the beach, allowing the ocean to spill over onto the sand and splash over my bare feet. The sun was slowly rising and the morning color mix of blues, white, and sunshine yellows magnificently painted the sky! Seagulls swooped down looking for their breakfast. As I breathed in the salt air I realized that here on this earth, it really doesn’t get much better than this!

This peaceful setting always draws my thoughts to my precious family and then I begin to pray. I thank God for my wonderful husband who I love and who loves me in return. I pray that God will bless his work and be near to him and on our brief vacation that he will give him the rest and relaxation that he so desperately needs. I think of my daughter, Amy and son-in-law, Todd who are amazing parents to my two adorable grandchildren, Abigail and Joshua. I imagine them sitting around their kitchen table in Maryland having breakfast and getting ready to start their day. I pray that God will watch over them and bless them. I pray that God will continue to work in their lives drawing them closer to him this day. My thoughts then move to the west coast where my wonderful son, David lives. He has not yet awakened to the California sunshine. I imagine God standing over his bed watching him sleep and I pray the same prayer of protection, blessing, and spiritual growth for him.

The point here is that I am thinking precious thoughts of all six of my loved ones. I can’t help but recognize that no matter how much I love them, God loves them more! And because of that one fact alone I am able to trust God with their lives. This trust does not exclude trouble from their lives but it does assure me that God will be with them in their trouble and use that trouble for their eternal good.

After I finish praying I decided to set a little while on the beach. I am writing in the sand with my finger, when some water rushes over my hand. I began to examine the sand on the tip of my finger. I then make a futile attempt to count the number of grains of sand that has clung solely to one of my fingertips. There were so many grains that counting them was an impossible task.

This reminded me of today’s scripture. God’s thoughts are precious and he thinks precious thoughts regarding me. The sum of God’s thoughts of me, are so vast that they outnumber the sand. I am amazed as I ponder the fact that God thinks so many precious thoughts of me and that number outnumbers the uncountable grains of sand on my fingertip. As I looked down the shoreline as far as my eye could see, I am blown away when I think of all of the sand on the entire planet. Other beaches and shorelines full of sand. The ocean floor covered with sand. The vast deserts covered with sand. How many grains of sand have been placed by God in our world? Is it possible that God thinks precious thoughts about me and those that I love and that those thoughts really do outnumber the sand? Yes indeed, it is possible our God is awesome!

Questions:

Are you amazed that God’s thoughts of you out number the sand?

How does that make you feel?

Does this enable you to trust God more with the details of your life?

Does this allow you to trust God more completely with the lives of all those you love and cherish?


Prayer:

Dear God,

Thank you for today’s amazing lesson regarding how very much you love me and those I love. I confess to you that many times my heart is full of fear for the future and for any harm that may come to my family. I also worry about losing them. Help me God to embrace with both arms this wonderful Biblical truth that reminds me that you have your eye on all of us and no matter what happens you will be with us. Thank you for the billions of precious thoughts that you think about me and all those I love.

In Your Son’s Name I pray. Amen

The Gardner Has a Message for You

photo by Amy Z.

"I have loved you with an everlasting love;

I have drawn you with loving-kindness.

I will build you up again and you will be rebuilt,”

Jeremiah 31:3-4 NIV

I have been a Christian for some fifty plus years. It has been a wonderful journey. Today I am taking a moment to walk in my garden and celebrate that God loves me with and everlasting love. Inside that love package is a tender kindness that is patient and gentle. God has been both compassionate and merciful to me. His grace has been amazing!

Today I am still ecstatic about my relationship with Jesus. He continues to reveal his truth to me and grant me his wisdom for living my life for his glory. To be perfectly honest, some days the path is bumpy and I have been known to stub my toe on an unsuspected rock in the garden. There have also been times that I have literally fallen to my knees in despair. But the truth is there is no safer place to be than in the garden alone with Jesus. There is no greater constant in my life than knowing that when I call on Jesus he will be there. He has never disappointed or failed me a single time. When life gets hard I can count on my faithful Jesus to be there for me working in all things for my eternal good.

I am excited about my relationship with Jesus and I don’t ever want to loose my enthusiasm for him. Today as I walk in my garden, I want to choose to count my blessings, rejoice in my salvation, smell the roses, enjoy God’s creation, and give thanks even for the difficult situations in my life, because I know that even in times of brokenness God will continue, to use those times for my good and his glory.

The Gardner’s message to me and you this day is “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness.” I know that when life knocks me off my feet, and when my heart breaks into a million pieces Jesus has promised me that, “I will build you up again and you will be rebuilt.” His promise is the same for you.

So, today as I walk in the garden of my heart, there are beautiful petals that have been sprinkled along my pathway. Each petal reminds me of all of God’s incredible blessings to me and how he has loved me with an everlasting love. In love and kindness God continues to build me up. I am so glad that even in the most difficult times of my life, when it seemed that all I loved was torn away, God rebuilt my life and gave me his joy. Happiness is fickle and fleeting but God’s faithfulness remains forever.

Questions:

What do you and Jesus have to celebrate?

When was the last time you experienced Jesus’ everlasting love and kindness?

How has God been faithful to you in the past?


Prayer:

Dear Lord,

“I have loved you with an everlasting love.” What a fantastic verse! God as you know, I live in a world where all love is not lasting. Hearts are breaking everyday and as a matter of fact, I have had my heart broken. I have come to see that a love without kindness is no love at all and cannot stand. Thank you that your love will always be kind and lasting. Thank you God that I can always count on you to rebuild me even if another tears me down. Today, I want to celebrate the amazing relationship that I have with you.

In Your Name I pray. Amen.

Why Should God Love Me?

“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this:

While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

Romans 5:8 NIV

Today I am pondering why is God so good to me. Why it is that God would choose to rescue any of us from sin. The fact is that humanity has always treated God poorly. A more sobering fact is that many in our world today still ignore God and treat him as if he is nonexistent!

I’m thinking that the reason for this is that people really don’t get it! They don’t understand the love that God has for each of them. Because we live in a selfish world, the selfless love modeled by Jesus is completely foreign to our way of thinking. People are clueless regarding the atrocity of the events that preceded the crucifixion and the actual act of crucifixion. People can’t see God’s provision for them because in their own egotistical controlling mind they don’t believe that they need to be provided for. But the greatest thing that people do not seem to get is the incredible blessing of Jesus’ sacrifice for them and what it will mean to them in eternity. For those who accept Jesus Christ, they are guaranteed a life in heaven with God the Father for all eternity.

So the question still begs to be answered. Why should God love me? I’m afraid I really don’t know. All I know is that he does. I too, am amazed by it all. God created us and he loves his creation. Sin kidnapped us and God wants us back! If I really “got it” and could understand the great cost of the ransom that God paid for me, perhaps I would be more obedient and trusting, and perhaps I would find more time to thank him for his blessings. Perhaps I would want to share the wonderful truth of this precious gift of salvation with more people. Perhaps I would pray more. Perhaps I would be more willing to love my neighbor and to forgive as I have been forgiven. Perhaps I would worship and praise him more. I believe that in heaven our gratitude will flow in non-stoppable praise and worship because we finally get it!

Questions:

Are you ever amazed that God loves you?

Have you accepted his love and forgiveness in you life?

Do you relate to the thought that we really don’t fully “get it?”

What are some ways that you might gain greater understanding of God’s love?


Prayer:

Dear Jesus,

I confess in the whole scheme of things I am pretty clueless regarding your selfless love! I pray today that I will continue to seek to understand your love and sacrifice for me more and more. Thank you for the understanding that I do have and I thank you for the understanding that is yet to come. Yes Jesus, I am totally amazed that you would love me. It is understandable that you would love me if I was perfect and good. But I can hardly wrap my mind around the fact that while I was still a sinner separated from you, you still loved me. I am comforted to know that even though everyday I continue to sin in word, thought and deed, yet your love and forgiveness is offered fresh and new every morning. I thank you Jesus for your amazing love. Please help me to “get it!”

In Your Name I pray. Amen.