pastorjohnb

Thoughts and musings on faith and our mighty God!

Tag Archives: love


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Relationship

God’s law is perfect and trustworthy.  It gives wisdom and strength.  The law offers a way to right relationship with God.  For the Israelites the centerpiece of the law was the Ten Commandments.  The ten form a covenant.  They cover how to relate to God, to each other, and give the basics on how to live in community.  True, the ten commandments are a little general, especially on the last part.  There is a lot they do not cover, but they do provide a basic framework.

Over the year a lot was added to the original ten.  By the time Jesus arrived the ‘law’ had grown to over 600 rules.  It was not only cumbersome, it was really hard to know all of them, never mind follow them all.  Religion for the Jews had become more about following the rules than about following God and Jesus was more than happy to speak out about this fact.

In an attempt to trap Him, the Pharisees asked Jesus what the most important command was.  In typical Jesus fashion, He gave them more than what was asked of Him – He gave them the two most important.  He said the first was to love the Lord God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength.  Jesus added that the second was like it – love your neighbor as self.  And for emphasis, Jesus also noted for them that all the other laws hung upon these two.

In these two commands, Jesus draws them and us back to what truly matters: relationship.  To truly believe and follow we must be in a right relationship with both God and with our fellow man.  This day may we all seek to live in right relationship with both.

Scripture references: Psalm 19: 7-14 and Exodus 20: 1-17


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A Child’s Faith

When a baby is first born it is totally dependant on others for care.  Most babies bond right away with their mother as they are fed, held, and loved.  Soon a father becomes a known, loving presence as well.  Babies bond and come to expect parents to be there when they cry, when they want to be held, when they need changed, and so on.  Even though no parent is perfect, the baby comes to love and trust them.

God is our perfect parent.  As we mature and grow in our faith, we learn that God will take care of our needs.  We learn that He will forgive our sins and restore the relationship with us.  We learn that when we cry out to Him, He will be there.  We learn that no matter how long we wander away, He will be right there by our side when we turn back towards Him.

Perhaps this is the kind of love and trust that Jesus was talking about when He said that we need to have the faith of a little child.  Maybe Jesus is calling us to live a life totally dependant on Him.  Maybe Jesus wants us to cry out only to Him when we are in need.  Maybe Jesus wants us only to come to Him when we find ourselves in sin or are wrestling with temptation.

The more we grow to love and trust in Him, the more we come to live and to love like Him.  May we come to develop the faith of a little child.

Scripture reference: Psalm 22: 25-31


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Imperfect Yet Loved

As imperfect people we are prone to sin.  Temptation is around us all day, from the leanings to think unkind thoughts all the way up to the more serious actions we may ponder.  In the mix, pride and rationalization toy with us and society tells us anything is okay, just go for it.  Yet an innate part in all of us also senses when we are about to do something wrong, whether to self or another, and it cautions us.

Even though we can admit to all of this, at times we are still reluctant to admit our sins, to bring our faults out into the light.  Often sin is also seen as a shortcoming or a weakness – things we are unlikely to admit to as well.

But perhaps the biggest thing that holds us back from admitting our sins is the idea that once we confess our sin before God, then it is out there and we are called to repent, to begin to battle that sin in our life, to turn away from it.

In Psalm 51, David writes, “Against you, you only, have I sinned.”  Our sins too are between us and God alone, for He alone can offer the mercy, forgiveness, and cleansing of our soul that we so need.  David goes on to ask God to “create a pure heart within” – something we all need as well.

We are imperfect.  We all sin.  Our God of steadfast love and unending mercy knows this.  When we come with a broken and contrite heart, His love washes over our sin and He renews our spirit.  In turn, may our lips sing His praises!

Scripture reference: Psalm 51: 1-17


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Justice with Love and Mercy

Justice in society today generally has to do with one of two things.  One is the criminal justice system where people are punished for their crimes.  The second is the idea that our laws are fair and equally applied to all.  In both cases we can easily be detached from these concepts of justice.  They can be seen as simply functions of the larger society.

God’s justice and the justice we are called to stand for as Christians does have to do with these two concepts of justice, but there is much more to it as well.  As Christians we do need to stand for equal treatment of all under the law and we do need to stand up to correct matters where this is not the case.  God’s justice takes the earthly concepts and adds mercy and love to the equation.

For some in our midst the world is an unfair and unjust place.  Because of a variety of circumstances, they find themselves in a situation where they are struggling to survive.  They may be lacking food or shelter or clothing or transportation or income or ..  Most often it is a combination of these needs.  How they got to this point is a mystery for some of them.  But not one got up and decided to make ‘poor’ decisions all day every day.  They each try to do what they think is best for their present situation.

For those struggling, society’s justice does provide some aid and assistance, but it is limited.  God’s justice is much more encompassing.  God’s justice includes love and mercy that not only seeks to meet needs, but also walks alongside people to teach and encourage them.  Through faith we are called to partner with people, to invest in their lives, to share their burdens, to guide their steps, to love unconditionally.  It is a hard path to walk.  Yet Jesus commanded us to love our neighbors.  May we learn to love without conditions, to offer God’s justice and love and mercy to all.

Scripture reference: Psalm 50: 1-6


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Always Right There

At times the veil of unbelief is drawn over our eyes and the light is dimmed.  Our choices and decisions land us in a place away from God and we sense the separation.  Many things can get us to the place where we feel like we have lost our connection with God and all of these things are our own doing.

In these times of doubt or unbelief or spiritual dryness, it is the gods of this world that are ruling our life.  Allowing something or someone other than God to rule is a bad thing.  Yet even out of this bad place, we can grow closer to God and we can strengthen our faith.

Even when we have separated or disconnected from God, He is working to bring us back.  Whether through a person, through something we read or hear, through an experience we have – He is always seeking us.  God never gives up on the children He loves so dearly.

No matter what is separating us, we can always sense that God is still there.  Once we have come to know God and His love, that feeling is in our minds and is always something that we sense is missing when we are away from God.  The instant we reach out to reconnect, He is right there to gladly welcome us home.

In those moments or seasons, help us God to remember this simple prayer offered to Jesus: “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24)

Scripture reference: 2 Corinthians 4: 3-6


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The Light

Light is pretty cool.  Have you ever watched the light creep across the land as the sun slowly rises in the morning?  As it rises slowly above the horizon, the light flows across objects, illuminating them and making them visible.  In time, all is bathed in the light.

Psalm 50 speaks of God gathering His faithful people to Him.  It also reminds us that His light will shine forth as He judges all people.  One day we will all stand before our God.  On that day, will we be found faithful?

Each and every day God seeks to shine forth in our hearts.  His light and love desire to fill us.  His Spirit seeks to guide and lead us.  Both God and the Holy Spirit cast light into our lives.  Just like the sun as it creeps up, His light shines into all of our bumps, cracks, and crevices.  And what is revealed?

Sometimes we like to think that we still have our hidden spots – those things we cling to and try to convince ourself that God does not know about.  But all is bathed in His light.  God sees and knows all.  We are only fooling ourselves.

As we come to understand this, we become more willing to admit all to God.  Our lives become more honest and transparent.  Our lives align more with His will and purpose for us.  Soon our light begins to shine brighter, for others to see.  As we grow to walk more and more in His ways, may our light dispel the darkness both within and around us.  May the light guide us and those around us closer and closer to our God.

Scripture reference: Psalm 50: 1-6


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Answering “Yes”

Elisha is a most faithful friend to Elijah.  As the time has come for Elijah to be taken into heaven, Elijah and many other prophets tells Elisha to not follow along.  But Elisha remains close to his friend right up to the very end.  He held no fear for himself.  He gave no thought to his own well-being.  It is a truly sacrificial relationship.

How many of our relationships have this sacrificial component to them?  Maybe those relationships with your spouse or children?  Maybe those with a really close friend?  Maybe with Christ?

We are not often asked to walk into a dangerous situation on our own accord.  We may find ourselves in the midst of a good friend’s emotional or relational crisis that is uncomfortable, but we are in no danger.  In our earthly, personal relationships we seldom find ourselves in a place where we are called to truly sacrifice for another.

But there are opportunities to sacrifice.  We could forego sitting with our friends at lunch and instead sit with the one who always eats alone.  We could give of our time to the one who is hard to love yet still needs a friend.  We could assist the fiercely independent one who is really struggling at work.  God provides us with chances to sacrifice if we have open eyes and willing hearts.  May we be able to answer ‘yes’ when Jesus asks, “for the least of these?”

Scripture reference: 2 Kings 2: 1-12


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A Good Love

Love is not something that we instinctively know and understand.  Love and the ability to love others is something developed, nurtured, taught.  We all learn to love because others first loved us.

When a baby is born it first stays close to his or her mother, soaking up both her physical presence and her emotional presence.  As a baby grows it is showered in love.  Almost all children’s first word is ‘momma’ or ‘poppa’ or some version of one of these.  As the young child grows they learn what love is and how to express love.  But alas, not all homes are the same, so for some ‘love’ is distorted or hard to understand or difficult to express.

At some point in life, most often in early childhood but not always, one begins to learn what God’s love looks and feels like.  Through the stories we read in the Bible, through the messages we hear in church, and through how we see Christian love lived out we begin to see what pure and perfect love looks like.

This evolving relationship with God becomes personal at some point.  We realize how much Jesus loved us to die on a cross for our sins and we offer our lives to Him in response.  We begin to know pure and perfect love not because of anything we did or do, but because He first loved us.  This love continues to grow ad develop as we deepen our understanding of and commitment to Christ.  As this love consumes us it begins to spill out into our other relationships – both to those we love and to the stranger on the street.  It is a good love.  It is a love that must be shared.  It is a love that grows as we offer it to others.  It is a good love.  Thanks be to God!

Scripture reference: Psalm 147: 7-11 and 20c


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Walking in Love

God loves all people.  He especially loves those who love Him.  God loves all that He created.  He calls the stars by name and counts the hairs on our head.  His love is do vast that it is hard to comprehend.

God calls the broken to himself.  He calls those suffering physically, emotionally, spiritually, financially to find healing and rest.  Sometimes the healing and rest come directly from God, sometimes He uses one of us.  God’s love is vast.

As we grow in faith and in relationship with God, we come to love and know Him more and more.  As our connection to God deepens, we come to trust Him more and more as well.  As our trust in Him grows, we become increasingly used as a vessel to bring God’s love, mercy, and healing to those in need.

In Jesus we see God’s deep, deep love for the poor, the sick, the downtrodden, the outcast.  In Christ we see how we are to love those in need.  As our trust in God grows, our love for Him begins to extend to all of our brothers and sisters.  May we walk in His love each day, seeking opportunities to be His hands and feet, bringing light and love to a world in need.

Scripture reference: Psalm 147: 1-6 & 20c


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One Day We Will Know

In my daily walk with Christ there are two things I wrestle with: how to explain why God allows tragedy to occur and why we continue to be tempted.  I wrestle with these two especially because they are things that cause one to question or doubt God.

God loves us as His children.  He provides for our needs as our Father.  God even offered His only Son on a cross for our salvation.  There is no question that He loves us and wants the very best for us.

Maybe part of the necessity for these things that we wrestle with is to remind us that daily we must make the choice to live that day for Christ.  Once we accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, there is an overarching peace and presence that permeates our lives, a sense of knowing that where our eternity rests is secure.

Another part of the wrestling comes from our inability to fully comprehend God.  We know He loves us, just not how much.  We do not know why tragedy occurs or why we are tempted often, but by faith we trust that God knows.  Sometimes, after a time has passed, we are blessed with some understanding or insight into ‘why’ but not always.  Sometimes we must simply trust into Him who loves us more than we can understand.  In faith we live into this, fully confident that one day we will know the fullness of His love.

Scripture reference: Isaiah 40: 21-31