THE LOVE OF GOD

Psalm 136

“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good!

His faithful love endures forever.

Give thanks to the God of gods.

His faithful love endures forever.

Give thanks to the Lord of lords.

His faithful love endures forever.”

       There are 26 verses in this Psalm and the phrase repeated in each verse proclaims the fact that God’s “faithful love endures forever”.  That is an interesting way to describe God’s love – faithful.  We’ve been told his love is everlasting and unconditional, but it is also faithful.  In 2 Timothy 2:13 Paul tells Timothy that even if we are unfaithful, the Lord remains faithful for he cannot deny who he is.  It is completely against his character to not be faithful.  God’s faithfulness is what teaches us that we can trust him no matter what.  So we can conclude, if we are so inclined to believe it, that God not only loves us without conditions being placed on that love, but we can trust that his love will always remain for all time.  Scripture says it like this: “No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  This means no matter what we’ve ever done or will do in this life, God’s love stays the same toward us. 

     Our sin does separate us from his presence and his blessings; however, forgiveness is always readily available for the asking.  It is those who seek forgiveness with true contrition and sincerity that receive it.  As we change into the individual God intended us to be all along, we begin to understand a little more clearly just what his love for us means.  His love is not some frivolous thing that is to be taken lightly.  His love underscores Christ’s act on the cross, which bought our freedom from sin and cleansed us, making us new creatures in Christ.  So immerse yourself in his gracious and glorious love, for nothing this side of heaven can compare to it.  Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing!

NOTE: Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

RESOURCE: The Life Application Study Bible, Tyndale House Publishers.

TOMORROW

Genesis 1:5

“God called the light ‘day’ and the darkness ‘night’. And evening passed and morning came, marking the first day.”

            I’m going to tell you something you already know, yet sometimes forget. No matter what has happened to you today, there is always tomorrow … a new day; a clean slate; a day where everything is fresh and bright and yesterday is history. That’s good news.  It’s good news because we aren’t perfect and make mistakes regularly. It’s good news because

God sees us thru a veil of Christ’s blood. To him we look perfect. 

            We can be incredibly hard on ourselves.  We cringe at the things we think, say and do at times, but tomorrow is another chance to get it right.  Do you have a pliable spirit?  Are you interested in becoming more like Christ with regard to your behavior?  If so are then you are very fortunate because that is what God desires for you as well.            

            There’s a difference in not being concerned with our behavior and having the right amount of guilt mixed with humility. God will forgive us regardless of what we say and do; however, that’s only true for those who seek forgiveness with a sincere and sorrowful heart.  Those glib of tongue and cavalier in attitude are missing the point.  We aren’t supposed to live as we please.  Our goal in life is to grow spiritually, becoming more like our Lord each day.  We will have good, productive days and days when we wish we had stayed in bed, but regardless of what type of day it turns out to be there is always tomorrow.  So don’t get bogged down in the ‘what ifs’, shake yourself off and continue on moving forward in Jesus name. Don’t beat yourself up, just strive to correct those errors that you’ve committed and look forward to your next opportunity to bless someone in the name of the Lord.  Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing!

NOTE: The New Life Translation was used in this devotional.      

ENDLESS LOVE

1 Chronicles 16:34

“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good!  His faithful love endures forever.”

            The love of God is an infinite thing. Infinity - endless time. Eternity - time without end. Not just time without end, but time without end in the presence of Almighty God.

            Love. 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 is the only concise definition of love, listing all the attributes love is to have. Without an example, how would we ever know what love was? The bible tells us that God loved us before we even knew Him. How is that possible? It is not just like parents who love an unborn baby in the mother’s womb before he or she is ever born. Both parents created a living, breathing child through an act of love.  God created man through an act of love as well; that is how He could love us before we ever knew Him.

            For this reason we should praise God. Praise him for who He is. Praise him for the life you have. Praise him for the love he has for you in spite of yourself. Thank him for his patience with you. Ask him to guide and direct you in the way you should go. Seek to be more like Christ.  God knows what he’s doing. He loves us with an enduring, steadfast, unconditional love that will never fail and never end. Rejoice in the fact that even though he knows all your faults and failings, he chooses to love you because you are His child.

Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing!

Note: The New Living Translation is used for these devotionals unless otherwise specified.

Resource: The Life Application Study Bible, Tyndale House Publishers.

BEWARE THOSE THAT FLATTER

Psalm 12:3

“May the Lord cut off their flattering lips and silence their boastful tongues.”

            They are called schmoozers, conmen, manipulators and users.  They flatter and boast to impress with the ulterior motive of being persuasive.  Beware of such people. They come in all sizes and shapes, male and female, young and old.  They believe their power to influence comes from their words.  The power source of these manipulations is the heart.*

            It is our heart’s motivation that differentiates a good man from an evil man.  Since God is the only One who can truly know the motivation of one’s heart, we are not to judge others.  That being said we can be fruit inspectors. We can tell by a person’s words and actions the type of individual they are.  Scripture tells us in Matthew 10:16 to be “wise as serpents and harmless as doves”.  We must develop discernment to avoid being fooled by a flatterer.  Discernment is the use of keen insight and good judgment regarding what is being said and/or who is saying it.  It is a spiritual gift that the Holy Spirit can give us.

            God judges man. We are to lead men to God.  God is kind and forgiving; slow to anger, abounding in love and mercy.  As we seek His face we shall find peace and obtain the ability to deal effectively with those around us who may have evil intent.  Be spirit led. Block out the clang and clatter of this world and listen to the Spirit of God. He desires to speak to your heart.  Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing!

* Psalm 26:2 “Put me on trial, Lord, and cross-examine me. Test my motives and my heart.”

Luke 6:45 “A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. What you say flows from what is in your heart.”

GOD’S AMBASSADORS

Colossians 3:17

“And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.”

            Paul wrote his letter to the church in Colossae from a Roman prison.  He had never visited Colossae; the church was started by a few of his followers.  Paul had gotten word that the church had become infiltrated by certain elements of paganism and secular philosophy.  This letter was written to present to the congregation the absolute supremacy and sole sufficiency of Christ.  Nothing needed to be added to the teachings of Christ and nothing should be taken away. 

            This statement holds true for today just as it did back then.  There are many thoughts, theories and notions regarding Jesus, God, sin, Satan and heaven; so much so that it can make a believer not properly grounded in God’s Word become perplexed and confused.  I have written many times about our being an ambassador or representative of the Lord.  This verse bears that out.  We are to grow in faith and Godly wisdom as we travel down the narrow path laid before us.  We must read the Word and ask God for wisdom and understanding.  This isn’t some sort of game where we go traipsing off into the sunset with blessings untold simply because we are a child of God.  If we live a life that is void of spiritual growth we will end up slipping a malaise from which we may never recover.  Souls are at stake; lives hang in the balance.  We have been called upon not just to have our sins forgiven but also to share our story with whomsoever the Lord brings across our path.  We need discernment to know when and who to share with.  Some folks are primed and ready to receive; others may blow us off.  They are rejecting the Lord, not you; so don’t be discouraged.  You have the full backing and support of Almighty God regarding all you do in his name. 

            Pray daily for God to use you to further his kingdom.  He doesn’t need any of us to do what he wishes to accomplish.  He has chosen us for a purpose.  That purpose is to represent him by telling what he has done for us.  We are to tell others that he desires to do the same for them.  If we are rebuffed we are to pick ourselves up and move on.  God does not fail.  Man has already failed yet is being offered a do over, in a manner of speaking.  You have an important mission in this life.  BE Christ to those you encounter each day.  If not you, then who?  Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing!

Resource: The Life Application Study Bible, Tyndale House Publishers.