LOVE’S IMPACT

“[Love] It is not conceited—arrogant and inflated with pride; it is not rude (unmannerly), and does not act unbecomingly.  Love [God’s love in us] does not insist on its own rights or its own way, for it is not self-seeking; it is not touchy or fretful or resentful; it takes no account of the evil done to it—pays no attention to a suffered wrong.”—1 Corinthians 13:5(Amplified)

God loves people and they are always at the center of God’s affection.  Stop and think for a moment about just one scripture, John 3:16—For God so greatly loved and dearly prized the world that He [even] gave up His only-begotten (unique) Son, so that whoever believes in (trusts, clings to, relies on) Him shall not perish—come to destruction, be lost—but have eternal (everlasting) life (Amplified, emphasis added).”  Put your name in this Scripture and say, “For God so greatly loved and dearly prized (your name) that He [even] gave up His only-begotten (unique) Son, so that whoever believes in (trusts, clings to, relies on) Him shall not perish—come to destruction, be lost—but have eternal (everlasting) life.”  It adds a whole different dimension to our thinking when we think, personally, of the impact of God’s love.

I often try to imagine what the Apostle Paul must have felt when love reached down and touched his life.  Paul was on the road to Damascus to persecute more Christians when God’s love intervened in his life and showed him a more excellent way.  The light of God intersected the path of darkness and forever changed the path of Paul’s life (Acts 19). 

In the Scripture, we can read account after account of people’s lives that were impacted by love.  Mary Magdalene, Dorcas, Lydia, Nicodemus, the Rich Young Ruler, Thomas, Phoebe, Priscilla and Aquila and Junia are a few of the people whose lives were radically impacted by love.   

I can add my name to the list.  God’s love impacted my life, saved me and delivered me from drugs and alcohol.  What impact has His love had upon your life?   

Let’s apply the scripture reading for today and ask the Lord to help us be mindful that His love in us is not conceited, arrogant and inflated with pride, and that we do not act/or react in a way that is rude or unmannerly or unbecomingly.  We do not insist upon our own way we are not self-seeking, touchy, fretful, or resentful and that we take no account of evil done to us and that we will not pay attention to a suffered wrong.  When we walk in love, we will be fruitful and produce good in our lives, the lives of people that we intersect with and in the kingdom of God.

Prayer—Heavenly Father, thank You that Your love in me abounds more and more.  Help me today to walk in Your love and to show Your love to the people I encounter today, in Jesus’ name.  Amen.

YOU CAN BASE YOUR WHOLE LIFE ON GOD’S PROMISES

“For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us.”—2 Corinthians 1:20

 

A promise is valuable only if the one making it has trustworthy character and the ability to carry through.  In today’s world, people may promise us many things, but do they possess the character and have the ability to carry through?  Scripture tells us over and over again that God’s promises never fail.  Our heavenly Father is truthful, faithful, loving, and all-powerful.  You can base your entire life on His promises, secure in the knowledge that He will do just as He has said.

 

The Christian’s life rests on the foundation of God’s promises for today and for the future.  That’s why my goal is to encourage you to read your Bible more and help you believe in and take advantage of the wonderful array of promises found throughout His Word.  You can trust everything that our heavenly Father has said because His Word shows Him to be…

 

Truthful—The Lord knows what is true and speaks honestly in all matters.  Numbers 23:19 says, “God is not a man, that he should lie; … hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?”   We humans are pretty weak-willed.  Sometimes out of fear we will make an impulsive promise, even though we know we cannot keep it.  But God does not need to do that.  For one, He never feels threatened or pressured.  But most important, the Bible says He simply cannot lie, “That by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God lie, …” (Hebrews 6:18) and, “In hope of eternal life which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began” (Titus 1:2).   His promises are based on His infinite knowledge and truthfulness. 

Faithful—Scripture compares the Lord to a shepherd who, “He will feed His flocks like a shepherd; He will gather the lambs with His arm, and carry them in His bosom, and gently lead those who are with young” (Isaiah 40:11).  What He has planned for us, He will bring to fruition, “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28).  Our heavenly Father does not waver in His intentions or will.  In Matthew 24:35, Jesus explains, “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.”  In fact, God goes out of His way to guarantee Himself for all eternity:  “My covenant I will not break, nor alter the word that has gone out of my lips” (Psalm 89:34).  Then He backs it up by doing what He says.

Loving—God is love, “He who does not love does not know God, for God is love’ (1 John 4:8).  God’s love for us was demonstrated at the cross.  He sent His son Jesus to die by crucifixion and thereby take the punishment for our sins.  The Savior experienced God’s wrath against iniquity so we might know only His love. “For God so love the world that He gave His only begotten son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.  For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved” (John 3:16-17).   This is the ultimate proof of His devotion to us.

 

All-powerful—Divine power created the world and raised the Savior back to life, so we know God has the ability to carry out all His plans.   In Colossians 1:17 we find that, “And He is before all things, and in Him all things consists.” And in Revelations 19:6, “And I heard, as it were the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty thundering, saying, ‘Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns!”  Our omnipotent Father will keep every one of His promises.

 

Prayer—Father today I lay all of my insecurities of not trusting You aside.  I understand that I can trust You with everything because You are truthful, faithful, loving and all-powerful.  Today I choose to trust You in everything that concerns my life, in Jesus’ Name. Amen. 

 

 

LET LOVE CHANGE YOUR LIFE

“But God demonstrates His own love toward us in, that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”—Romans 5:8

There is an idiom that says, “You can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar.  This means that it is easier to persuade people if you are nice to them rather than being confrontational.   God does not force people to receive Him, but it is His goodness that draws people to Him.  “… that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?” (Romans 2:4). 

 

The first of four things to know how love will change your life is:

love sees the possibilities.    God sees beyond where you are now.  Love sees beyond the wreckage in your life. The Lord sees you where you should and could be.  Love believes the very best for you.  “The Lord did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any other people, for you were the least of all peoples.  But because the Lord loves you, and because He would keep the oath which He swore to your fathers, the Lord has brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you from the house of bondage, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt” (Deuteronomy 7:7-8) . 

 

Love never gives up.   The times in your life when things look hopeless and there seems to be no way out, ask your Heavenly Father for help He will abundantly show mercy and help.  “Call unto Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know” (Jeremiah 33:3).   Rely upon God’s love and mercy in your life instead of your own human understanding.  “But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loves us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved)” (Ephesians 2:4-5)

 

love always pays the price.  Christ’s love for you has paid the price for the change in your life.  “By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us…” (1 John 3:16).  “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s own life for his friends” (John 15:13).

 

love always wins.   When you comprehend that God is not working against you and that He is working for you, it will change your life.  “What then say we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies, also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written:  ‘For Your sake we are killed all day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.’ Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, not angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:31-39).

 

Prayer—Father I thank You that Your “love force” is working a change in my life, and drawing me closer to You, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.