For God so greatly loved and dearly prized the world
that He gave up His only begotten Son,
so that whoever believes in
(trusts in, clings to, relies on)
Him shall not perish
but have eternal (everlasting) life.
John 3:16 (AMP)
Jesus is the missing piece to your life’s puzzle.
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Love never gives up. Love cares more for others than for self. Love doesn’t want what it doesn’t have. Love doesn’t strut, Doesn’t have a swelled head, Doesn’t force itself on others, Isn’t always “me first,” Doesn’t fly off the handle, Doesn’t keep score of the sins of others, Doesn’t revel when others grovel, Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth, Puts up with anything, Trusts God always, Always looks for the best, Never looks back, But keeps going to the end. Love Never Dies…” |
Today love has become a mixed-up term with little significance, and many confuse love with lust. God’s brand of love is directed outward toward others and is characterized by unselfish motives. This type of true love is able to forgive and forget, keep looking forward, and always hope for the best. It is characterized by patience, perseverance and unselfishness.
Love is an attribute of God Himself, and is one of the greatest of all human qualities. By allowing God to fill our hearts with His true love, we are able to express this pure version of love to others in our lives. This love keeps going to the end…and never dies.
So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I’m bankrupt without love.
1 Corinthians 13: 3 MSG
God’s love is meteoric,
his loyalty astronomic,
His purpose titanic,
his verdicts oceanic.
Yet in his largeness
nothing gets lost;
Not a man, not a mouse,
slips through the cracks.
Psalm 36:5-6 (MSG)
God’s vast love for us is unfathomable. It is deeper, wider and broader than our human minds can comprehend. His love is unchanging and never-ending. It’s sometimes difficult to imagine how the Creator of the Universe could care about the smallest details of our lives, but the truth is that even in His largeness…NOTHING gets lost. Be mindful of God’s attention to detail in your life. Share everything with Him. He cares about each tiny facet of your existence. Not a man, not a mouse, slips thought the cracks.
I remember the days of long ago;
I meditate on all your works
and consider what your hands have done.
Psalm 143:5 (NIV)
On New Year’s Eve, most of us are focused on the new beginning that we will face tomorrow with the birth of a New Year. But for every “new beginning” there has to be an “ending.” Today is a good time to reflect back upon the events of the past year and recall God’s presence in your life through each month, week, day and moment.
For some, the past year brought abundant blessings. It’s easy to thank God for good fortune that might have come your way, yet it is also easy to forget that all our blessings come from God’s hand. For others, the past year was filled with painful memories or difficult trials. During our darkest moments, we can lose sight of the fact that God is always by our side, helping us through any situation we face
Often we do not notice and appreciate all of the ways that God provides, protects, loves and cares for us along our journey in life. The fact that our daily needs are met is usually taken for granted. We have food to eat, clothes to wear, a warm bed to give us rest, and a roof to shelter us. How often do we stop and give thanks…genuine thanks…to God for these basic needs which are being met by His hand? Worse yet, we mistakenly take the credit ourselves for being good providers instead of recognizing God’s hand in the process.
As the past year comes to an end, I pray that God would engulf me with His spirit so that I may see my world through His holy eyes to envision His hand of blessing upon my life…even during the painful trials and darkest days of the past year. I pray that He would give me a spiritual mind so that I might understand His plan for each of my days ahead as His purpose for my life unfolds. I pray that He would give me spiritual ears to hear His voice as He speaks to me and that He would give me a spiritual heart so that I may love those around me the way He would want me to love them…unconditionally. I pray that I remain constantly mindful of the miracles He has performed in my own life and that I never take for granted that His favor and His hand of blessing is upon me and my family and that His presence never leaves my side…even in the deepest valleys. Amen.
I will remember the deeds of the LORD;
Yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago.
Psalm 77:11
I will utter hidden things, things from of old—
What we have heard and known,
What our fathers have told us.
We will not hide them from their children,
We will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the LORD,
His power, the wonders he has done…
Which he commanded our forefathers to teach their children…
So the next generations would know them,
Even the children yet to be born,
And they in turn would tell their children.
Then they would put their trust in God
And would not forget his deeds but would keep his commands.
Psalm 78: 2b-7 (NIV)
Every family has a story. The threads of your family’s story are woven together like a richly adorned tapestry, from one generation to the next. It is important to pass down your family history so that your children, grandchildren…and even the children yet to be…will know the roots from which they are born and the foundation upon which their lives are built.
More importantly, children need to hear their parents and grandparents discuss the evidence of God’s hand upon their lives. They need to hear the stories of the wondrous ways in which God has intervened for their family and the miracles that He has performed in their behalf. Hearing your discussion about God’s provision, protection, healing, guidance and love is a verbal affirmation of His significance in your life. Your testimony is vital to helping your children place their trust in God.
How will your children ever know this information
about their heritage if you don’t share it with them personally?
In the Old Testament there are many accounts concerning the “family history” of the Children of Israel, the descendants of Abraham and Sarah, and their story is recorded for us to read. God knew the importance of this type of storytelling, and He gave the Children of Israel specific instructions concerning this, “Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates, so that your days and the days of your children may be many in the land that the LORD swore to give your forefathers, as many as the days that the heavens are above the earth.” (Deuteronomy 11: 18 – 21)
As children of God, we are also part of this family, and we too can learn from these accounts. Not only do the stories include examples where God blessed those who followed His commands, but likewise there are many narratives explaining the consequences His people suffered when they failed to obey God’s commands. We learn from both examples. God gave clear instructions about how His people should live, and He told them, “See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse — the blessing if you obey the commands of the LORD your God that I am giving you today; the curse if you disobey the commands of the LORD your God and turn from the way that I command you today by following other gods, which you have not known.” (Deuteronomy 11:26-28)
Not only will your children benefit from hearing about the times God has blessed you for your obedience, but they can also learn from your mistakes. There may be examples in your life where you chose a path which led you away from God. Perhaps you suffered consequences as a result of those choices. Sharing these types of stories with your children will help prevent them from making the same types of mistakes in their own lives. It will also help them remember the importance of following God’s plan for their lives, so that they can avoid the pitfalls which come from following a different path. It’s possible that your story might even provide a roadmap back to God if your child has veered from His path.
The example you set for your children will be the one they follow in passing this legacy down to their children…and all the children of your family yet to be born. Remember the grand purpose of these types of discussions: to help your children place their trust in God, to understand His vital role in their lives, and to remember the wondrous ways He has intervened in their lives. The results will go down in eternal history!
Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens;
Who created all these things?
He who brings out the starry host one by one
And calls them each by name;
Because of his great power and mighty strength,
Not one of them is missing.
Isaiah 40:26
God is almighty and all-powerful. No one can even begin to understand or comprehend the breadth of his infinite knowledge, and no person or thing can be compared to Him. We are limited to our understanding of God by what we experience of Him on earth. There aren’t enough words on our planet to allow us to adequately describe His boundless capabilities.
The same God who created the stars and calls them each by name is the same God who created you. He knows you by name and fashioned you with a unique and special purpose. No one else on the planet is just like you, and no one else can carry out the plan He has in mind for your life. He cares for you personally.
He loved you before the beginning of time…before He placed the stars in the sky.
All around the earth are reminders to you of God’s character and capabilities. Ask Him to open your eyes to His marvelous wonders, and invite Him to show you the unending depth and breadth of His love for you. Just like the stars…He calls you by name, and you are never missing from His sight.
He determines the number of the stars
and calls them each by name.
Great is our Lord and mighty in power;
his understanding has no limit.
Psalm 147: 4 – 5
He who builds his lofty palace in the heavens
and sets its foundation on the earth,
Who calls for the waters of the sea
and pours them out over the face of the land—
the LORD is his name.
Amos 9:6
“How blessed is God! And what a blessing he is! He’s the Father of our Master, Jesus Christ, and takes us to the high places of blessing in him. Long before he laid down earth’s foundations, he had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of his love, to be made whole and holy by his love. Long, long ago he decided to adopt us into his family through Jesus Christ. (What pleasure he took in planning this!) He wanted us to enter into the celebration of his lavish gift-giving by the hand of his beloved Son.” (Ephesians 1: 3 – 6 MSG)
You are God’s beloved child. He knew you ~ and loved you ~ before He created the world. Despite any mistakes you might have made, He still considers you to be His treasured possession. Take time today to thank Him for His unchangeable, unending and unfathomable love for you.
30 And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers
That are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow,
He will certainly care for you.
Why do you have so little faith?
31 “So don’t worry …
Your heavenly Father already knows all your needs.
33 Seek the Kingdom of God
~above all else~ and live righteously,
And he will give you everything you need.
Matthew 6:30-33 (NLT)
Profuse blossoms of wildflowers artfully color the median along many Georgia highways. In some spots, their gorgeous display resembles a beautiful impressionist painting. I am amazed to see how they flourish there in the scorching southern heat, bordered by two expanses of asphalt, absent of any gardener or sprinkler system. If I try to produce the same effect in my own yard, I always come up disappointed.
The wildflower display is the handiwork of the Master Gardener, and it reminds me of His tender and unfathomable care for His children. Our Heavenly Father masterfully tends the garden of our lives. In the fertile soil of our hearts, He plants seeds of love, joy, peace, patience, and faithfulness. The light of His presence sprinkled with a daily dose of His Word creates the perfect environment for a fruitful and abundant life. As the tender sprouts take root, He is there to pull up the weeds of doubt, pride, selfishness…and worry. The more time we spend in His presence, the better the garden of our hearts can flourish and the more fruitful our lives become. The less time we spend with Him, the more cluttered our hearts become with unfruitful weeds, which choke out the blessings He has planted there.
By seeking God ~ above all else ~ we are tapping into the source by whom our most basic needs are met. Entrust the Master Gardener to care for your life. Place your faith in Him, and do not worry. Believe His promises. If you diligently seek God and commit your ways to Him, He will faithfully provide for your needs.
“Delight yourself in the Lord and
He will give you the desires of your heart.”
(Psalm 37:4)
But He was pierced for our transgressions,
He was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him,
and by His wounds we are healed.
Isaiah 53:5 (New International Version 1984, ©1984)
As we anticipate Easter morning, let’s reflect on Christ’s unfathomable love for us. Before we ever came to be, He was thinking of us when He became the sacrifice for our sins on the cross. He was beaten and pierced for our iniquities. He took our eternal punishment the day He was nailed to the cross. And He conquered death forever on the day He arose from the grave.
The glorious result of His sacrifice is in sharp contrast to the torture and pain He endured for us. We can have peace and healing thanks to His suffering. Because of His undeserved punishment, we have an open invitation to spend eternity with our Savior in paradise. He died, so that we would have the opportunity to live with Him for eternity.
For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son,
that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.
John 3:16
The gift of eternal life in heaven is available to all of us. No matter what wrongs we have done in this life, the Son of God provided forgiveness of all our sins when He died on the cross. The promise of God is that whoever believes
in His Son, Jesus Christ, will have eternal life. We could never be “good enough” to earn our way into heaven. All that is required from us is that we believe in Jesus Christ, who is the Son of God, the promised Messiah, the Prince of Peace, the sacrificial Lamb of God, our Lord and
….our Savior.
Take time during this Easter season to thank God for the ultimate sacrifice He made in our behalf and for His immeasurable love for us. Reflect upon your salvation from sins, and give praise and honor to our Savior, Jesus Christ. If you have been trying to figure out how you could be “good enough” to deserve God’s love, realize that you already have an open invitation to spend eternity with Him in heaven. Simply believe in Jesus Christ!
everyday encouragement 