Category Archives: God’s Love

Mar22

Blessed Roots

Posted on by
Standard


 

But blessed is the one who trusts in the LORD,
   whose confidence is in him.
He will be like a tree planted by the water
   that sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when heat comes;
   its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought
   and never fails to bear fruit.

Jeremiah 17:7-8

 

A tree planted by a stream doesn’t have to search far for its life-giving nourishment. Its close proximity to water ensures that it will remain lush and fertile, regardless of extreme heat or periods of extended drought. This well-rooted tree has several distinct characteristics:

  • It will never move away from its life-source.
  • It doesn’t fear extreme conditions.
  • It has no worries in times of drought.
  • It never fails to bear fruit.

 

Just as a tree planted by a stream thrives in any type of condition, our lives will be fruitful and blessed regardless of our circumstances if we keep ourselves firmly rooted in close relationship with our Heavenly life-source. By remaining deeply grounded in our trust and confidence in God, we can flourish no matter what sort of malady life brings. Faith in God eliminates fear and erases worries when we are hit with the extremes of life or when we face extended periods of “drought.”

Being blessed doesn’t mean that we will never see adversity. It simply means that we are internally equipped to handle difficult trials. When the winds of hardship blow, we can sink our roots even deeper into the rich soil of God’s love and soak up the life-giving nourishment of His Holy Word. He is our inner strength and our firm foundation. The blessings which flow from His throne are eternal, but we must choose to plant ourselves next to Him. By placing our trust and confidence in Him, we do not need to fear the “what-ifs” in life, nor do we need to worry about our future. He promises to provide, protect and guide us through any situation.

Blessed are those
   …who delight in the law of the LORD
   and meditate on his law day and night.
They are like a tree planted by streams of water,
   which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither—
   whatever they do prospers.

Psalm1: 1–4

 


Feb20

God’s Artwork

Posted on by
Standard

 

The heavens declare the glory of God;
   the skies proclaim the work of his hands.

Psalm 19:1(Today’s New International Version, ©2005)

He spreads out the northern skies over empty space;
       he suspends the earth over nothing…

He marks out the horizon on the face of the waters
       for a boundary between light and darkness…

And these are but the outer fringe of his works;
       how faint the whisper
we hear of him!
       Who then can understand the thunder of his power?”

Job 26:7, 10, 14 (Today’s New International Version, ©2005)

From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets,
   the name of the LORD is to be praised.

Psalm 113:3 (Today’s New International Version, ©2005)

 

Take time today to view the work of God’s hands. Listen for His whispers of love to you as you look upon His creation. Reflect on His glory and His unfathomable wisdom. Be reminded that the same God who created the ends of the earth also hand crafted you and loves you beyond measure. Set aside a time of quiet solitude to simply meditate upon this directive:

“Be still, and know that I am God.”

Psalm 46:10 (Today’s New International Version, ©2005)

Feb13

Our Awesome God

Posted on by
Standard

By the word of the LORD were the heavens made,

Their starry host by the breath of his mouth.

He gathers the waters of the sea into jars;

He puts the deep into storehouses.

Let all the earth fear the LORD,

For He spoke and it came to be…

Psalm 33:6 – 9

The same God, who spoke and created the heavens, handcrafted each one of us. We are all “one-of-a-kind” and special to Him. He watches over us and knows every single detail of our lives. He’s grand enough to hold the world in His hands, but he’s caring enough to count each hair on our heads and keep a record of each teardrop that falls. He never sleeps, and He’s always on call. He knows the special purpose for which He created you. Trust your Creator to lead each step you take and be with you through any situation – loving, guiding and protecting.

No matter what we do or where we go, we can never be far from our loving Heavenly Father’s comforting presence.

Our God is awesome!

 

 

Feb12

True Friends

Posted on by
Standard


A friend LOVES at ALL times…

Proverbs 17: 17

If you have ever been through a deep “valley” in your life, you know those few friends who were down in the dark pit with you, walking along side of you, lifting you up, bolstering your spirits, crying with you, praying with you, getting “dirty” with you. These are the type of friends who truly love you for who you are, not for what you have to offer them.

These friends love you even when you are un~lovely. They arrive on the scene and embrace you with genuine compassion when your face is smeared with mascara from flowing tears. They look beyond your appearance and love you for who you are inside…the kind of friends who love you with blemishes and imperfections, with dark circles under your eyes from sleepless nights, with wrinkles from worry, without makeup, with grey hair, …without hair, or with scars from life’s battles.

Even when true friends can’t be physically present, their presence is felt in your life. From hundreds of miles away, they send “cyber-hugs” to your inbox with emails, texts or messaging. They send notes and cards to your mailbox which miraculously arrive at just the moment when you need a boost the most. They send prayers to heaven in your behalf. In their absence, their words are like comforting embraces.

This type of loyalty is the greatest evidence of genuine friendship. These loyal friends are there to help during periods of extreme distress and personal struggle. They know exactly what to say (or not say) in times of heartache. They even know when silence in the only appropriate thing to “say” by simply allowing their physical presence to speak the words you need to “hear.” They show the type of love that “always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” Their brand of love “never fails.” (1 Corinthians 13: 7 – 8 NIV) Their love serves as a parachute or safety net when we are falling.  They cushion the blows when we are blindsided by circumstances.  They are not only around in the good times, when the relationship is beneficial to them, but they also stick close when the going gets tough.

Be thankful for your true friends who love at all times.
Consider yourself blessed to have these people in your life. The very presence of these types of friends in our lives makes us better people. They are rare and priceless treasures.

I’m thankful for my precious friends who show this kind of love, and I hope that I’m the type of friend who shows this form of love in return. Thanks to each one of you for living this example in my life! You are all like golden threads woven into the tapestry of my life, and I wouldn’t be who I am today without you!

In good times and bad times;

In happy times and sad times;

In prosperity and poverty;

In health and in sickness;

Through laughter and tears;

In younger days and golden years;

During births and deaths;

Through success and failure;

In triumph and tragedy ~

 

Thank you, my dear friends, for your gift of true friendship!

 

LOVE at all times ~ cbcooksey

Feb9

Know God by Heart

Posted on by
Standard

 

…Know God by Heart

“A servant of the Lord must not quarrel but must be kind to everyone,

Be able to teach, and be patient with difficult people.

Gently instruct those who oppose the truth.

Perhaps God will change those people’s hearts,

And they will learn the truth.”

2 Timothy 2: 24 – 25 TLB

 

A couple of years ago when my youngest son was in 2nd grade, he brought home a writing assignment on “How we should Treat Others.” As I read his simple words, my heart melted. It gave me insight into his pure heart, and made think about the fact that the world would be a much better place if everyone thought like this. I froze when I read the last line which says, “If someone doesn’t know God, teach them…don’t get on to them. Keep telling them.
Keep teaching them until they know God by heart.” With his 8-year-old hand, he had penned an elementary summation of Jesus’ Great Commission:

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.”

Matthew 28: 19 – 20

 

I was immediately convicted at the thoughts of the many times I had shied away from “witnessing” to others. My little son understands the eternal importance of knowing God, and he realizes that others need to know Him as well. He believes that we should gently point them to our Heavenly Father. Now when I feel the nudge of the Holy Spirit encouraging me to share God’s love with someone, I remember my little boy’s words, and it gives me the confidence I need to speak up and not miss the opportunity to plant a seed for eternity.

Here’s the entire writing assignment…in his own words:

How we should Treat Others

By Thomas, age 8 🙂

 

  • Treat others how they want to be treated.
  • Help people like you’re helping God.
  • Treat people like they’re part of your family or like your best friend.
  • If someone is new or something, let them fit in with you.
  • If they are left out, introduce them to your friends.
  • You need to help someone like you’re helping God or a family member or your friend.
  • If someone is bored…do something with them!
  • Or if they don’t have anyone to play with, don’t leave them out.
  • Don’t be mean to the weak! Be caring and loving and kind.
  • Don’t judge people on how they look! Judge them by what’s in their heart.
  • If someone doesn’t know God, teach them…don’t get on to them. Keep telling them. Keep teaching them until they know God by heart.

     

 

“…and a little
child will lead them.” Isaiah 11:6

 


 

Thomas

Feb7

God’s Unfailing Love

Posted on by
Standard

 

 

“…the earth is full of His unfailing love.”

Psalm 33:5 (New International Version, ©2010)

 

God’s love is dependable and true. It is limitless and eternal; it will never let you down or disappoint. Allow God to open your spiritual eyes today so that you may see glimpses of His love all around you… because “the earth is full of His unfailing love!” Ask Him to let your heart feel His heavenly brand of love. Invite Him to show His love to you today in a very special and unique way.