Tag Archives: Love

Feb14

Love Never Fails

Posted on by
Standard

Snow Valentine

And so faith, hope, love remain
[faith—conviction and belief respecting man’s relation to God and divine things;
hope—joyful and confident expectation of eternal salvation;
love—true affection for God and man, growing out of God’s love for and in us],
these three; but the greatest of these is love.
1 Corinthians 13:13 (AMP)
 
 

LOVE

is patient.
is kind.
does not envy.
does not boast.
is not proud.
does not dishonor others.
is not self-seeking.
is not easily angered.
keeps no record of wrongs.
does not delight in evil.
rejoices with the truth.
always protects.
always trusts.
always hopes.
always perseveres.
never fails.
(1 Corinthians 13:4 – 8a)
 

Love never gives up.  It is kind and puts others first.  Love is not jealous or envious and doesn’t brag or boast.  It doesn’t force itself on others, nor fly off the handle. Love doesn’t keep score of the sins of others, and always takes pleasure in the truth.  Love always protects and trusts.  It always looks for the best in others and never looks back. Love keeps going to the end.  Love never ends.
 
“Whoever does not love, does not know God, because                             

God…is love.”

 (1 John 4:8)

Jan20

Heavenly Hugs

Posted on by
Standard

Beloved

“Let the beloved of the Lord rest secure in Him,
for He shields him all day long,
and the one the Lord loves rests between His shoulders.”

Deuteronomy 33:12b (NIV)

Let the beloved of the Lord rest secure in Him:

As a child of God, you are dearly loved and cherished by your Heavenly Father.  You are a treasure to Him, and in Him you can rest peacefully and securely.  He will never leave you alone, and His faithful love for you will never end.   No matter what your age, this is God’s promise to His beloved child,”Even to your old age and gray hairs I am He, I am He who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you.” Isaiah 46:4

He shields him all day long:

God is a shield of protection for His children.  In His protective care, we have nothing to fear.  “In peace I will lie down and sleep, for You alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety.” Psalm 4:8 (NIV)   “But You, Lord, are a shield around me, my glory, the One who lifts my head high.” Psalm 3:3 (NIV)

The one the Lord loves rests between His shoulders:

As a child you might have run into your father’s arms if you were hurt or afraid, or even when you were tired and sleepy. In his arms you felt safe and secure, as though nothing could happen to you in that place of refuge. You could lay your head between his shoulders an totally relax, seemingly without a care in the world.  If you are going through a difficult time right now, imagine your Heavenly Father holding you in His loving arms.  Relax in His divine embrace and feel His heavenly hug. ~ His beloved child rests securely between His shoulders:

  • If you are afraid, He calms your fears.
  • If you are in pain, He comforts you.
  • If you are sick, He heals you.
  • If you are heart-broken, He consoles you.
  • If you are in danger, He protects you.
  • If you are weary, He gives you rest.
  • If you are discouraged, He encourages you.
  • If you are weary, He gives you rest…

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” ~Jesus  Matthew 11:28(NIV)

“…and in the wilderness. There you saw how the Lord your God carried you, as a father carries his son, all the way you went until you reached this place.”  Deuteronomy 1:31

“He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in His arms and carries them close to His heart; He gently leads those that have young.” Isaiah 40:11

Mar31

He has risen!

Posted on by
Standard

IMG_7286 - Version 2

“Don’t be alarmed,” he said.

“You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified.

He has risen!

He is not here.

See the place where they laid him.

Mark 16:6

 

“Who believes what we’ve heard and seen?
    Who would have thought God’s saving power would look like this?

The fact is, it was our pains he carried—
    our disfigurements, all the things wrong with us.
We thought he brought it on himself,
    that God was punishing him for his own failures.
But it was our sins that did that to him,
    that ripped and tore and crushed him—our sins!
He took the punishment, and that made us whole.
    Through his bruises we get healed.

The plan was that he give himself as an offering for sin
    so that he’d see life come from it—life, life, and more life.
    And God’s plan will deeply prosper through him.

Out of that terrible travail of soul,
    he’ll see that it’s worth it and be glad he did it.
Through what he experienced, my righteous one, my servant,
    will make many “righteous ones,”
    as he himself carries the burden of their sins.
Therefore I’ll reward him extravagantly—
    the best of everything, the highest honors—
Because he looked death in the face and didn’t flinch,
    because he embraced the company of the lowest.
He took on his own shoulders the sin of the many,
    he took up the cause of all the black sheep.”

Isaiah 53:1,4-5,10-12 MSG

The suffering, death and resurrection of God’s only son, Jesus Christ, resulted in forgiveness made available to all mankind…including you!  No matter what you have done in your life, no matter what sort of sins or wrongdoings you have committed, no matter how unworthy you feel of God’s love, Jesus’ work on the cross included YOU.

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Romans 5:8

Believers in Jesus are forgiven in the sight of God, not by their own works, but by the great work of Christ, the Messiah, on the cross.  By claiming Christ as our Savior and Lord, believers are stripped of the condemnation brought on by their sins, and they are clothed in the goodness of Jesus.

 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

“Who believes what we’ve heard and seen?  Who would have thought God’s saving power would look like this?”

Do you believe in the saving power of Jesus Christ?

Feb5

Mountain-Moving Faith

Posted on by
Standard

IMG_2669

“…And if I have faith that can move mountains,

But have not love,

I am nothing.”

1 Corinthians 13:2b

I’m in awe of mountain-moving faith…the kind of faith that believes against all odds, without a glimmer of doubt, and beyond all obstacles that the mountain in front of you will be leveled.  The 11th chapter of Hebrews gives account of the Bible’s “Faith Hall of Fame.”  By faith, Noah built the Ark and saved his family from the Great Flood.  By faith, Abraham left his home to live in tents in the Promised Land and became a father late in life producing a line of descendants “as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore”…just as God had promised.  By faith, Joseph endured slavery and false imprisonment and rose to power in Egypt so that he could one day save his entire family, Abraham’s descendants, from severe famine.  By faith, Moses’ parents hid him for three months after he was born to spare his life.  Then Moses grew up to lead God’s people by faith out of slavery in Egypt by passing through the Red Sea on dry land!

The entire chapter of Hebrews 11 summarizes the lives of other great men and women of faith who conquered kingdoms, shut the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of the flames, escaped the edge of the sword, whose weakness was turned to strength, and women whose dead were raised to life again.  They wandered in deserts, and mountains and lived in tents, caves, prisons and holes in the ground, yet through faith they persevered. The Bible is full of these amazing stories, which dramatize mountain-moving faith in action.

These stories of faith are so significant to God that He had them written into His Word for us to read about them today.  Yet I learn in 1 Corinthians 13:2b that…”if I have faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am NOTHING.”

If God grants me the ability to “move mountains” in my life through faith in Him, it is worthless if I do not have His love flowing through me into the lives of others.  God’s love is always focused outward toward others.  The miraculous feats of faith, which we read about in the Bible, all had a grand purpose in God’s big picture and are evidence of His enduring love for His children.  Some lost their lives and died full of faith never realizing that their piece of the puzzle would some day help complete the masterpiece of God’s great love for us.

All of the people mentioned in Hebrews 11 were ordinary people like you and me.  They became famous for faith because they allowed God to work through their lives.  They said “yes” to God’s requests and trusted Him to guide them and take care of the details.  They put others ahead of their own comfort and convenience and didn’t take the easy way out in their daily path.  They didn’t realized that their actions of faith would one day make headlines in the pages of the Bible.  As children of God, we are each writing our own faith story today.  God wants to use our story to help complete His masterpiece.  You never know when a seemingly simple act of faith might have eternal purpose.  Allow God to use you in His grand plan, but be sure that love is the motivation of your mountain-moving faith.

…Because without love, we are nothing.

Feb1

The Most Excellent Way

Posted on by
Standard
IMG_9577 

And now I will show you the most excellent way.

If I speak with the eloquence of men and of angels,

But have no love,

I become no more than blaring brass or crashing cymbal.

1 Corinthians 13:1

 Love is the greatest of all human qualities.  In fact it is an attribute of God Himself; 1 John 4:8 tells us, “God is love.”  So if we possess special abilities, such as eloquent speech, but we don’t have God, then those gifts are useless ~ nothing more than a noisy bell, a clanging cymbal, or the creaking of a rusty gate.

 Love makes our gifts and talents useful.  God’s love working through our lives is directed outward toward others.  He has blessed each of His children with unique and special gifts, and His great plan is for us to use those talents in the work of His kingdom serving others.  He desires for us to use our skills and abilities to build up and strengthen others in our sphere of influence. 

 We all don’t possess the same types of talents and abilities, but love is available to everyone.  By allowing God to live through us, we are able to show His love to others.   God’s love blended with our talents creates a dynamic synergy with divine purpose.  This is “the most excellent way.”

 

Jan12

Listen for His Song

Posted on by
Standard

sunset at fountain_edited-1

The Lord your God is in your midst,
A Mighty One who will save;
He will rejoice over you with gladness;
He will quiet you by His love;
He will exult over you with loud singing.
Zephaniah 3:17

Take a moment to let the words of this scripture penetrate your mind and permeate your heart.  The same Mighty God who created the universe is in your midst.  As His child you are never alone.  Your Heavenly Father is beside you every step of the way.  He is always present in your life.  When the going gets tough, He’s not going to bail out.

God loves you unconditionally.  He celebrates and sings because of YOU.  As a mom of three sons, I know how it feels to “rejoice” over my children.  Be assured that my voice will be the loudest one cheering in the stands whenever there’s a home run, touch down or game winning basket.  I also celebrate other accomplishments with them such as good grades on a report card, learning a new skill, or making the team.  Truthfully, I rejoice over my boys each morning when I wake them up and each time they walk in the door from school.  So if an earthly parent can have such joy over her children, I can’t imagine how much more our Heavenly Father, who created each and every one of us, rejoices over all His children.

When you are fearful, hurting or sad, He quiets you and comforts you with His love.  Our All-knowing, All-seeing, ever present Lord knows your every need and thought.  He senses the pain you may be feeling.  He knows your circumstances and understands your fears with complete clarity.  Just imagine His divine arms wrapped tightly around you, holding you, consoling you, reassuring you, soothing you and calming all your fears.

God’s word is true.  So we can believe without a doubt that the Mighty One who will save is in your midst.  He is rejoicing over you.  He is quieting you by His love.  And your Heavenly Father is singing loudly over you with joy.  Acknowledge His presence in your life.  Sense His joy and gladness over you.  Feel His comfort, and listen for His loud singing throughout your day.

Jul23

God’s Limitless Love

Posted on by
Standard

If you ever find it difficult to comprehend the vastness of God’s love for you, He has placed a constant reminder in the beauty of the heavens. Lift your eyes from your daily grind and earthly concerns. Take a moment to gaze at God’s handiwork in the sky. Hear the whispers of His limitless love and embrace the truth of His eternal faithfulness to you.  Understand that His great love is for everyone…including you.

As surely as the sun rises and sets each day, His boundless love for you continues into eternity.

  • “For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His love for those who fear Him.” Psalm 103:11
Feb13

True Love

Posted on by
Standard

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.

Feb12

The Definition of Love

Posted on by
Standard

God is love.

We love because he first loved us.

1 John 4:16b, 19 NLV


My oldest son’s favorite movie as a little boy was (and still is!) Toy Story. In the movie the character, Buzz Lightyear, is famous for the phrase, “To infinity and beyond…!” My sweet son took that phrase and used it to try and describe how much he loved me – “to infinity and beyond…”, and I would respond by telling him, “I love you more…”

The truth is that God loves all of us even more than that! It is unfathomable to think of the magnitude of God’s love for us. He is the definition of love, and He loved you and me before He created the earth and everything in it. He loved us before the beginning of time and will continue to love us into eternity…and beyond!

God’s love is the source of all human love, and He is the only reason we are able to love others. His love does not fade over time. It doesn’t change depending upon His mood, and it definitely does not disappear if we make a mistake… or multiple mistakes. His love is forgiving, kind, compassionate and eternal. The way we love others is a true testament to our love for God. How we treat the people around us – family members, neighbors, friends, co-workers, store clerks, even strangers – is evidence of our love for our Heavenly Father. By allowing our hearts to be filled with His love, we can in turn love others around us with His divine love.

God loves you – to eternity and beyond!