Tag Archives: love

How little we see—How little we love

Posted on by
2
SH_190528-9011-Edit

How great is God’s love for us.

Praise the Lord!
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good!
His faithful love endures forever.
Who can list the glorious miracles of the Lord?
Who can ever praise him enough? Psalm 106:1-2 NLT

“Who can list the miracles of the LORD,” implies we are only seeing a small portion of what the LORD is doing. These miraculous happenings arise from God’s goodness and enduring love. His mighty love holds me even when I cannot see it. A simile for comparing our knowledge to what God is actually doing would be like looking out upon the trees and flowering fields, and all you think is that the lawn needs mowing. But the truth is if we saw life with clear eyes the wonder would blow us away and cause us to kneel in praise to God. That is why the Psalmist says—who can ever praise Him enough?

Fortunately, God’s goodness and love are poured out regardless of our level of understanding. But the ability to enjoy His gift depends on our hearts readiness to receive.

This is easiest to see with God’s love.

My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. John 15:12 NIV

It is here we fall way short of loving in the measure we have been loved. Jesus calls it—little love.

Then he turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Look at this woman kneeling here. When I entered your home, you didn’t offer me water to wash the dust from my feet, but she has washed them with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You didn’t greet me with a kiss, but from the time I first came in, she has not stopped kissing my feet. You neglected the courtesy of olive oil to anoint my head, but she has anointed my feet with rare perfume.
I tell you, her sins—and they are many—have been forgiven, so she has shown me much love. But a person who is forgiven little shows only little love.” Luke 7:44-47 NLT

This “little love” not only chokes our love of God, but makes us apathetic to the pain of those around us. An example is racism. Most people feel they aren’t racist. But our feelings are not the measure here… it is have we loved our neighbor as God has loved us. Our “little love” has resulted in a trail of tears down through the generations, from the cruel days of slavery to the killing of George Floyd and Ahmaud Arbury.

If we truly saw the enormity of God’s love in Jesus, and the pain our indifference to others has caused, it would drive us to fall at the feet of Jesus pleading for forgiveness and stir afresh the desire to show His love to our neighbor. Lord, cure us of our “little love”… O who can ever love Him enough?

Love Poured Out

Posted on by
1

 

SH_140605-9928-Edit

Water pouring out from Colchuck Lake.

Because of God’s love, I have life.
Because of His love, I am forgiven.
Because of His love, I can forgive others and be free to love.
Because of His love, I can lay my past at the alter and leave it there.
Because of His love, when I am lost, He comes to find me.
Because of His love, I know I will never be forgotten.
Because of His love, I know He has ordered all my days.
Because of His love, I know He will give me strength for all I face.
Because of His love, I have a future filled with goodness.
Because of His love, I can pray blessings upon my family, and know Jesus loves them more than me.
Because of His love, I can pray for those I have hurt and know Jesus loves them and will bring about goodness.
Because His love is poured out upon me, I will joyfully worship Him.

Because Your love is better than life, my lips will glorify You. Psalm 63:3

Hope Ahead

Posted on by
Reply

Spring is just around the bend.

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28

During the current COVID-19 pandemic and economic uncertainty this verse gives us hope and reassurance. It all turns on love. We can love God because He first loved us. We can trust Him because He is faithful, even when we have been faithless. We can put our hope in Jesus, because His name means God saves (Matt1:21).

I realize that some hurts run very deep (like death in the family), and I don’t expect this verse to miraculously change your tears to joy, but loving God will plant the seeds of hope, and trust… and just knowing there is purpose… helps.

Rightness of Creation

Posted on by
3
RAW_080419-3465

A beautiful design

The Lord loves righteousness and justice;
the earth is full of his unfailing love. Psalm 33:5

I rejoice in the rightness of creation—how it all fits together perfectly. This is another sign of God’s unfailing love.

The Shining Face of God

Posted on by
2
His eye is on the birds of the air…and I know He’s watching me.

Let your face shine on your servant; save me in your unfailing love. Psalm 31:16

A Morning of God’s Love

Posted on by
6

SHg3_180310-3085

Oh, what a beautiful morning.

Because of God’s love for me:
I am forgiven, and I can forgive others.
I am loved, and I can love others.
I have hope, and I can offer hope to others.
I have His life in me, and I can offer His life to others.
I can pray for my family and know His love for them is greater than mine.
I know His love will never leave me.
What a wonderful beautiful morning!

 

Redeemed for a Purpose

Posted on by
3

“I have swept away your offenses like a cloud, your sins like the morning mist.
Return to Me, for I have redeemed you.” Isaiah 44:22

God redeems us so we can be with Him.

Lone pine overlooking Yosemite Valley, CA

Sweeping away the clouds to reveal the beauty of Yosemite Valley

“The LORD your God is with you, He is mighty to save.
He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with his love,
He will rejoice over you with singing.”  Zephaniah 3:17

He has saved us to love us and rejoice over us.

Deep Roots

Posted on by
Reply

SH_131103-8259

Deep roots to stand strong.

There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. 1 John 4:18 NIV

There is no shame that the love of God cannot remove.
There is no anger where God’s love cannot bring peace.
There is no hurt that the love of God cannot heal.
There is no dark place God’s love cannot reach.
There is no imperfection that will not yield to the love of God.

Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. Ephesians 3:17-19 NLT

Let your roots go deep into God’s love.

Oh, the Love of God

Posted on by
1

SHg3-180808-6102

Safe in love

“Love” is a word used so often that it has lost meaning, and now can mean anything from like to lust. We are in need of a source, an epitome, of what love is by which all love is compared. To help us understand this word, God uses an earthly representation in explaining His love. When I tell my child “I love you,” it speaks of a deep personal affection and commitment. God loves me as His child and that love is very intimate and personal––just for me. It carries remarkable promises of all that God wants for me. This love is defined, and fully shown in Jesus Christ. Nothing is held back, it does not come in a measured amount equal to our response, but comes completely and unconditionally. Even when we are not responding to God’s overture, love is poured out in hope that we will wake up to its presence and receive it.

The most amazing thing about God’s love is that we can receive it fully, even though we do not fully understand it.

…so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Ephesians 3:17-19

Standing Firm

Posted on by
3

SH_180331-Monterey-3389

Pounding Surf

Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong. And do everything with love. 1 Corinthians 16:13-14 NLT

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” – Jesus, John 13:34-35 NIV

At the end of time how we have loved is what will count, what will remain.

And many will turn away from me and betray and hate each other. And many false prophets will appear and will deceive many people. Sin will be rampant everywhere, and the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. -Jesus, Matthew 24:10-13 NLT

Don’t let your love grow cold. Let the Word of God help you endure against the waves of hate.