The Greatest Love of All

"This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you. "Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.  "You are My friends if you do what I command you.” John 15:12-14

Being the father of two wonderful boys has provided me with a perspective and insight of the way our Loving Father loves each of us-He loves all of us unconditionally, with a CRAZY LOVE. There are times that our sons do not follow instructions or even rebel against warnings, but it does not matter-I love them both unconditionally!

Sadly, there are many people who desperately seek some sort of intense love and care in their relationships.  Far too many people sadly do not realize that God loves them far deeper and greater than the most loving and caring human parent possibly can.  The evidence lies in what God did for us by his mercy and grace-sending his only Son to die on the cross for us, while we were/are certainly not deserving of it.

Today is Valentine’s day and if even if you are feeling down with the blues today, just ponder for a moment how incredible it is that the Creator of all of the universe loves you and me in such an unimaginable and amazing way!

It’s through our gratitude and praise of God’s grace and love that love flows through us and into all our other relationships...  

Listen Up

"Hear, O my people, and I will warn you-if you will listen to me, O Israel!"Psalm 81:8

Several years ago, I had the privilege of attending a Dale Carnegie class to improve my public speaking skills. One of the most valuable lessons I learned from the class was that ‘the best speaker is a good listener.’  It makes sense if you think about it for a moment. People are not nearly as interested in what you have to say as they are in having someone listen to what they have to say.

This concept holds true in the way we communicate with God.  Anyone can rattle off their laundry list of prayer requests, tack on an ‘Amen’, and feel like they have communicated with God. I am guilty of this at times and feel that I often do not spend enough time reading His Word and patiently wait for His response or guidance.

Have you ever randomly opened the Bible and found a verse that was applicable to what you were going through at that very moment? It was not by chance, I assure you.  God often speaks His truths directly into our lives through the pages of the Living Word.

Before we get too far into this new year, take the time to read Scripture more and diligently seek His voice. There are too many blessings that we miss out on because of our failure to listen.

Trouble

He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble. Psalm 91:15

The past few weeks have been an emotional roller-coaster for me and my family.  We adopted two puppies earlier this year, Linus and Lucy, and both contracted Parvo, which is a canine viral disease that can be fatal for puppies. After several days in the ICU at the UT Veterinarian Hospital, Linus is back at home and slowly but surely making a full recovery.  Sadly, we had to put Lucy to sleep and even though she was only part of our family for only a short time, we loved her very much and are still heartbroken.  While difficult and painful, the Parvo outbreak put our family in direct contact with many fine folks at Young Williams Animal Shelter and the wonderful staff at UT Vet Hospital, and we were surrounded with love by our dear friends and family. While I may never know or understand why this happened or why things turned out the way they did, I can say that similar to having a sick child or family member, this brought us to our knees and ultimately brought us closer to God. 

Sometimes when life is hectic or you are experiencing troubles, it may not seem like it, but rest assured that God is in control.  He is still omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient, and He will always be.

When facing difficulties, we shouldn't question “Why did God let this happen to me?”  The godly response and one of complete trust is “Father, what do you want me to learn in response to this?”

Thanks be to God!

Slow Down

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you...many are the woes of the wicked, but the Lord's unfailing love surrounds the man who trusts in him.  Psalm 32:8; 10

I ran into the grocery store the other day and noticed the front of the store was covered in Valentine's day decorations and it made me realize that another holiday is quickly approaching. The flowers and cards made me ponder this question, "where has all of the time gone?"  It feels like it was just yesterday that we were celebrating Christmas and now Valentine's day is this Tuesday??? Whoa!  We have neighbors who still have their Christmas decorations up in the subdivision!

Something that we can easily forget to do when we become so 'busy' with the demands of each day is to forget to spend time with our loving Father.  It's a shame, and I am certainly guilty as charged, but just like any good relationship, we must give God time every day if we ever want to deepen our walk of faith.

Ponder this for a moment...God is omnipotent, right?  So, if we are to slow down and spend adequate time with Him, wouldn't He also have the ability to slow time down for us?  I believe that He can and will help us to accomplish more in less time if we are willing to engage in something that He loves so much-just spending time with Him-the Creator of the Universe.

Look at your daily schedule and make more time for God-He is more important than the meaningless things that seem to occupy the majority of our time every day!

The Road

This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ.  Ephesians 4:13

Our youngest son, Elijah, is growing up quickly.  It's hard for me to believe that he will be celebrating his 7th birthday in August, but I am proud to say that he is on target with all of the suggest growth standards-  spelling, vocabulary, reading levels, math, and is now even playing up basketball on the HVES Hawks team.   

What if a believer’s walk of faith was determined with a chart?  How would we measure up?

A believer’s perfection is not a flawless imitation of God but rather a process of maturing into a purer and more godly person.  Growing in godliness means becoming more like God, even when we fall way short of his perfect standards, and believe me when I say that quite often I fail to measure up.  

Let us remember that the process of reflecting more and more of God’s nature will be completed when we reach heaven, and then indeed we will finally be considered ‘perfect.’

I Will Comfort You

Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me.  Your rod and staff protect me and comfort me.  Psalm 23:4

Our children have an uncanny knack of bringing home whatever virus or illness is going through the school and for the past few weeks, I have fallen victim to‘the funk.’  Having a sick parent in the house can be tough and it’s a much different challenge when the boys aren't feeling well, as sometimes the only comfort we can offer them as a parent is to simply pick them up and just hold them in our arms.

Being sick or under the weather is similar to our walk with God, and often times works much in the same way.  When we seek our Father daily, by communicating with Him through our prayers and remaining obedient to His Word, He watches out for us, cares for us, and offers us His direction.

If we stay close to Him, like a child in his/her parent's arms, He will comfort us and protect us.  When we look for him each and every day, we begin to realize that He is always right beside us, regardless of what we are going through!  Thanks be to God for His compassion and caring that never ends!

The Lizards

For those who fear my name, the Sun of Righteousness, will rise with healing in his wings.  And you will go free, leaping with joy like calves led out to pasture.  Malachi 4:2

I have always been fascinated with reptiles that have the ability to regenerate their tails, when damaged.  These species also possess a mechanism for breaking off their original tail(s) when in danger or grasped by an enemy.

Much like the lizard’s tail, He who created our bodies, minds, and souls can certainly repair and restore us too.

A relationship with God is a powerful source of healing because it connects us with our Creator.  In fact, God loves us so much that he allowed his Son to suffer and die in our place.

He promises us that in eternity, we will all be fully healed and made whole again.