Tag: love

O Taste And See

I was recently speaking to someone who expressed some concerns about a, “youth fun night” church event she and her family had attended. She stated that she disapproved of the secular music that was being played, and the dancing the young people were doing. She said that because the lights were down low, the atmosphere was similar to a night club. She said it, “just didn’t feel right”, until the very end, when they finally played one worship song to close the evening.

After our conversation this verse in Psalm 34 came to my mind…

Psalm 34:8 KJB, “O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.”

When people come to the church, I believe they are coming because they desire to “taste” something different than what they have tasted in the world. We have the privilege of introducing them to the difference they are seeking…Jesus Christ.

It’s easy for us as Christians, to fall into the trap of thinking that by mimicking the ways of the world, we will somehow win people over. Jesus never used worldly tactics to convince people. He always spoke words of truth, and He lived by the words He spoke.

We must believe in our hearts that once people taste what Jesus has to offer, their lives will be changed. The lives we live, will be the first taste of Jesus that many will see. If we do not show them “something different” they will not know how amazing our Lord is. They will not know of His love, grace, and peace. They will not know that during the tribulations of life, He will carry their burdens and heal their broken hearts. If we do not help them to taste and see that our Lord is good, they may never know the joy of eternity in His presence.

Father,

Thank you Father for the difference Your Son Jesus has made in our lives. Help us not to conform to the ways of this world, but instead to be transformed by the renewing of our minds (Romans 12:2). Teach us to make knowing you and showing the world who Jesus is a priority. Help us not to be afraid to be different, so that we can share the beauty of that difference with others.

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

Praise The Lord!!

Psalm 146:1-2 NIV, “Praise the LORD. Praise the LORD, my soul. I will praise the LORD all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.”

There is so much that God has done. We have countless reasons to offer Him our praise. It is so refreshing to take time out to meditate on His goodness, and give Him thanks. It doesn’t matter what is going on in our lives or the world around us, He is worthy of all our praise.

It’s such a blessing to be able to look up to Jesus and praise His holy name. Let everything that has breath praise the Lord (Psalm 150:6)! I pray that God’s love would fill your heart today, and overflow from your heart into songs of praise.

Showing God’s Love – A Chain Blog Post

Thanks big brother Matt @ Jesusluvsall for coming up with this idea and tagging me in, “Showing God’s Love – A Chain Blog Post”. I hope also along with you, that we would all continue to encourage one another to show God’s love through these posts. ❤️

Link to Matt’s post:

Showing God’s Love-A Chain Blog Post

To participate:

1. Link the original post of Matt, the creator of this chain blog post.

2. Write a post on love.

3. Tag another blogger.

From my own personal experiences, I can definitely say that the closer I have gotten to Christ, the more I have learned about receiving and showing God’s love. When our hearts are open to receiving His love, His Holy Spirit works in us to heal us from any brokenness and pain we have. He completes us and makes our hearts whole. It is a process, but as God heals us, we will have a desire to share His love and healing with others, because of what He has done for us.

1 John 3:18 GNT, “My children, our love should not be just words and talk; it must be true love, which shows itself in action.”

At a church I attended in the past, there was a ministry called, “The Prison Letter Ministry”. You could volunteer to write letters of encouragement to inmates. The commitment was for one year. So I decided to sign up, and shortly after, I was assigned an inmate. Her name was Sherry. You could use the church address and any name you wanted while writing, but I just stuck with my name Dawn.

We were told from the beginning that we may not receive return letters depending on the inmates situation. So although I wasn’t getting any responses from Sherry, I looked forward to sending her letters and cards of encouragement. I wrote her for six months, before being told she had been released from prison.

Shortly after Sherry’s release, I was excited to receive a card at the church from her. She thanked me for diligently sending her letters and cards and said she was really encouraged by them. She apologized for not being able to write back while in prison, and told me she had been incarcerated for seven years.

I don’t know where Sherry is today, but I pray God is continuing to work in her life. When we are willing to be vessels for Jesus, we never know how He will use us to show love to others. I’m thankful I had the chance to help Sherry understand how much God loves her. I always realized that I could have been the one locked in the cell instead of her. But by God’s grace, I was one of the people who had the privilege of offering her support.

I still have the card Sherry sent me. Through her card, God also showed His love to me. Please say a prayer for Sherry, that God will continue to work in her life and bring her healing. Please also pray that God will bring the right opportunities her way. It’s very difficult for people who have been in prison once they are released.

1 John 4:7 NLT, “Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God.”

I’m tagging…

Jacquie at Joy Cottage

A Different 3,2,1 Quote Me

Thanks Renee at Heart Tokens for thinking of me on this tag! There is much happiness shining through your blog. I appreciate you!!! 💕🌻☀️🌻💕

Please visit Renee’s blog for “encouragement, hope, love, grace & Jesus” at:

Heart Tokens

The rules for this “chain-letter” are quite simple:

1. Thank the selector

2. Post two quotations for the dedicated “Topic of the Day” (in this case, “happiness”)

3. Select three bloggers to take part in “3-2-1 Quote Me

Psalm 40:4 CSB, “How happy is anyone who has put his trust in the LORD and has not turned to the proud or to those who run after lies!”

😊I nominate the following, thanks for your blogs…❤️❤️

A Writer’s Touch

God’s Kid Speaks

Imago Dei

Blessed With Full Assurance

Hebrews 10:22 NIV, “let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings…”

One of the many treasures of living our lives in Christ is the full assurance that having faith in Him brings. This assurance isn’t based on circumstances, and it isn’t based on our own abilities. It’s based on who He is. We are able to have complete confidence in Him, because of His flawless character. Things don’t have to make sense to our natural minds, because His wisdom and knowledge far outweigh our own.

Nothing can replace the full assurance we receive from having God’s love surround us. We can be honest with Him about our feelings. We can give all our doubts and fears to Him in prayer, and He will give us His perfect peace. He holds our future and He holds our hand as we walk through this life. Draw near to God with a sincere heart, and find rest as you rely on Him to guide you.

Our Motives Matter To God

Proverbs 16:2 NLT, “People may be pure in their own eyes, but the LORD examines their motives.”

Outwardly someone can look and sound like they are trying to please God and help others, but God can see their heart. He can see the motives behind each and every action. Praying and asking God to help us to be aware of the motives behind our actions is beneficial. Every act of kindness should be guided by His love. Having an ungodly desire for attention and credit can do harm to ourselves and others.

Unfortunately I’ve seen people manipulate situations just so they can get all the glory. We don’t have to drive ourselves crazy worrying about rewards. When we operate with pure hearts, God will bless us by making sure we receive the rewards we deserve.

Even in our prayer life, God wants our motives to be pure…

James 4:3 NIV, “When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.”

The will of God should be our primary concern. When we ask, we should ask according to His will. When we delight ourselves in Him, He promised to give us the desires of our hearts (Psalm 37:4).

Love should always be the motivation behind the things we do, because love never fails (1 Corinthians 13:8).

His Love Is Everlasting

Jeremiah 31:3 NIV…“The LORD appeared to us in the past, saying: “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.”

I’ve been meditating on this verse over the last few days. God’s everlasting love for us is the foundation that keeps us strong. Knowing that He loves us unconditionally, enables us to keep going, even when we are faced with the sometimes painful and unexpected situations that come our way. The steadfastness of His unfailing love is what gives us strength and hope.

No matter what obstacles you are facing, no matter what weapons the enemy tries to form against you, God’s love for you will never fail. When darkness attempts to overshadow you, the light of God’s radiant love will sustain you.

In Christ, no weapon formed against us will ever prosper. In Him, the victory is already won. God’s love for us is everlasting.