Tag: love

His Discipline Speaks Love

Hebrews 12:6 NLT, “For the LORD disciplines those he loves, and he punishes each one he accepts as his child.”

Discipline rarely feels good, but it’s good for us. God loves us too much to let us continue on in sin, which will eventually lead to death if we don’t repent (James 1:15). He wants us to lead fruitful lives that are full of purpose. His desire is for us to become all that He created us to be.

I’m thankful for the times God disciplined me for my sinful actions. Experiencing the consequences of my wrong choices, helped me to understand the importance of making right godly choices. Through Christ, we have the freedom and the power, to make choices that will bring life, instead of death, to ourselves and others.

God disciplines us because of His love for us. However He is merciful. He knows exactly what we need and when we need it. He knows our hearts and He knows our struggles. He knows the best way to work in our lives to get us to where He wants us to be.

When we have hearts that are willing to trust God and obey Him, then we know He will be patient with us as we mature in Christ. It’s a joy to know, that as long as we keep our eyes on Jesus, we are making progress.

New Day, New Mercy

Lamentations 3:22-23 NLT, “The faithful love of the LORD never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning.”

So many mornings I have remembered this verse and felt joy. The mercy of Jesus is new every morning. Everyday He gives us a fresh start. Even when we fall into sin, His love, forgiveness, and mercy will meet us right where we are. All we have to do is repent.

When the pressures of life come our way, and our energy is low, He will uphold us. He will give us strength to face the day. He will not allow us to be consumed. Praise the Lord for His new mercies! Great is His faithfulness.

Our Ministry of Reconciliation

I sometimes wonder what it’s like to be God. He is omnipresent, omnipotent, omniscient, and His love never ends. It’s amazing that in all His magnificence, He would still choose to use us as vessels to show the world who He is.

Once we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior, we have the privilege to be witnesses and help others come to know Him too. Through the power of The Holy Spirit who lives in us, God has given us the ministry of reconciliation.

2 Corinthians 5:18 NIV, “All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation:”

When God gave us His Son, He gave us His very best. We can’t see past the current moment, but He can see all of our days from beginning to end. The life we are living here on Earth, should be preparing us for our eternal life in heaven.

As we prepare, we can help others prepare too, by sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ with them. The message of the Cross and the power of the blood that was shed there, bring life to this dying world.

Mental Health Awareness: Being Sensitive to Others

This past weekend, I visited the library with my daughter. While I was there, I ended up getting into a conversation with one of the library aides. She began to tell me about her brother, who committed suicide just three years ago. Before taking his own life, he also took the life of his daughter.

As she was sharing details about this horrific story, I could see how painful it was for her. I can’t begin to imagine how traumatic this experience has been for her and her family. She told me that her other brother is now a advocate for mental health awareness. She mentioned the importance of people getting help when they need it. The suicide rates have increased over the years. As a Christian, I want to be aware of people, their feelings, and their needs.

My fellow blogger and big brother in Christ, Matt at Jesusluvsall, wrote about mental health awareness all last week. I enjoyed his posts, and I want to share his final post from last Friday, May is Mental Health Awareness Month – Depression and Anxiety. Please prayerfully read it. He made many great points for us to be aware of.

My prayer is that we would be sensitive to the fact that people are hurting. I also pray that everyone would have access to the mental health care they need. Please pray along with me.

1 Peter 3:8 NLT, “Finally, all of you should be of one mind. Sympathize with each other. Love each other as brothers and sisters. Be tenderhearted, and keep a humble attitude.”

Thanks for reading and praying. 😊

Thinking About Faith

I was out walking yesterday morning and I was thinking about faith. I was thinking specifically about the rest of this year. I guess like many of you, there are things I am believing God for. Even though I don’t yet have all the details of how things will work out, I’m learning to leave things in God’s hands. I’m noticing that by diligently communicating with the Lord my faith is growing stronger. Sharing all my concerns with Him, while professing His sovereignty over my situation, is bringing me to a place of peace.

Philippians 4:6-7 NLT, “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”

Peace is what God wants for you and me. He knows that we can only achieve peace, by giving our worries over to Him. We must trust Him to take care of us, because He promised us that He will.

Nothing’s Too Great for The Love of Christ

Psalm 136:3, “Give thanks to the Lord of lords. His faithful love endures forever.”

There’s no hurt or pain that’s too great for Our Lord Jesus. He lovingly carries every burden we have, if we will only give our burdens to Him. We can tell Him anything, and He still loves us. Over and over again, He still chooses to love us. Nothing can stop His love for us, not even our darkest sins.

His faithful love endures forever…

He knows all there is to know about us, because He knows us so intimately. In His presence we can completely be ourselves. He meets us where we are and patiently waits. He waits while we grow and learn. He waits while we learn to love Him. His love never ceases to amaze me.

His faithful love endures forever…

I’m so thankful for His love today and everyday. His love and grace remain the same. People may change. The world will change. But Jesus Christ, He’s the same yesterday, today, and forever more (Hebrews 13:8). No one or nothing compares to Him.

His faithful love endures forever…

God’s Glory in the Heavens

Psalm 19:1 ESV, “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.”

God certainly knew what He was doing when He placed the sun, moon, and stars in our view. At any given moment, we can look up and catch a glimpse of His glory. The heavens above are constant reminders of His majesty and power.

Our lives are in the hands of the God who spoke the beauty of the heavens into existence. The Creator who holds our Earth in place also holds our hand. His vivid imagination and never ending creativity are ours to enjoy.

The magnificent design of the heavens, is a reassurance to us, that He has complete control over our lives. Since the beginning of time, He has kept everything in perfect order.

It’s true that no eye has seen and no ear has heard what God has in store for those of us who love Him (1 Corinthians 2:9).

Since the heavens declare His glory, how much more should we?

Declare the glory of our God!