May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13
Ephesians
3:16-19
I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with
power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may
dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being
rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the
Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is
the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that
you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
I taste the
love Jesus bestows on me.
Steam rose
from the toasted English muffin. I popped it onto my plate, then scooped butter
from the plastic tub. As I spread the dairy goodness over the muffin, the
butter melted and oozed into every nook and cranny and soaked deep into the
bread. When I bit into my breakfast, the butter melted into my mouth and filled
me with delight.
The way the
butter melted into every space and filled up all the dips reminded me of the way
Jesus' love pours over me. His compassion drenches my heart, mind, soul, and very
being. He replaces the emptiness in my soul with his power and strength. I wish
I could say everyday life is easy because of Jesus' love, but that would be a
lie. Pain and sin creep in. Despair and stress take over. Paul and Barnabas said
in the book of Acts, “We must go through many hardships to enter the
kingdom of God.” I know living on earth has many difficulties, but I’m thinking of the ones that are difficulties we have as believers. Life differs
around the world, so I can only speak of my experience. In situations where I’ve
been disregarded because of my faith, or belittled, I know God's love keeps me going.
We have the
promise to be filled to fullness, totally saturated with the love and joy of
Jesus. Praise God for his love.
Proverbs 11:25
A generous person will prosper;
whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.
For the love of baseball.
My grandson’s baseball team had decided to go select, which meant a steeper price to pay to play. To raise money for his fees, my daughter chose to make and sell heart-shaped cake pops just in time for Valentine’s Day. The generosity of people overwhelmed us. Before she knew it, folks had ordered over 700 cake pops. I learned, in short order, what an intensive process went into those cute little pops on the end of a stick.
On the Saturday before Valentine’s Day, Maggie, Sara, and I
started the process of cutting the dough into heart shapes around 10 am. Maggie had
already baked a bunch of cakes and mixed them with icing to create the dough.
We cut or stuffed the small heart-shaped cookie cutters with dough, then set
them aside to chill. Once they set, Maggie dipped them in melted candy and we
decorated them with sprinkles and more melted candy. At 4 pm Sara left and
Michael (Maggie’s husband) joined us to decorate and wrap each one in a plastic
bag and tie it closed. I left at 6 pm and prayed they were able to finish. From
beginning to end, it took several family members to complete the task. Dilly,
Dylan, and Emma jumped in after 10pm to dip, decorate, and wrap. They worked
with Maggie until late into the night. Then, Maggie and Zeke finished and
delivered them on Sunday.
I love that so many hands helped make the load lighter, and
so did Maggie. She appreciated all who helped, either in person or financially.
Proverbs 11:25 reminds me to be generous, not just with
money, but with my time. To take the opportunity to help others and lighten
their load. I love to see this in person and be part of the refreshment of
others.
When have you been able to help someone in need? When has
someone helped you?
1 Corinthians 13:4-8a
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is
not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is
not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not
delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects,
always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.
I read a post on Facebook recently, written to teenagers who
were developing crushes. The writer advised the teen to replace the name of the
person they liked for the word love in 1 Corinthians 13. I’ve also heard
pastors encourage their congregation to do the same thing with their own names.
It’s good advice on both counts.
Love is patient. Whoa! One of the most difficult
characteristics to nurture is the very first one Paul, the author of
Corinthians, mentions. I used to cringe at the word patience, because I wanted
more. How ironic is that? Over time, God has helped me grow through circumstances
to gain more patience.
Love is kind. We talk a lot about being kind. My
granddaughter bought me a charm that said, “Kind people are my kind of people.”
I love it, and I pray every day for a kinder world.
Love doesn’t envy, boast, or think more of themselves than
others (pride.) Jesus gave the ultimate example of humility. The Son of God
died for me and you.
Love doesn’t dishonor. I enjoy a good joke, as much as the
next person, but I shouldn't put someone else down to make myself feel good.
Respect others.
Love is not self-seeking. Let’s look out for each other. Time
on earth is short compared to eternity, so why not take care of each other to
make the journey better?
Love is not easily angered. When I was young, I had a
temper, and I spent many hours praying for God to help me control it, and He
did. God hears and helps.
Love keeps no records of wrongs and does not delight in
evil. Start over every day, forgive, and rejoice in truth.
Love always trusts in God, hopes in Jesus, and perseveres
with the Holy Spirit’s help.
Love never fails because God never fails. We can’t do this
alone. We need God and each other.
Love makes a difference.
In this world of constant attention grabbing and alarm creating social media and news, I am thankful for the solid consistency of books.
I thank God for books, especially the book He inspired most.
I find myself excited to read the stories in the Bible. David’s Psalms inspire
me and give me hope and confidence in God. Luke’s accounts in the book of Acts
teach me perseverance and inspiration. The gospels teach the truth of Jesus.
God created words for us to communicate truth, to tell
stories, and to learn and share.
Do you have a favorite book? A favorite book of the Bible?
Matthew 9:10-13
While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and
sinners came and ate with him and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw
this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors
and sinners?” On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need
a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy,
not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
Jesus loves people. It doesn't matter who they were,
where they came from, or their occupation. He took the time to sit down with
the folks he met, get to know them and share with them His Story. Yes, he
talked to them about salvation because he loved them. Back in his day, tax
collectors were often cheaters who stole money for themselves from the
collected taxes. They were pretty much low-lifes in the eyes of the community.
And you can bet the religious leaders of the day didn't bother to even say
hello. Yet Jesus sat down at the table with Matthew.
Tax collectors weren't the only ones Jesus
befriended. His disciples were a bunch of regular guys who were sometimes a bit
clueless and smelled like fish. But he loved them and taught them about the new
kingdom, his kingdom, and his sacrifice. Then there were the women. Mary
Magdalene had been filled with demons. Jesus cast them out of her, and she
followed him. He loved children and protected them. He loved older people, sick
people, and sinners. Jesus wasn't a push-over. He was a caretaker, one who
wanted the best for everyone he met. And that best is salvation. So you might
be surprised who the Lord hung out with. It wasn't the kings or queens, rabbis
or teachers. Oh, he spoke with them, too. But he spent his precious time on
earth with regular people. Like you and me. And he still wants to, through us.
He invited regular old Joes and Janes to take up the
cross and follow him. He included the lame, the lepers, and the dying into his
fold. He healed and loved. Knowing how Jesus cared for people, how can I do any
less? It's hard for me because I'm not exactly a people person, yet God puts
folks in my path and says love them. With his help, I do.
How about you? Who has Jesus called you to love? Who
has he asked you to share his story with?