Learning Love

I am learning that the love of God is shown through His Word, His commandments, His correction, His leading and His guiding
In the middle of my foolishness and transcending my understanding
At the beginning, at the end…and in the midst, of the journey.


His perfect love can’t be bought by goodness
It is more valuable than earthly gain
But it is available to me, if I choose to accept it


The cost of His love is the surrender of my life
My passions, my pursuits, my dreams, my ideas, my creativity
My mind, my will, my emotions
My strengths, my weaknesses
My schedule and my plans
My independence and my personality
My desires and my future
My songs of happiness, my times of despair
My living and my very being
ALL are counted as nothing, as loss,
As possessions that must be sold to buy the priceless pearl


For priceless it is


Without beginning, without end, without measure
It means hope in the darkness and joy in the journey
Mornings of fresh mercy; nights of saving grace
It means laughter in my heart and on my lips
It means freedom and life more abundantly
It means a new life, a new character, a new reason
It is completeness, fullness, progress, sweetness
Abundance and satisfaction
It is everything I could wish for and so much more
It is beyond imagination


And yet, His love is tangible


It surrounds me in beauty and I can observe it first hand
I can feel it, I can see it, I can hear it, I can sense it
It is the whisper of confidence in my ear
It is what upholds me in the flames of temptation
It is what soothes me in times of confusion
It is what makes me dance in the fields of abundance
It is my patient endurance in faith
It is my shepherding influence
My quiet pool in the middle of the rushing river
It is my lush pasture in the wilderness
It is rod, staff, comfort
It is my table in the presence of my enemies
It is my oil of gladness
It is my overflowing cup of praise
It is goodness, it is mercy


His love pursues me forever


It is the Presence of God at my side
It is the pillar of fire leading my way
And the cloud to cover me in safety
It is my rear guard
It is my forward motion

His love is my victory!

Witness of Power

I am pondering this evening:

So often we ask God to prove His power. "Do something miraculous", we ask. 

In response, God calls us into a land full of giants to be defeated. He says, "I will show My power by defeating a giant through you! I will make My strength perfect in your weakness."

...

...

...and we throw a tantrum.

"God WHY did You bring me here where it's so hard?" We sob and wail, "I *hiccup* thought You lllll-loved mmm-meeee."

We want God to prove His power, but we would really rather not be the ones He proves His power through. We want God to prove that He is a provider...but we aren't willing to go through times of need. I fear that we humans are quite illogical!

God doesn't want us to be distant spectators of His power --He wants us to experience His mightiness. He will show us His power first-hand if we are willing.

Of course this means facing giants. It requires unflinching faith, costly sacrifice, and daring obedience when what God asks us to do does not make sense. Sometimes it may require changing our attitudes from fear to curiosity...not questioning if He can, but wondering how He will.

It means being like Daniel, faced with a lion's den.

Like Job refusing to complain

Like Gideon in battle with only 300 men

Or Noah waiting for rain

Like Abraham with his son at the altar

Like Esther who would die if she failed

Like Elijah dowsing the altar with water

Or Paul and Silas singing in jail

Like Moses before Pharaoh with only a rod

Like David honoring a fractious king

Like the the old woman bringing her last cent to God

Choosing faith in this moment is the important thing

In the end we have proof of God's power, a display of His love, and an experience to put in our pocket to show anyone who wonders just how big our God really is.