WHO IS GOOD WITH A LOVE THAT ENDURES FOREVER?
BIBLE PASSAGE:
“Give thanks to the Lord for He is good;
His love endures forever.”
(Psalm 118:1)
MEDITATION:
What are some reasons we give thanks to the Lord?
Two of the reasons we thank Him are,
– He is good
– He has an enduring love for us
Out of all the friends you have, how many would you classify as good,
with an enduring love? You may have friends who seem to love you,
but their love might be conditional. In other words, they are close friends
until you do something that offends them. Or their friendship may change
if they feel you are not returning their love in the same proportion as they
are giving theirs to you.
Some may be your friend until it requires them to sacrifice something
to help you in your time of need. It could be a physical need, or some
kind of encouragement to assure you of their concern for your welfare.
Inconvenience and selflessness can be acid tests of the sincerity of love
from others.
We should cherish our close friends who always love us and are willing
to be honest enough with us to tell us things we need to be aware of, but
may not enjoy hearing. We should understand the sincerity of their love
and concern for us, and realize that God may be communicating to us
through them.
Rather than being resentful or offended by things they say to us that we
need to hear, we should be thankful that their love for us has given them
courage to tell us things they probably feel uncomfortable saying.
I believe God places special people in our lives to be our sentinels
(aka watchman – one who warns someone as God directs them).
As God’s sentinels we have responsibilities, and we report to the
One who has assigned us this position.
But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does
not blow the trumpet to warn the people and the sword
comes and takes someone’s life, that person’s life will
be taken because of their sin, but I will hold the watchman
accountable for their blood.’
(Ezekiel 33:6)
It’s great to be able to worship a God who has a love that’s not conditional,
isn’t it? God’s love is unconditional because He is good through and through.
God loves us whether we love Him back or not. That doesn’t mean He is happy
when we sin against Him and disobey Him. God is still a disciplinarian. Why?
Because He loves us and wants what is best for us.
We can give thanks to Him for keeping on a “short leash” those who
belong to Him. When we are tempted to sin, or disobey His commands,
we can feel His loving tug on our leash. He is reminding us that we are
venturing outside the boundaries He has established for us.
Have you ever taken a dog for a walk with a leash? Did you notice how
much the dog wants to explore all along the way? However, when he gets
into areas where he should not be, we give a tug on his leash. How does
he respond? Does he growl and show his displeasure for our restrictions?
No. Usually he just bounces back to where he should be with an attitude
that seems to say,
“Oh, okay, I’ll get back over here.
I’m just happy to be walking with you!”
Of course, there are times when they can be overly attracted to something
and it requires more than just a gentle tug to get their attention and bring
them back to where they should be.
We should ask ourselves:
– What is my attitude when God gives me a gentle (or strong) tug on my leash?
– How do I respond to God’s guidance?
– Do I resent it, or am I happy just to be walking with Him?
– Am I glad when I feel Him tugging at my heart,
or do I try to break free from my leash?
– Does it frighten me when I start to yield to temptations
and cannot feel His tug?
Whenever we belong to God’s family, He wants us to be fully surrendered.
We know that God loves us, but do we love Him in return?
Does He expect us to show our love for Him? According to
His Word, the answer is “Yes”.
Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father,
you would love me, for I have come here from
God. I have not come on my own; God sent me.
(John 8:42)
“If you love me, keep my commands. And I will ask
the Father, and he will give you another advocate
to help you and be with you forever—the Spirit of
truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither
sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives
with you and will be in you.
(John 14:15-17)
Jesus gives us these two examples for measuring our love for
God. He says that if God is really our heavenly Father, then
we will love Him (Jesus).
He also tells us that if we truly love Him, we will obey His commands.
Some consider His commands as a kind of smorgasbord, where they
can choose which of His commands they will obey, and which ones
they will avoid because they infringe on their personal lifestyle.
When Jesus says love is expressed through obedience, He is referring
to ALL of God’s commands, and not just the ones we have chosen that
fit our lifestyle, or ones we like and can easily obey.
God reads the desires of our hearts, and He knows when we want to obey
His commands, but we fail at times when we stray too far from Him. He
also knows when we choose to willfully disobey some of His commands.
One last observance of the message to us from Jesus:
He tells us that when we show our love
by obeying all of His commands, He will…
“ask the Father to give us another advocate
(Holy Spirit) to help us and be with us forever”.
It sounds like Jesus is explaining ’cause and effect’, doesn’t it? If we
want the Holy Spirit to “live with us and be in us”, then we need to
show our love for Jesus by obeying His commands.
One day of the year has been designated as a time to pause and reflect
on how the Lord has blessed us in many ways. Of course, that doesn’t
preclude us from being thankful every day of our lives, and to show it
not just in what we say, but also in what we do. Our gratitude should
be reflected in our desire to live a life that is more unselfish and more
consecrated to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
As we enjoy the comforts of our homes, we need to remember that
there are many in other parts of the world with no home to go to.
When we enjoy our meals, we shouldn’t forget that a great number
of people will go to bed hungry. When we sit behind the wheel of
our automobiles, we need to remember that many people in the
world cannot afford a car, or even a bicycle.
When the Lord gave us an example for praying, it included,
“Give us this day our daily bread.”
(Matthew 6:11)
It reminds us that the good things of this life are gifts from God.
We should constantly and humbly thank God for the blessings
He has given us, both materially and spiritually.
ACTION:
Questions we should consider:
– How much do I appreciate God’s love for me?
– Do I show my love for Him in return, by obeying His commands?
– Have I established my own list of God’s commands that I will
obey, or have I chosen to humbly obey all His commands?
– How do I respond to the gentle (or strong) tugs I feel from the Lord?
– Do they convict me of my disobedience,
or do I ignore them and justify my actions?
– Is the Holy Spirit genuinely living and existing within me?
Pray,
“Heavenly Father, thank You for providing for me on
a daily basis. May my heart be fully consecrated to
Your Son, Jesus Christ. I want to live a life that shows
You (and others) that I truly love You and am thankful
for Your love of me. You tell me that if I want to show
my love for You, I must obey ALL of your commands.
Reveal to me any areas where I have allowed my personal
selfishness to replace obedience to Your commands. Make
me feel guilty for any actions of mine that are not pleasing
to You. During those times when I am weak and succumb
to temptations, create in me a repentant heart with a desire
to run to You, and spend more time in fellowship with You.
Forgive me if I have chosen to justify my disobedience of
any of Your commands. Help me to be aware of Your presence
in my life, and to express my love to You in the way You have
told us to show we love You (rather than my own perception
of how I should show my love for You). Guide me in fulfilling
my desire to point others to You. Everything I have materially
and spiritually are gifts from You and I am forever grateful
for Your love of me, and the blessings You have given me.”
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