It is always so revitalizing/life-giving when we visit our 4 year old grand-daughter, and she gives us that unconditional welcome only a child can give. When she first sees us, she runs toward us, calls out grampy/grammy, and then jumps up into our arms, giving us a great big hug. You can only image what an awesome feeling that is?! For a split second, you feel like the most important person to her and she's filling us with all of the love she has! We truly cherish those moments.
And I believe God is also waiting for us to run toward Him, jump in His arms and receive His love, as we tell Him how much we love Him too. Oh, some of you may say that's different ~ we can't 'hug God'; or run and jump in His arms. Or, you may say that goes against religious protocol; or He's out there somewhere and we're here. Not true!!
The Word of God is filled with God's Love toward and for us! His highest commandment is to Love ~ love God with all of your heart, mind and soul (Mark 12:30); love your neighbor as yourself. How do we love God ~ with unbelief or unworthiness? No, "EAGERLY PURSUE and seek to acquire [this] love [make it your aim, your great quest]" 1 Corinthians 14:1.
And, the Bible is filled with real life examples such as the story of the Prodigal son and how the dad ran to his long lost son who chose to come back home ~ that's an example of how much Jesus loves us and wants to run and greet us, as we run to Him.
God loves us so much HE gave us everything we need when He sent Jesus to the cross to take our sin, our sickness/disease, and our sorrow/grief! That may not seem real to you as you sit there lonely, anxious about decisions, etc. But, put down your cares for a moment, and in that child like manner think about the love of God toward you!!! He loves YOU!!! He loves you with an everlasting love; forgiveness; a new life every day, if you need it! He is your counselor/your wisdom, as you make a conscious choice to run toward Him ~ through prayer and reading His Words of life. With such love, wouldn't you want to run toward it! Wrap your arms around it; grab hold of it and never let go??? That's what God wants ~ for us to run to Him with open arms, open heart, open mind!! Receive His unconditional love today!
God's Love and Blessings,
Michelle Lord Samples
www.fromtheheartlifecoach.com
Resources:
Mark 12:30 "And you shall love the Lord your God out of and with your whole heart and out of and with all your soul (your life) and out of and with all your mind (with your faculty of thought and your moral understanding) and out of and with all your strength. This is the first and principal commandment."
Luke 15:18-24 "I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.”’ “And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ “But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ And they began to be merry."
Friday, August 26, 2011
Sunday, August 14, 2011
God's Amazing Love
We are blessed to have three grandchildren!!! Before our grandchildren, I didn't think we could love anyone more than we already love our family! No one could have told me beforehand how much more love could pour out of our hearts Today, our grandson turned eight months old! Born seven weeks early, he is a testimony of God's goodness!
And yet as I think of how much we truly/deeply love our family, that doesn't even begin to compare to how much God loves us. Think about it for a minute. If we, as flawed human beings can love from the depth of our hearts .... how much more the God of this universe, creator of mankind loves us!!!
I encourage you today, to allow God's unconditional love to fill and surround you right now ~ whatever you've been through/are going through ~ know that HE loves you completely and yearns for nothing more than your love in return!
Resources:
Psalm 103: "...But the love of the Lord remains forever with those who fear him. His salvation extends to the children’s children of those who are faithful to his covenant, of those who obey his commandments..."
God's love never fails;
God's love never gives up on us;
God's love never runs out!
God's Love and Blessings to All,
Michelle Lord Samples
Resources:
John 3:16 "For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life."
Ephesians 1:4-5 "Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure."
Psalm 103: "...But the love of the Lord remains forever with those who fear him. His salvation extends to the children’s children of those who are faithful to his covenant, of those who obey his commandments..."
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
God's Loving Truth ....
Whenever I face challenges, part of my prayer is asking God to reveal truth to me ~ especially that which I would prefer not seeing ~ so I can see truth and then grow/move forward In Christ. Let's take for example, the issue of Offense...
Have you ever felt offended? And of course the answer is yes, because in Luke 17:1 it says "It is impossible but that offences will come..." (KJV)
When someone hurts us ~ in word or deed, real or perceived ~ our flesh can easily take offense and feel quite justified in how we feel, or worse yet, react/respond. And if we're not careful, with offense can come long standing hurt, strongholds, a sense of betrayal, resentment, abandonment, and on and on the list goes. What offense just came to your mind ~ from today, a week ago, a month ago, years ago?
We forgive those who have offended us by following the example Jesus gave us. Just envision Jesus, who was wrongly accused and hung on a cross ... What did He do? "And Jesus prayed, Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do..." Luke 23:34.
You may say, well...that was Jesus. Yes, it was. But, as believers, we have His power, wisdom and strength to follow His example. By the grace of God, we forgive, because HE forgave us! We love, because HE first loved us! ... And then we ask and allow God to heal our wounds ~ as HE surrounds us with HIS unconditional and trustworthy Love and renews our mind with His Word.
And though we forgive, we must also assure that our hearts are pure and that our forgiveness is deep rooted, not simply intellectual. Thankfully, God knows our heart, and that is why we ask God to reveal truth. For truth be told, even though we believe we have forgiven, something or someone may trigger the hidden, unresolved hurt from a past offense and we realize ... we really haven't forgiven!
So, I encourage you to observe your reactions to offense ~ what comes out of your mouth/heart ~ and ask the Lord to show you, through His Word, how to let go/lay aside and truly, deeply forgive. Forgiveness is freedom for us! And, as my friend Jayne says: don't let offense rent space in your brain! Fill it instead with God's loving Words/Truth!
Resources:
I encourage you to read John Bevere's book, "The Bait of Satan - Living Free from the Deadly Trap of Offense" with it's devotional. It has a wealth of information on identifying the traps and the truth of God's Word.
Matthew 5:44 "But I tell you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you."
Luke 17:4 "And even if he sins against you seven times in a day,and turns to you seven times and says I repent (I am sorry), you must forgive him(give up resentment and consider the offense as recalled and annulled)."
Matthew 26:59, 63, 67 "Now the chief priests and the whole council (the Sanhedrin) sought to get false witnesses to testify against Jesus, so that they might put Him to death; ... But Jesus kept silent... Then they spat in His face and struck Him with their fists; and some slapped Him in the face"
Proverbs 4:18-27 (Amplified) "But the path of the [uncompromisingly] just and righteous is like the light of dawn, that shines more and more (brighter and clearer) until [it reaches its full strength and glory in] the perfect day [to be prepared]. The way of the wicked is like deep darkness; they do not know over what they stumble. My son, attend to my words; consent and submit to my sayings. Let them not depart from your sight; keep them in the center of your heart. For they are life to those who find them, healing and health to all their flesh. Keep and guard your heart with all vigilance and above all that you guard, for out of it flow the springs of life. Put away from you false and dishonest speech, and willful and contrary talk put far from you. Let your eyes look right on [with fixed purpose], and let your gaze be straight before you. Consider well the path of your feet, and let all your ways be established and ordered aright. Turn not aside to the right hand or to the left; remove your foot from evil."
Have you ever felt offended? And of course the answer is yes, because in Luke 17:1 it says "It is impossible but that offences will come..." (KJV)
When someone hurts us ~ in word or deed, real or perceived ~ our flesh can easily take offense and feel quite justified in how we feel, or worse yet, react/respond. And if we're not careful, with offense can come long standing hurt, strongholds, a sense of betrayal, resentment, abandonment, and on and on the list goes. What offense just came to your mind ~ from today, a week ago, a month ago, years ago?
But, what do we do with that offense?
Jesus says, we are to forgive, as HE forgave us! In fact, Jesus says we are to forgive 7 x 70 times ... ouch! When Peter asked Jesus "How many times should I forgive someone who does something wrong to me? Is seven times enough?" Jesus answered: Not just seven times, but seventy-seven times!" (Matthew 18:21-22 CEV)
But how do we really forgive those who have hurt us?
We forgive those who have offended us by following the example Jesus gave us. Just envision Jesus, who was wrongly accused and hung on a cross ... What did He do? "And Jesus prayed, Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do..." Luke 23:34.
You may say, well...that was Jesus. Yes, it was. But, as believers, we have His power, wisdom and strength to follow His example. By the grace of God, we forgive, because HE forgave us! We love, because HE first loved us! ... And then we ask and allow God to heal our wounds ~ as HE surrounds us with HIS unconditional and trustworthy Love and renews our mind with His Word.
And though we forgive, we must also assure that our hearts are pure and that our forgiveness is deep rooted, not simply intellectual. Thankfully, God knows our heart, and that is why we ask God to reveal truth. For truth be told, even though we believe we have forgiven, something or someone may trigger the hidden, unresolved hurt from a past offense and we realize ... we really haven't forgiven!
So, I encourage you to observe your reactions to offense ~ what comes out of your mouth/heart ~ and ask the Lord to show you, through His Word, how to let go/lay aside and truly, deeply forgive. Forgiveness is freedom for us! And, as my friend Jayne says: don't let offense rent space in your brain! Fill it instead with God's loving Words/Truth!
Resources:
I encourage you to read John Bevere's book, "The Bait of Satan - Living Free from the Deadly Trap of Offense" with it's devotional. It has a wealth of information on identifying the traps and the truth of God's Word.
Proverbs 18:19 "A brother offended is harder to be won over than a strong city, and [their] contentions separate them like the bars of a castle."
Matthew 24:10 "And then many will be offended and repelled and will begin to distrust and desert [Him Whom they ought to trust and obey] and will stumble and fall away and betray one another and pursue one another with hatred."
Matthew 24:10 "And then many will be offended and repelled and will begin to distrust and desert [Him Whom they ought to trust and obey] and will stumble and fall away and betray one another and pursue one another with hatred."
Matthew 5:44 "But I tell you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you."
Luke 17:4 "And even if he sins against you seven times in a day,and turns to you seven times and says I repent (I am sorry), you must forgive him(give up resentment and consider the offense as recalled and annulled)."
Matthew 26:59, 63, 67 "Now the chief priests and the whole council (the Sanhedrin) sought to get false witnesses to testify against Jesus, so that they might put Him to death; ... But Jesus kept silent... Then they spat in His face and struck Him with their fists; and some slapped Him in the face"
Proverbs 4:18-27 (Amplified) "But the path of the [uncompromisingly] just and righteous is like the light of dawn, that shines more and more (brighter and clearer) until [it reaches its full strength and glory in] the perfect day [to be prepared]. The way of the wicked is like deep darkness; they do not know over what they stumble. My son, attend to my words; consent and submit to my sayings. Let them not depart from your sight; keep them in the center of your heart. For they are life to those who find them, healing and health to all their flesh. Keep and guard your heart with all vigilance and above all that you guard, for out of it flow the springs of life. Put away from you false and dishonest speech, and willful and contrary talk put far from you. Let your eyes look right on [with fixed purpose], and let your gaze be straight before you. Consider well the path of your feet, and let all your ways be established and ordered aright. Turn not aside to the right hand or to the left; remove your foot from evil."
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