I couldn’t get to sleep last night so I got up and had my devotions. The following is what I wrote:
Christianity is based on fact. On truth. On the character of God. It’s not speculative. It is not based on a lie. It is not based on a God who changes like the shifting shadows. A shadow is a distortion of the real image. Watch your shadow next time you walk with the sun behind you. Skinnier and taller than the original. (Maybe that is good?) 🙂
Jesus sacrificed His perfect life to secure our eternal life (in spite of our imperfection). Jesus’ love is eternal, unceasing, unchanging, rock-solid, and compassionate. Meanwhile, our love is temporary, limited, wishy-washy, mercurial, and selfish. Furthermore, God’s love has nothing to do with our own performance, our own good works, our own pretended holiness, or our own achievements (no matter how important we think they are). Our eternal life has EVERYTHING to do with His great love, His patient and forgiving love, a love that never quits. His love never changes, was laid down on our behalf, totally unmerited and unearned.
Does it get any better than that? I think not. Then why do I fight so hard to be accepted by Him and why do people fight so hard to push Him away?
An enigma for sure. But there is no puzzle with these words: “Save me and rescue me, for you do what is right. Turn your ear to listen to me, and set me free. Be my rock of safety where I can always hide. Give the order to save me, for you are my rock and my fortress…Your righteousness, O God, reaches to the highest heavens. You have done such wonderful things. Who can compare with you, O God?” (Psalm 71:2-3, 19 NLT)
In this day and age, we find it hard to give or receive unconditional love. We always think there is an “if, then” attached to it. But, in reality and thanksgiving, with God there is no catch!
True Pam. I think it is hard for just that reason. I rely on there being no catch in God’s love for me.
I love what Pam said above, Bill, because she is right on the money – there is no catch when it comes to God’s forever love. We are the ones who, sadly, get in the way of receiving it openly and willingly.
Blessings!
I agree with you both God’s forever love. I am so-o-o-o-o grateful for it.
Agree with both you and Pam, not that you need my agreement 😛 – The idea that unconditional love is given by God and that same love is expected from us to others… Even in that, God provides His grace because we are God’s perfect creation tainted by sin and the fallen world and so God provides His perfect grace to help bridge the gap of our brokenness. All that said, it isn’t anything we can work for or earn… It is freely given and out of that love and our love for God should come our desire to do what is good. We don’t do to receive love… we receive God’s love and that motivates us to do good.
I like what you said at the end Ryan: “We don’t do to receive God’s love…we receive God’s love and that motivates us to do good.” So true. That was the whole crux of James’ letter in chapter 2. We are saved by faith (Paul) but then faith results in works (James).
Great devotion Bill, and I agree with everyone’s comments. It is mind blowing that the Creator of all things, the perfect Father, wants to shower us with love, grace, mercy, God wants us to be His bride, His child, God gives us all of those things. The only thing that God does not do for us is, we ourselves have to accept the gift. If the greatest life changing gift is available to all who accept it, and so many people want to put a but, if, only, onto it, it just tells me that we as a church have work to do.
Your comment is on the money Gail. I especially appreciated your emphasis on our response. Amazing how we can be so stubborn!