Unfailing Love

For Your unfailing love is as high as the heavens, Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds. Psalm 57:10 (NLT)

Unfailing love…pause and think about that. The Word of God tells us over and over again that God’s love for us is unfailing. The New Living Translation of the Bible uses the term “unfailing love” 130 times. If God repeats something in His Word that many times, do you think maybe He is trying to teach us something?

The Oxford Dictionary defines unfailing as: not failing; not running short; constant; reliable. In a world of broken relationships and self-centeredness, where dysfunctional families and divorces abound, it is hard to imagine what that term really means. In our sinfulness we have added conditions to love. We love our spouses as long as they are meeting our expectations. We show our children love as long as they are behaving and turning out the way we think they should. But what happens when they offend us? What happens when they choose a path that is different from the one that we would have them take? Does our love remain constant, reliable, not running short? Oh we may say that we still love them but love is an action. Do the words that we speak about them and to them show a heart of unfailing love? Do our actions convey a heart of unfailing love? Or does our own hurt and disappointment cause our love for them to fail?

God’s love for us is unfailing. It doesn’t matter how many times we disappoint Him or grieve Him with our sin. His love remains constant. It is reliable. He doesn’t love us one day and not the next. Think about the security that we have in knowing that He will always love us. We do not have to perform to earn it. Our performance has nothing to do with it. What a relief! If God’s love for me was based on my performance, I’d be in trouble and so would you. Isaiah 64:6 says that all our good works are like filthy rags in comparison with God’s holiness. I’m glad God’s love for me is not based on what I do.

His love is unfailing. He wants us to grasp the meaning of that, not just with our minds but with our hearts. We can rest secure in His unfailing love for us. As we yield ourselves to receiving His unfailing love, it will fill our hearts and then overflow into our relationships.

We cannot produce unfailing love by our own human striving. It is a fruit of the Holy Spirit’s work in our lives as we allow Him to cleanse us and fill us each day. Walking in obedience and surrender to Him, will make way for His unfailing love to flow naturally from our hearts.

Unfailing love….pause and think about that. Thank you God that You love me with unfailing love. Thank You that You never give up on me. I accept Your unfailing love for me today. I choose to cease from striving to earn it, recognizing that You have already given it to me. Help me to surrender every area of my life to You and walk in obedience to Your Word. Holy Spirit come and fill my heart with Your love that is constant, reliable, and never failing. Let it spill out of my life onto everyone around me. Thank You for Your unfailing love. In Jesus name, amen.

Remember today that You are loved with an unfailing love. God bless your day!

Jennifer

Do You Know Jesus?

The Bible says that every person has sinned and done things that are displeasing to God. We all fall short of His holiness and the Bible says that the wages for our sin is death, eternal separation from God. No matter how many good works we do or how good a life we live, we can never work our way to forgiveness and eternal life in Heaven. BUT God loved us so much that He made a way for us to be reconciled to Him and to have our sins forgiven. He sent His only son Jesus, to die on a cross for us. He took the punishment for our sin when He died. When He rose again from the dead He made a bridge for us so that we no longer have to be separated from God in this life or when we die. We have a choice to make however. Will we believe that Jesus died for our sins? Will we accept His gift of forgiveness? We will make Him the Lord of our life? Jesus promises in John 10:10 that He came to give us an abundant life. That life doesn't just happen after we die. It can start today. All of the promises in God's Word are true for those who choose to accept His gift of forgiveness and desire to walk in obedience to Him. You too can experience His forgiveness, His peace, His presence in your life. Will you make Him Lord of your life? If that is your desire you can pray this prayer today:


Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner. I believe You died for my sins. I ask you to forgive me and wash me clean. I accept your gift of forgiveness. Thank you for making a way for me to be reconciled to God and for giving me a home in Heaven. I want You to be Lord of my life. Help me to live for You. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit and let me shine your love so that others may see that You are the only way, the truth and the life. Thank you for making me Your child. In Jesus name, Amen

The Unopened Gift

It is a busy time of year with Christmas soon approaching. Stores are crowded with shoppers searching for that perfect gift. Checklists of gifts to buy and people to buy for are stuffed in our pockets, our purses and our mental storage compartments. Soon those gifts will be wrapped and placed under a Christmas tree ready for Christmas morning. Smells of baking fill our kitchens and decorations adorn our homes. Children’s anticipation builds as that wonderful day draws near. What gift will they find under the tree on Christmas day? Excitement fills the air.

On Christmas morning we read the tags and find the owner of each gift. With eagerness we open those gifts bearing our name curious and excited to discover what is inside. Before long the gifts are opened and we enjoy the rest of the day celebrating Christmas festivities with family and friends.

But wait! There is one gift left under the tree. Who is it for? Who is it from? The tag has your name on it. It says “from Jesus”. Did you forget to open the gift He left for you? You open the box. Inside is a note from Jesus that says: “I am leaving you with a gift - peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.” John 14:27 (NLT)

Do you know His peace? Are you troubled about anything? Are you afraid of something? He left you a gift of His peace. Too often we leave it under the tree unopened. We allow worry and fear and “what ifs” to consume our thoughts. Jesus already paid for your gift of peace with His blood when He shed it for you on the cross. Will you choose by faith today to accept the gift He has for you?

Jesus wants to have a gift exchange with you. He wants to trade your worry, your fear, your anxiety for His peace that passes all understanding. Are you ready to open your gift today? If so, you can pray this prayer:

        
Jesus today I give you my worries, my fears, my anxiety and I choose to accept and open the gift you gave me of peace. Your Word says that “you will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on You.”(Isaiah 26:3 NLT) Jesus today I choose to fix my thoughts on You and not on the things that would cause me to worry or fear. I choose to trust that You care for me and that You will take care of the things that concern me as I rest in the peace that You have given me. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen

Now enjoy the rest of your day sharing your new gift with your family and friends!

Jennifer

Reflections in the Light

An unexpected power outage last night brought out the candles and oil lamps once again in our home. This morning I couldn’t help but light the oil lamp and watch the flame as I arrived at my secret place to meet with the Lord.  So here I sit, by the light of that one lamp, staring intently at the brightness of a single flame. Why is it that the light draws our attention? Instead of being consumed with all the darkness surrounding it, we are drawn to give all our focus to that one source of light. The power of its attraction is undeniable. It reminds me of another light.

Jesus came to be a light in this dark world and He too drew people’s attention. Everywhere He went crowds flocked to see Him. They listened intently as He spoke, drinking in each word He said. Those who continued to stay focused on the Light spread His message around the world for all to see and hear. Today, we who are believers in His message are also light bearers. We carry His flame in this world darkened by sin.

Are we keeping our lamps filled with the oil of the Holy Spirit as we await the return of the Bridegroom? Are we burning brightly for Him so that others are drawn to know Him? Do people see Jesus in us? Matthew 5:14 says: “You are the light of the world – like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.” (NLT)

When we make spending time in His presence a priority, He will abide [make His dwelling] in us (John 15:5) and in so doing will enable us to bear much fruit for His Kingdom. A lamp left unattended will be ineffective at drawing others out of darkness into the light. We must keep tending to our lamps by filling our minds with the Word of God, by communing with Him in prayer, by repentance and confession of our sin as the Spirit reveals it, and by keeping a song of praise on our lips and an attitude of worship in our hearts. Only then will we be able to burn brightly for Him in this sin darkened world.

I don’t know about you, but I’ve got some lamp tending to do today. God bless your day as you spend it with Him.

Jennifer

Isaiah 40:31 (NLT)

But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.