Psalm 81:1-16
Have you ever noticed how sometimes when you read, a particular thought or message will just stand out to you? Well, as I read Psalm 81 today it seemed like verse after verse just showed me how deep God's love is for us. I was particularly moved by verses 8-10 where God is telling us if we simply listen to Him, if we surrender and open our hearts, He will be our all. (Thank you, Lord!)
So what are you doing to accept and reciprocate God's love? What can we do to help us be better listeners to God and what He has for us? Tami W.
For me it is an issue of faith. If and when I fully believe the promises of God and all that He reveals about Who He is and what He has done, then my love for God can grow to its fullest potential. When you cannot "see" someone or "speak" to someone it is difficult to love them. However, we have the word of God which speaks to us but I believe it requires faith. God has given us so many promises that reveal His love but do we truly believe them? Without faith it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6) but I also believe that without faith, we can't really love Him either.
We all want to be loved. It is a God given desire. He wants it too, as this Psalm says, "If only...". God gives us opportunities to show His love daily.
Yesterday, for example, my husband asked me to help cut wood for a building project (something I had never done until the night before). We had gone to bed late, and we were up before 7. I had the choice to say no, if I wanted to,and to sleep in (I have been sick and had a legitimate excuse to say no), but that would not have shown him love. Paying attention to my husband (what he was doing) showed that I love him.
God wants the same thing, I believe - for us to pay attention to Him. He has so much love to give, but we usually don't give Him the opportunity to show it very well.
Last night I watched on DVD "Pilgrim's Progress" Journey to Heaven - a modern retelling of John Bunyan's classic. I recommend it to anyone who has a tendency to forget some of the story...as I do. It was just so good for me to see it again especially in this format. This morning as I read Poweredby4, I thought about the movie as I was reading Psalm 81. People still don't listen...it took me a long time to pay attention and I am ashamed of myself for being so stubborn for so long. Paraphasing Matthew Henry again no matter how much we worship God, it is still not what God really deserves when you think about what He has done for us, but still God answers our cries for help and He set us free from our sins. God convicts us of our sins and allows trials to show us how much He loves us just as a godly human father would do...all for our own good and maturity development. Most thankful children will tell their fathers how much they appreciate their guidance as they were growing up even making them learn some lessons the "hard way". How much more we must thank our Heavenly Father for teaching us the ultimate lessons regarding our sinfulness and thereby forgiving us and giving us a fresh start, a new life in Hiim. God is not the reason for our sins. He gives us choices, a free mind and will to make decisions. When we sin, make mistakes, it is our own fault...not God's. Rejecting God, we lose Him as our Savior and we might as well forget about the reward, because it ain't gonna happen. One particular scene in "Pilgrim's Progress" shows a believer still thinking he can do good works etc. and slide right into heaven. You have to watch the movie to see what happens to him eventhough he is shown actually knocking on the doors to the Celestial City. It is frightening but also an eye opener. We (espcially me) cannot say I haven't been warned. Being Catholic for so long, it is hard to shake the good deed mindset and buying my way into Heaven, but I am working on it. One last thing, as I drank a piping hot cut of coffee this morning (made by God literally) and ate blackberry yogurt topped off with a few real juicy fresh blackberries, I marveled at the appearance of the berries themselves...have you ever really looked at berries...and the taste and texture....ahhhh..simply glorious. To think that this awesome God would take the time to come up with such beautiful fruit just because He thought "Hey, I bet my children would LOVE these (as He pops one in His mouth)." Think of this the next time you have breakfast...isn't coffee (for those coffee lovers out there) just fantastic....the coffee bean.....I like to think God loves coffee too.....probably deep dark roasted coffee with cream. Thank you God for every single thing you have given us and for everything single thing you have done for us, especially giving us eternal life. Can't wait to spend it with You.
Amazing how everytime I read of His love it stirs me to action.
I really enjoy reading God's Word and learning more about Him! I think it increases my faith in Him. I can feel His love and correction for me too! What I can do to hear God better is to spend more time with Him, in the morning would be the best time in prayer and in the Word! I am determined to seek His Face more and more!
Reading the Bible has a cleansing effect on us too! So dust off that Bible and plan to read it in a year!!