Discovering what love is one day at a time
I am always delighted and amazed at the length that God goes to show me how much He loves me. I was just thinking back over the Scripture that says “and they were naked… and were not ashamed.” I remember I had an opportunity in high school to go to a student government retreat held at Bethel College in the summertime. I was not really excited about the student government aspect, but a trip to a different town, was a big deal. I remember wandering the campus with a couple of the other girls, and finding a small work-out room with a guy lifting weights, after a very brief conversation and $10 from my pocket, I was then the owner of the shirt off his back. The shirt was white with black lettering across the back of it that read, “…and they were naked…and unashamed.” Gen 2:25 At that time I had no clue that it was a Bible reference, nor did I care. I just liked that it said “naked” and that nobody I knew had anything like it. It was my favorite shirt, you know like the ones your kids have that they wear everywhere, and that you have to pull off of them to wash. That shirt, that verse, is an example to me of what God’s desire is for all of us; intimacy, a covenant relationship with Him. Allowing God into every part of our lives, trusting Him in everything with everything, that is intimacy (into-me-you-see). God sees everything, but He leaves it up to us to allow Him access to our hearts. Sometimes we use other shields to hide from Him, other means to support ourselves. We substitute lies, or other things that exalt themselves as the answer over the knowledge of God. God calls that an idol, a vain and worthless thing… Yet God’s mercy is so very great… in the book of Genesis, we see many examples of His great mercy. God shared with Abraham His plans to go and see whether the people of Sodom have done altogether according to the outcry that was against them that He had heard. Abraham spoke with the Lord in regards to the lives found in Sodom…that if there be ten righteous found there, would He not destroy it? God rescued Lot, his two daughters and Lot’s wife before He destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah all the plain, all the inhabitants, and all the vegetation that grew there. Lot’s wife looked back, and was turned into a pillar of salt. The things that we put our trust in other than the Lord cause us great harm. He feeds on ashes…a deceived heart turns him aside, he cannot deliver his own soul, nor say, “Is there not a lie in my right hand?” Is 44:20 In Genesis 15, God tells Abram that He would be his shield, and his exceedingly great reward. He also tells Him to not be afraid. We are told to worship God in Spirit and in Truth…not to trust in anything other than Him, not to find our strength or support anywhere else, other than in Him. He is enough, He is sufficient; He is the shield that is all that we need. He clothes our nakedness with His righteousness. How often though, do we look for answers in places other than Him?Those other places are the things that cause us shame and great harm, those are the alliances we have made, whose strength is broken and cannot serve us that which we need. And yet, what is it that causes us to look elsewhere in the first place? Rebellion? Obstinance? Pride? Fear? May the Lord continue to break our hearts in order to show us our heart hardness in regards to the wickedness that we choose to hide within our hearts, and trample it out until it is gone. Create in me a pure heart O God and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
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AuthorI have been married to my wonderful husband for 29 years. We have two young men ages 25 and 20.. This blog is somewhat of a journal and attempt for me to remind myself of my purpose and invite others to join me in keeping an eternal perspective as we move through each day. Archives
May 2023
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