“And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.” 1 Peter 4:8
Love, in earnest, can be a balm to a heart broken by the bruises this life sometimes leaves. Earnest love simply gives; it does not demand perfection or dwell on faults but looks to the heart within each person. It is concerned with the person on the inside, without basing rash actions and feelings on outward stumbles from grace.
Do you know one who can use this covering love in their life? Has a life been touched by error and negativity? Could they use the heart of another speaking to them, “I’m still here for you.”
God’s steadfast love rescues, restores, and covers us. As such, we, who were once recipients, are now dispensers and have the power, through love, to lift another from their struggles.
Real love works through patience and is very kind toward others (1 Corinthians 13:4). It does not keep records of every wrong committed (1 Corinthians 13:5). Instead, it releases offences over and over again (Matthew 18:22) and just continues to love.
Have you ever been denied this kind of love from the Father? The answer is no. Time and again, we have sought His perfect love to forgive our many wrongs, and by His grace and mercy, He did (Psalm 103:12; Hebrews 10:17).
Now, we are to be glad vessels ready to pour out to others the same love we have received, for “He that covereth a transgression seeketh love; but he that repeateth a matter separateth very friends” (Proverbs 17:9).
Is there a heart waiting to be on the receiving end of this type of love today? Let go of everything else and love like Jesus loves. You may help heal the brokenness of another.
Yes, you, dear one, are special. You are made completely wonderful in the eyes of our God (Psalm 139:14). You are a unique creation. You are designer original. There is no one quite like you because you are specially made to be, well…, you.
So, to what others may think. When the Lord fashioned you, He knew your characteristics and the way you would think. Don’t hide them but celebrate those tidbits of you that make up you.
Perfection, according to others, you may not be, but God sees more in you than you could ever believe. Grab hold of that beautiful truth, my friend. Let it rest deep in your heart. Let it permeate the crevices of your mind. You are His. He created you. Before you were even a concept in the womb of your mother, before the new beginnings of life were imagined, God beautifully knew you (Jeremiah 1:5).
Whether you believe it or not, you are so indescribably special to the Father above. When He sat molding you, one can only imagine the time He took to make you perfectly the beautiful you that you are.
At the potter’s wheel, He framed your purpose. He built inside wonderful gifts. With much care and attention, He fashioned you.
Run with the thought of all you are to Him today. Let the truth of His perfect design for you prompt you to continue to move forth in faith to where He is calling you, because you are specially made for this.
Nothing about you was left to chance. You are here on purpose and with a purpose, especially designed for you. Can you see it? Can you awaken your heart to believe it?
The battering of this world can speak so harshly against God’s design. But designed you are, and as long as you have it in your heart to believe in the wonderful you He created you to be, you can take on this day and His will for your life in confidence without missing a beat.
Whatever comes your way, be reminded of the unique love the Father has for you, and lay to rest everything else that speaks contrary to His truth.
“It is an honour for a man to cease from strife…” (Proverbs 20:3). There are some things we do not have to welcome into our lives. There are contentions we can choose to ignore. Some arguments don’t need our rebuttal.
Peace is so often forfeited because of the need for one to interject their opinions or to get involved in the things that matter much for nothing except to stir up the pot of strife.
Stop. Do not allow yourself to be pulled into what is fruitless. It is easy to offer your voice in a matter, but some things do not require your voice or participation.
“Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God” (Matthew 5:9). If it is not promoting peace and seeking a resolution of love, walk away. Where there is one who consistently seeks to disturb the fruit of the Spirit bearing peace (Galatians 5:22), pluck not from their branches, no matter how savory or sweet the delicacy may seem.
As a child of God, stopping and viewing this situation through the eyes and heart of God will help us to make loving decisions. Prayerfully take inventory of the situation before you, and ask, “Where is this leading?” “What end is this trying to bring about?” “What motives are seeking manifestation through personal involvement in this?”
If there is a negative response to these questions, then there will be negative fruit and actions as a result. Stop now, my friend. Refuse to attend the argument. Refuse to waste the precious resource and gift of today by not sowing into things that end in bitterness and strife.
There are 86,400 seconds given to us on this day. Each one is precious. Each one is to be cared for like the treasure it is. Each one is so important that it should not be wasted on things that tear down, on things that promote the opposite of God’s will for your life. Instead, Colossians encourages us to, “Let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful” (3:15).
Your moments. Your seconds, minutes, and days can be used for better things, more worthy of your precious time, other than discord. There is a special beauty in choosing to stop getting involved in what is fruitless and start promoting things that edify.
Instead of involvement in contentions, let us focus more on the giving of love. Giving of those things that beautifully promote grace and life. And the giving of those things that seek for peace.
In many ways, encounters mean everything to one’s progression forward. People judge others on first encounters. We often hear the importance of making a good and lasting first impression. It will determine if one should go deeper in the relationship or not. Opposite that, there are experiences with encounters that can go sourly wrong if not handled correctly. Think of a surprise meeting with a wild animal such as a bear.
Moses learned early on in his encounter with God that God cannot be approached in a haphazard fashion (Exodus 3:2-5). One must be very serious when coming into the presence of God. The standard has to be raised from the normal, and the steps which one treads to approach Him must be done with reverence because He is God.
Approximately two months after God’s final blow of the last of the 10 plagues, the death of all the firstborn in Egypt, and Israel’s departure from that land, the people have traveled and arrived in the wilderness of Sinai (Exodus 19:1) and are now camped at the base of Mount Sinai (Exodus 19:2).
Moses was then called up the mountain to come before God (Exodus 19:3). From that place, God began to speak words of promise and instruction for Moses to relay in the hearing of the people. God wanted them to remember their deliverance and how He brought them out of that land of oppression (Exodus 19:4). Afterward, God laid out stipulations for being in a covenant relationship with Him. Unlike the Abrahamic Covenant which was unconditional, the Mosaic Covenant had guidelines, rules, and rituals for the people to follow: “If ye obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant,” God spoke, “then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people,” (Exodus 19:5).
Moses then called the elders of the people together and relayed all of this to them and their status as a “holy nation” (Exodus 19:6-7). After, the people agreed to do what God commanded (Exodus 19:8).
But now that they have met with Moses and received these terms, it’s time for them to prepare their hearts, minds, bodies, and souls to meet with God. Moses was relaying all this pertinent information as God’s mouthpiece to them, but God wanted a one-on-one audience with His chosen people, His peculiar treasure.
As far as the purpose for that audience, God made it very clear: “Lo, I come unto thee in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with thee, and believe thee forever,” (Exodus 19:9). God wanted them to hear and experience His power up close and personal. He wanted them to hear and bear witness for themselves, as He spoke with Moses, so that they might believe and listen to Moses as His chosen leader, who receives His words and instructions and passes them on to the people. Although the covenant is for all His people, it was given to Moses; thus, it is referred to as the Mosaic Covenant.
For this “meeting” to take off properly, what the people do beforehand is of great importance. They had to consecrate themselves before approaching God. Filth had to be washed off, clothes had to be changed, and the people had to be sanctified (Exodus 19:10, 14), or “set apart.” Boundaries had to be set (Exodus 19:12-13). His sacredness was going to pervade that mountain, and the people needed to respect His presence. During that time, even intimate relations with their spouses were prohibited to be considered ceremonially clean (Exodus 19:15).
Friends, if we are to go deeper, if we are to be a people who will draw near to His presence, then we must, ourselves also, prepare for the approach as they did in the days of the ancients. Not with ceremony, but with sincerity. Not with rituals, but with a heart seeking an intimate relationship with the Father as the driving force. There is no greater place to be, nor any greater experience to experience than whole and beautiful, sweet fellowship with our God.
But when we start discussing rules, compliance, and the like, it tends to put people off. As we are born with the nature of free-will beings, sometimes it bucks against the very thing that is most helpful for us to have a better life. That is discipline, order, and obedience to the One who knows the healthiest guidelines for our lives to be directed by.
Any child of God should hunger to be nearer to Him than the day before. Therefore, daily, we need to monitor and adjust our approach if need be. We need hearts and minds prepared for the encounter.
How do we do that?
We must ready ourselves.
For anything important we want to do or any event we want to attend, we work hard to make sure we are properly prepared. Oh, how much more the effort should we put forth in readying to meet our God!
The people of old had to wash off any dirt and be sanctified. Is there anything that needs to be removed from your life that would be an impediment to the approach? Hebrews 12:1 says, “Lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us.” Everything that wants to hold us back; everything that stands as an obstacle to our spiritual success; everything that works against our salvation, preventing us from a proper approach.
The people of old set boundaries and had to remain where the borders allowed and not enter where they prohibited. Previously, I shared, “God’s Word is filled with instructions, commandments, statutes – lines, if you will, not to confine us, but to give us a life far greater. Jesus taught, “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it” (Matthew 7:13-14).” (We Need the Lines/WordforLifeSays)
His holy Word shows us the guidelines for the approach. It reveals to us not only the importance and how of drawing near to our Heavenly Father, but also life principles and directions that will help us to keep the pathway of relationship clear of obstacles and hindrances: “Great peace have those who love Your law, and nothing causes them to stumble,” (Psalm 119:165).
We are promised “In thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore” (Psalm 16:11). In that, we should not want anything to come between us and the moment of that great, holy experience. So, like the ancients, what we do beforehand will determine how close we can draw near.
The Bible encourages us to “Examine yourselves…” (2 Corinthians 13:5); prepare for our day of approach both now for relationship, and for eternity, where we will finally hear those blessed words: “Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord” (Matthew 25:23). For it is then and there, we will experience the Holy Encounter like never before.
God’s desire has always been to have an up-close and personal relationship with each one of us. May we let nothing hinder our coming closer. Are you ready?
“Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.” Hebrews 10:22
Let this be your declaration today: “I do not have to control everything. The Author and Finisher of my faith is in perfect control. I may not know what’s ahead, but I know my God does – and He is sovereignly in control.”
We allow ourselves to be held captive by how we believe things need to be, said, or done. Yes, in our days we want and crave a certain amount of order, but we cannot order everything that is going to take place. We are not the Creator. We are not God. Nor do we have the abilities He does.
By faith, we can step out and do extraordinary things (as a matter of fact, we are expected to – Hebrews 11:6). But even in that, we must remember: “A man’s heart deviseth his way: but the Lord directeth his steps” (Proverbs 16:9).
In addition to His sovereignty, God is all-knowing (Hebrews 4:13; 1 John 3:20; Psalm 147:5). He sees the bigger picture we may never see. He sees the behind-the-scenes. He sees the past, present, and future. And He knows how to properly orchestrate your life and mine.
So, how does all of this tie into our daily living?
Think of it this way: in our world, buttons are all around us. They meet us in many ways throughout the day: to access elevators, to punch keyboards, to start some cars, to turn on coffee machines, start the microwave, etc. The thing I find about buttons is, they are never there for show. Buttons are always present with a purpose. When buttons are pushed we are looking for some sort of action to follow – a release to function.
How many burdens do we carry because we can’t figure out the right way to do something? How many hours of rest do we sacrifice because we are worried about how all of this will work out?
Today, with God, we have a release button and we must learn to use it. The Bible tells us to, “Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved” (Psalm 55:22; 1 Peter 5:7).
If you have been moved away from the peace and calm that is rightfully yours as a child of God (John 14:27; Philippians 4:7), may I suggest you push that release button today.
If this life has you teetering because you can’t seem to get a handle on those things that you are fighting with to line up according to the vision and purpose you is think is right – take a step back, and release it to God.
If you know you are trying to control and bring order to many, if not every area of your life and it’s just not working – my friend, release. Do not put more on yourself than you already have to, or carry a load you were never meant to carry.
There is help, and our Help is infalliable, stronger than we can imagine, and limitless in capacity: our Heavenly Father. He is concerned with all the details of your life and it is His blessed Word that carries these promises of release.
Push that button. Let go of the weight and trust God with the release.
Word For Life Says... 