I heard it yesterday. Not going to lie - - I dig it.
I had no idea it would tie into the message I was inspired to write today..
God's love has no depth.
I'm coming to know the overwhelming love of God through Jesus.
There is no greater love than that of the Father through His Son.
There is NO OTHER WAY to know God.
God's love is a challenge for us. It's one like we can't experience with other people.
We can feel love and fellowship, friendship, and sense of family, but there is NO love like God's.
Totally a challenge!
It's a challenge to BE DIFFERENT: be set apart from the rest (the world). Sets us up for ridicule and persecution amongst our environment.
Psalm 4:3-5
New King James Version (NKJV)
3 But know that the Lord has set apart[a] for Himself him who is godly;
The Lord will hear when I call to Him.
The Lord will hear when I call to Him.
4 Be angry, and do not sin.
Meditate within your heart on your bed, and be still. Selah
5 Offer the sacrifices of righteousness,
And put your trust in the Lord.
Meditate within your heart on your bed, and be still. Selah
5 Offer the sacrifices of righteousness,
And put your trust in the Lord.
It's a challenge to be STRONG: be steadfast in His goodness amongst a wicked world and various trials we endure while here.
Psalm 112
New King James Version (NKJV)
The Blessed State of the Righteous
112 Praise the Lord!
Blessed is the man who fears the Lord,
Who delights greatly in His commandments.
Who delights greatly in His commandments.
2 His descendants will be mighty on earth;
The generation of the upright will be blessed.
3 Wealth and riches will be in his house,
And his righteousness endures forever.
4 Unto the upright there arises light in the darkness;
He is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous.
5 A good man deals graciously and lends;
He will guide his affairs with discretion.
6 Surely he will never be shaken;
The righteous will be in everlasting remembrance.
7 He will not be afraid of evil tidings;
His heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord.
8 His heart is established;
He will not be afraid,
Until he sees his desire upon his enemies.
The generation of the upright will be blessed.
3 Wealth and riches will be in his house,
And his righteousness endures forever.
4 Unto the upright there arises light in the darkness;
He is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous.
5 A good man deals graciously and lends;
He will guide his affairs with discretion.
6 Surely he will never be shaken;
The righteous will be in everlasting remembrance.
7 He will not be afraid of evil tidings;
His heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord.
8 His heart is established;
He will not be afraid,
Until he sees his desire upon his enemies.
9 He has dispersed abroad,
He has given to the poor;
His righteousness endures forever;
His horn will be exalted with honor.
10 The wicked will see it and be grieved;
He will gnash his teeth and melt away;
The desire of the wicked shall perish.
He has given to the poor;
His righteousness endures forever;
His horn will be exalted with honor.
10 The wicked will see it and be grieved;
He will gnash his teeth and melt away;
The desire of the wicked shall perish.
It's a challenge to be DEEPER: Challenges to love deeper, challenge ourselves to understand all the meanings of His word.
Proverbs 4
New King James Version (NKJV)
Security in Wisdom
4 Hear, my children, the instruction of a father,
And give attention to know understanding;
2 For I give you good doctrine:
Do not forsake my law.
3 When I was my father’s son,
Tender and the only one in the sight of my mother,
4 He also taught me, and said to me:
“Let your heart retain my words;
Keep my commands, and live.
5 Get wisdom! Get understanding!
Do not forget, nor turn away from the words of my mouth.
6 Do not forsake her, and she will preserve you;
Love her, and she will keep you.
7 Wisdom is the principal thing;
Therefore get wisdom.
And in all your getting, get understanding.
8 Exalt her, and she will promote you;
She will bring you honor, when you embrace her.
9 She will place on your head an ornament of grace;
A crown of glory she will deliver to you.”
And give attention to know understanding;
2 For I give you good doctrine:
Do not forsake my law.
3 When I was my father’s son,
Tender and the only one in the sight of my mother,
4 He also taught me, and said to me:
“Let your heart retain my words;
Keep my commands, and live.
5 Get wisdom! Get understanding!
Do not forget, nor turn away from the words of my mouth.
6 Do not forsake her, and she will preserve you;
Love her, and she will keep you.
7 Wisdom is the principal thing;
Therefore get wisdom.
And in all your getting, get understanding.
8 Exalt her, and she will promote you;
She will bring you honor, when you embrace her.
9 She will place on your head an ornament of grace;
A crown of glory she will deliver to you.”
10 Hear, my son, and receive my sayings,
And the years of your life will be many.
11 I have taught you in the way of wisdom;
I have led you in right paths.
12 When you walk, your steps will not be hindered,
And when you run, you will not stumble.
13 Take firm hold of instruction, do not let go;
Keep her, for she is your life.
And the years of your life will be many.
11 I have taught you in the way of wisdom;
I have led you in right paths.
12 When you walk, your steps will not be hindered,
And when you run, you will not stumble.
13 Take firm hold of instruction, do not let go;
Keep her, for she is your life.
The latter challenge, being one I've accepted at a priority lately.
I was digging in His word: one verse at a time. Face value.
I was picking out verses to suit where I was in life, instead of seeking Him in all His word... I have come to realize there is a lot that I was missing. A lot of Him, His love, and His promises that I was missing.
God forgive me for being so blind!!!
I have found an example in Paul. I finished 1st and 2nd Timothy this week. I went through a rollercoaster of emotion: feeling stress to be an example, feeling disappointment knowing that I'd be persecuted even though my actions and intentions for His service were good, feeling bitter towards Paul's attitude towards women: even though he was correct (*you have to consider time frame and scripture that says about men and women submitting as to Christ: Ephesians 5 & Colossians 3*),
to feeling sadness for Paul - his urging for Timothy to greet him before his execution..
I've found a new found respect for Paul and his testimony of Christ and ministry. In the end, Paul literally had only his faith in Christ to lean on & comfort him. W H O A!!! - meditate on that just a bit.
So, after the letters to Timothy, I felt led to 'backtrack' and start in Galatians. .
(*eventually I'm going to read most of the letters & want to start Revelation in July*)
**personal note** some of these things I'm reading "for the first time" because it has been TOO long since I really did a book/chapter/verse step by step study of His word.
I ended at Galatians 4:19-31.. Paul has brought attention to the enemy and it's attempts to persuade us away from FAITH (Christ). Calls the Galatians "little children" - basically saying they are spiritual weak or immature for allowing the elements around them cloud them of their inheritance.
He explains, once we're a believer we become sons (and daughters) of the SEED (Jesus) which is descendant of Abraham.. basically that we are of the chosen Seed. (*meaning we are of Christ, not flesh)
In verse 27 - Paul quotes OLD TESTAMENT (under the law) a passage from Isaiah. Let's expand on it just a bit..
Isaiah 54
New King James Version (NKJV)
A Perpetual Covenant of Peace
54 “Sing, O barren,(those w/out Christ)
You who have not borne!(those w/out knowing Him)
Break forth into singing, and cry aloud,(rejoice & testify)
You who have not labored with child!(even w/out seeing)
For more are the children of the desolate(there are more children w/out hearing)
Than the children of the married woman,” says the Lord.(than the children of God)
2 “Enlarge the place of your tent,(think bigger. challenge to expand your area of knowledge)
And let them stretch out the curtains of your dwellings;
Do not spare;
Lengthen your cords,
And strengthen your stakes.(give Him all you've got. Every bit of room to His service)
3 For you shall expand to the right and to the left,
And your descendants will inherit the nations,(descendants-His seed *of Christ*)
And make the desolate cities inhabited.
You who have not borne!(those w/out knowing Him)
Break forth into singing, and cry aloud,(rejoice & testify)
You who have not labored with child!(even w/out seeing)
For more are the children of the desolate(there are more children w/out hearing)
Than the children of the married woman,” says the Lord.(than the children of God)
2 “Enlarge the place of your tent,(think bigger. challenge to expand your area of knowledge)
And let them stretch out the curtains of your dwellings;
Do not spare;
Lengthen your cords,
And strengthen your stakes.(give Him all you've got. Every bit of room to His service)
3 For you shall expand to the right and to the left,
And your descendants will inherit the nations,(descendants-His seed *of Christ*)
And make the desolate cities inhabited.
4 “Do not fear, for you will not be ashamed;(literally - do not fear!)
Neither be disgraced, for you will not be put to shame;
For you will forget the shame of your youth,(shame of your youth = testimony of time not knowing God)
And will not remember the reproach of your widowhood anymore.(no longer w/out salvation)
5 For your Maker is your husband,(bride - Christ)
The Lord of hosts is His name;
And your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel;(Israel, becoming ONE through CHRIST, literally meaning that we -- as believers become part of Israel - symbolic of the ONE Church / ONE Body )
He is called the God of the whole earth.(the whole earth. literally - wants - everyone!)
6 For the Lord has called you(a holy calling to share the TRUTH - the gospel)
Like a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit,(brings emotion to God. the grief He feels when we don't believe)
Like a youthful wife when you were refused,”
Says your God.
7 “For a mere moment I have forsaken you,(mere moment: the Spirit leaving Christ's body on the cross - which had to be done b/c in Deuteronomy 21:23*law* states anyone hangs from tree be accursed by God and He can't accurse Himself.)
But with great mercies I will gather you.(gathering us for His testimony of mercy & faith)-fulfillment of the law to be saved.)
8 With a little wrath I hid My face from you for a moment;
But with everlasting kindness I will have mercy on you,”
Says the Lord, your Redeemer.(EVERLASTING KINDNESS due to the mercy & goodness of our Savior - given to us by God, the Father. literally redeeming us from the sin)
Neither be disgraced, for you will not be put to shame;
For you will forget the shame of your youth,(shame of your youth = testimony of time not knowing God)
And will not remember the reproach of your widowhood anymore.(no longer w/out salvation)
5 For your Maker is your husband,(bride - Christ)
The Lord of hosts is His name;
And your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel;(Israel, becoming ONE through CHRIST, literally meaning that we -- as believers become part of Israel - symbolic of the ONE Church / ONE Body )
He is called the God of the whole earth.(the whole earth. literally - wants - everyone!)
6 For the Lord has called you(a holy calling to share the TRUTH - the gospel)
Like a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit,(brings emotion to God. the grief He feels when we don't believe)
Like a youthful wife when you were refused,”
Says your God.
7 “For a mere moment I have forsaken you,(mere moment: the Spirit leaving Christ's body on the cross - which had to be done b/c in Deuteronomy 21:23*law* states anyone hangs from tree be accursed by God and He can't accurse Himself.)
But with great mercies I will gather you.(gathering us for His testimony of mercy & faith)-fulfillment of the law to be saved.)
8 With a little wrath I hid My face from you for a moment;
But with everlasting kindness I will have mercy on you,”
Says the Lord, your Redeemer.(EVERLASTING KINDNESS due to the mercy & goodness of our Savior - given to us by God, the Father. literally redeeming us from the sin)
It is no wonder why we sing "Amazing Grace"...
So.. I urge you - accept the challenge of God, the Father - to get to know the Son= the Seed.. the inheritance of father Abraham..
Dig a little deeper.. Find some depth to the love we should have for others and the ability we're granted to share a BIGGER, DEEPER love --the Love of Christ, The Father, and the love we find when The Spirit takes over our lives. . .
It's a challenge... for sure!! But, the reward is a better payoff than anyone can fathom.
Peace be with you all..
<3
So.. I urge you - accept the challenge of God, the Father - to get to know the Son= the Seed.. the inheritance of father Abraham..
Dig a little deeper.. Find some depth to the love we should have for others and the ability we're granted to share a BIGGER, DEEPER love --the Love of Christ, The Father, and the love we find when The Spirit takes over our lives. . .
It's a challenge... for sure!! But, the reward is a better payoff than anyone can fathom.
Peace be with you all..
<3