Tag: LoveMuch

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Ever Ready

You’ve seen the commercials of the Energizer Bunny – I know you have. The advertisers tell us he keeps going, and going, and going.

This morning I woke up looking for some batteries for my soul. My body is wanting to crawl back in bed, pull the covers over my head and sleep. But, that’s not possible. There are things that need to be done.

My regular Bible reading was in I Kings. They were not inspiring chapters. It was a list of the genealogies for the tribes of Israel. I know better than to complain about chapters like this because “all Scripture is given by the inspiration of God and are profitable…”. I memorized that verse years ago in Sunday School. However, I needed something that would lift my spirit and give me a mandate for the day.

My next reading was in Luke 7. Jesus had gone to the home of a rich, religious man named Simon for dinner. “A woman of low reputation” came into the dining hall with a valuable box of perfume. She anointed Jesus’ feet with the oil and wiped them with her hair. This was a shameful act.

Simon criticized her and this was Jesus’ reply:

“Then he turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Look at this woman kneeling here. When I entered your home, you didn’t offer me water to wash the dust from my feet, but she has washed them with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 You didn’t greet me with a kiss, but from the time I first came in, she has not stopped kissing my feet. 46 You neglected the courtesy of olive oil to anoint my head, but she has anointed my feet with rare perfume.

47 “I tell you, her sins—and they are many—have been forgiven, so she has shown me much love. But a person who is forgiven little shows only little love.” 48 Then Jesus said to the woman, “Your sins are forgiven.” Luke 7:44-48 NLT

I think it’s interesting that Jesus looked at the woman but he spoke to Simon. It was as if they had an unspoken conversation, “Keep your eyes on me, this is about to get good”. She has been forgiven much so she shows great love.

There you have the inspiration for my day. Forgiven of much!

“They are to stand every morning and evening to thank and praise the Lord. ” I Chronicles 23:30 NLV

Energized by praise – morning, noon and night. When we feel weary, we should praise, when we feel excited, we should praise, when our hearts are broken, we should praise because our Father is the one who heals the broken hearted.

“Oh God You Are My God
And I Will Ever Praise You
Oh God You Are My God
And I Will Ever Praise You

I Will Seek You In The Morning
And I Will Learn To Walk In Your Ways
And Step By Step You’ll Lead Me
And I Will Follow You All Of My Days”

This little praise song came up in my heart as I read of the woman who had been forgiven of much. I was energized by the amazing, unconditional love of my Father.

May we start and end each day with praise, being “ever-ready” to thank the Lord for all He’s done for us!

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Point of View

Yesterday morning I rose about my normal time and as I sat here in my chair I was lamenting, a bit, our departure from the mountain.

We had gotten enough unpacked and put in place that we were able to rest well but there was, and is, still much to do to feel settled. Dave and I were having coffee and talking about the day’s activities – quite a list – and we both mentioned what we thought was being done on the mountain.

It was then Dave said, “Kris, grab your camera. You don’t want to miss this sunrise!” He was right.

From where I was sitting, I would have missed it. I had the wrong point of view.

Isn’t that the way things are in life? We can be looking at things from one perspective but if we were just willing to get up and move, we’d get a different angle with a wonderous outlook.

Reminds me of a story. (Luke 7:36-50)

Jesus was invited to dinner at the home of a religious leader named Simon. A woman who had not been invited came in also. She went to where Jesus was seated and began washing His feet with her tears and wiping them with her hair. Then she poured expensive perfume on them and kissed them.

Simon was outraged. This was a woman of low repute. She was causing a scene. How dare she interrupt his time with Jesus and why didn’t Jesus stop her, didn’t he realize what kind of a woman she was?

Without Simon saying anything out loud, Jesus knew his thoughts and addressed them. He told Simon a story about two people who had been forgiven a debt, one owed a great deal and the other a small amount.

Jesus asked Simon this question, “who do you think was the most grateful?”. Simon answered I suppose the one who was forgiven the most. Jesus told Simon he was correct. And then He went on to vindicate the woman.

He pointed out to Simon that Simon had neglected to show Him the common courtesy due a guest. Simon hadn’t offered to have a servant wash His feet upon arrival, but this woman had washed His feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair, which was her crowning glory. Simon hadn’t greeted him with the customary kiss, but this woman kissed His feet.

Simon saw a harlot of low reputation, someone with no value. Jesus saw a woman who needed to be forgiven.

From Simon’s perspective, he didn’t need forgiveness. He was a good man. From Jesus’ viewpoint He saw a man and a woman who both needed forgiveness. One was grateful and loving, the other was stubborn and callous.

“So I tell you that all her sins are forgiven, and that is why she has shown great love. But anyone who has been forgiven for only a little will show only a little love.” Luke 7:47 CEV

Enjoying the beauty of a sunrise is nice but viewing people from a heart of love is better. I hope that I will always see things from God’s point of view.

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Can’t Get Enough

Do you have any foods that you could eat until you almost burst? I have two; one is sweet, a hot fudge sundae and the other is salty, chips and salsa.

If I didn’t restrain myself I would gorge on these two indulgences. I just can’t get enough!

I’m sharing this, now very public, weakness with all of you because my dreams last night were inundated with delicious images of hot fudge sundaes. When I awaken one of my first thoughts was where is the closest Dairy Queen.

I know, she says tongue in cheek, that none of the rest of you experience these types of battles but just in case you do I’ll give you this piece of advice – resist temptation!

I have one other indulgence that you need to know about. This one I don’t try to resist, this one I give in to and let it fill my thoughts constantly.

“I pray that Christ will live in your hearts because of your faith. I pray that your life will be strong in love and be built on love. 18 And I pray that you and all God’s holy people will have the power to understand the greatness of Christ’s love—how wide, how long, how high, and how deep that love is. 19 Christ’s love is greater than anyone can ever know, but I pray that you will be able to know that love. Then you can be filled with everything God has for you.” Ephesians 3:17-19 ERV

I can’t get enough of God’s love!

Daily, I am reminded of His great love for me. It is unconditional. He loves me as much when I behaved horribly as He does when I am serving Him with all my heart. He extends His hand of mercy and grace. He will not reject me because His love never fails.

I will repeat, I can’t get enough of God’s love!

“Very few people will die to save the life of someone else, even if it is for a good person. Someone might be willing to die for an especially good person. 8 But Christ died for us while we were still sinners, and by this God showed how much he loves us.

9 We have been made right with God by the blood sacrifice of Christ. So through Christ we will surely be saved from God’s anger. 10 I mean that while we were God’s enemies, he made friends with us through his Son’s death. And the fact that we are now God’s friends makes it even more certain that he will save us through his Son’s life.” Romans 7-10 ERV

God’s love is deeper than we can comprehend, wider than the vast Milky Way but it is personal to each and everyone of us.

Let me close with these song lyrics written by Leeland Mooring, “Where You Are:“

I can’t get enough
No I can’t get enough
Of Your amazing love
I can’t get enough

I can’t walk away
No I can’t walk away
For I have seen Your face
And I can’t walk away

And I just wanna be where You are
I just wanna be near Your heart
There is nothing like Your love
There is nothing like Your love

Experiencing the love of God is one indulgence that I won’t walk away from.

I just can’t get enough! How about you?

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