1/20/07 - Life Journal - Who am I?

When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,
what is man that you are mindful of him,
and the son of man that you care for him?
Psalm 8:3,4

David looks around at all God has done and rightfully so asks Him how He could care for us messed up people when He is "majestic in all the earth". How? We are His children! We are the completion of "the works of His fingers".

No matter what my own kids do, won't I still love them with everything I have in me? Sure I might not like them a whole lot sometimes but that's temporary. I get angry and punish them when they don't obey. How then could God, who IS love, not love His own children, us? Again, I'm sure He doesn't like us all that much sometimes and we know from scripture that He has no problems with "sparing the rod" when we get out of hand but the bottom line is that He loves us and we must live our lives with this constantly on our minds. Everything we do should reflect this love back to Him.

Lord, thank you for the blessing of Your unconditional love. We do nothing to deserve it which makes it that much more incredible.

9/09/07 - Life Journal - God's Unconditional Love

Bitterly she weeps at night, tears are upon her cheeks. Among all her lovers there is none to comfort her. All her friends have betrayed her; they have become her enemies.
Lamentations 1:2

Jerusalem is left in sorrow, the nations she turned to in trouble and paid tribute to for protection have turned away and rejoice in her destruction. She has rejected the unconditional love of God and finds no comfort on earth.

You will be disappointed on earth by everyone at least once. That's a given. Even your closest loved ones are human and they will hurt you, either in malice or without even realizing this. To avoid those times when you are alone and feel everyone has let you down it is important to have the love of the Father to get you through. He will never let you down, find your strength in Him.

Lord, thank you for always being beside me whether I acknowledge Your presence or not.

8/23/07 - Life Journal - Brotherly Love

We love because He first loved us. If someone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen.
1 John 4:19,20

God's children, who he created in His image, are our responsibility. It's an extension of Jesus' command to Peter, "If you love Me then shepherd my lambs". If our love isn't flowing out of us for His creation, in turn we don't truly love Him.

We must see God in everyone around us, and love them as ourself. If we search our heart and can't find this unconditional love, how can we say we love Him?