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Glory Seed Devotionals, 2015: Year of Promise
Coming alive in God’s love…
In my meditation time this morning I happened on this statement that caught my attention and stopped me dead in my tracks. “Lent is a time to more deeply encounter the love of God, to come alive to this love.” The part that really impacted me was “to come alive to this love,” causing me to think about what does it mean to come alive to God’s love.
When I think about love and loving someone I understand it as two different characteristics (if that is the correct word) of love. First love is a sacrifice lived out as we give ourselves completely (as possible) to another. The ultimate example of love is illustrated in Jesus sacrificially giving up his earthly life for you and I on the cross. And secondly there are acts of love Paul writes, “Love is kind and patient, never jealous, boastful, proud, or rude. Love isn’t selfish or quick tempered. It doesn’t keep a record of wrongs that others do. Love rejoices in the truth, but not in evil. Love is always supportive, loyal, hopeful, and trusting. Love never fails!” (1 Corinthians 13:4–8, CEV)
With those thoughts in mind a more true statement of Lent would be to say “Lent is a time to more deeply encounter God, to come alive to him.” Throughout his life Jesus met people where they were in their life blessing them with acts of God’s love by giving sight to the blind, making it possible for the lame to walk, healing all manner of diseases, and casting out demons. Yet at no other time in Jesus’ short life does he illustrate God’s love more deeply and completely then by laying his life down for you and I. And then at no other time does God illustrate his love for Jesus and for us more fully then when he poured his own life back into a dead Jesus.
On Jesus’ day of resurrection the stone was rolled away so he could get out and in a like manner for you and I to engage ourselves in encountering God more deeply we need to keep rolling the stones away from our hearts we pick up along life’s road and let God in.
“God, you love me as your own child. May I bend my life and will toward you so that I might accept your teaching and guidance. I am so grateful for your support in my life, now and in the eternal life you are preparing for me. I beg for your help and Spirit in my life today. Amen” (Closing prayer for today’s “Praying Lent” from Creighton Universities Online Ministries.)
Anticipate! Experience! Believe! Be transformed!
Grace and PEACE, Amen!
Gary
Note: Should you want to go back and review this Glory Seed or if you’d like to subscribe so you can receive them in your email you can do so by clicking on this link: http://gloryseeds.wordpress.com/.
Scriptures marked CEV, “Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991, 1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.”
Glory Seed Devotionals, 2015: Year of Promise
Coming alive in God’s love…
In my meditation time this morning I happened on this statement that caught my attention and stopped me dead in my tracks. “Lent is a time to more deeply encounter the love of God, to come alive to this love.” The part that really impacted me was “to come alive to this love,” causing me to think about what does it mean to come alive to God’s love.
When I think about love and loving someone I understand it as two different characteristics (if that is the correct word) of love. First love is a sacrifice lived out as we give ourselves completely (as possible) to another. The ultimate example of love is illustrated in Jesus sacrificially giving up his earthly life for you and I on the cross. And secondly there are acts of love Paul writes, “Love is kind and patient, never jealous, boastful, proud, or rude. Love isn’t selfish or quick tempered. It doesn’t keep a record of wrongs that others do. Love rejoices in the truth, but not in evil. Love is always supportive, loyal, hopeful, and trusting. Love never fails!” (1 Corinthians 13:4–8, CEV)
With those thoughts in mind a more true statement of Lent would be to say “Lent is a time to more deeply encounter God, to come alive to him.” Throughout his life Jesus met people where they were in their life blessing them with acts of God’s love by giving sight to the blind, making it possible for the lame to walk, healing all manner of diseases, and casting out demons. Yet at no other time in Jesus’ short life does he illustrate God’s love more deeply and completely then by laying his life down for you and I. And then at no other time does God illustrate his love for Jesus and for us more fully then when he poured his own life back into a dead Jesus.
On Jesus’ day of resurrection the stone was rolled away so he could get out and in a like manner for you and I to engage ourselves in encountering God more deeply we need to keep rolling the stones away from our hearts we pick up along life’s road and let God in.
“God, you love me as your own child. May I bend my life and will toward you so that I might accept your teaching and guidance. I am so grateful for your support in my life, now and in the eternal life you are preparing for me. I beg for your help and Spirit in my life today. Amen” (Closing prayer for today’s “Praying Lent” from Creighton Universities Online Ministries.)
Anticipate! Experience! Believe! Be transformed!
Grace and PEACE, Amen!
Gary
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Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 15:13 LEB)
Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 15:13 LEB)
Note: Should you want to go back and review this Glory Seed or if you’d like to subscribe so you can receive them in your email you can do so by clicking on this link: http://gloryseeds.wordpress.com/.
Scriptures marked CEV, “Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991, 1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.”
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