It is NOT love when a believer in the LORD applauds God’s beloved creation who walks on a failed bridge.
Love is to proclaim, “TURN AROUND!”
In a day where words are re-invented, God’s Word tells us what love is:
“This is LOVE. Not that we love God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to take away our sins” 1 John 4:10, (emphasis mine).
Noah, in his day, proclaimed “A storm is coming. You need to come in through this Door or destruction will come!”
NO ONE listened.
The Bible tells us, in the last days, it will be like Noah’s day.
Aren’t you glad Noah had faith in God and obeyed His Word?
The Book of Proverbs gives a warning: “There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end, it leads to death” Proverbs 14:12.
We should not be offended by warnings of danger. We receive them daily about germs, safety, and caution during a storm. It’s time we all turn around and agree with God.
Therefore Jesus said again, “Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep.
All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them.
I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved.
They will come in and go out, and find pasture.
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy;
I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full"John 10: 7-10.
This is love: Jesus.
“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep” John 10:11.
"As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 38 For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; 39 and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man" Matthew 24: 37-39.
“He saved me from my low estate, His loving-kindness, oh how great! Samuel Medley, 1782.
When temptations rise to be afraid or heavy-hearted under life’s weight, the hymns immediately change my mind.
After-all, doesn’t the Lord tell me, (and you), in His Word to, “Fix (y)our thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable” Philippians 4:8, NLT.
And furthermore, to “Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.“
The hymnal, (along with the Bible, of course), is a safe place to find excellent and praise-worthy thoughts:
He saw me ruined in the fall, Yet loved me notwithstanding all; He saved me from my lost estate, His loving-kindness, oh how great! Samuel Medley, Loving-Kindness, 1782.
To wake and imagine my sweet Lord, patting the seat next to Him on the sofa,”Come a sit by Me.” So, I sit to be with the Lover of my soul as I open the hymnal:
Awake, my soul, to joyful lays, And sing thy great Redeemer’s praise; He justly claims a song for me, His loving-kindness, oh, how free!
(In the back of our minds, do we have the report from the doctor, or that call on the phone, or the piece of mail that recently arrived?)
The Lord in my heart, is near. He’s right here. And He reminds me today from this hymn long ago:
Though num’rous hosts of mighty foes, Though earth and hell my way oppose, He safely leads my soul along, His loving-kindness, oh, how strong!
Loving-kindness, loving-kindness, His loving-kindness, oh, how strong!
The Comforter, the Holy Spirit speaks to me. He reminds me of a favorite psalm,
Why are you cast down, O my soul?And why are you disquieted within me?Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him Psalm 42:5.
When trouble like a gloomy cloud, Has gathered thick and thundered loud, He near my soul has always stood, His loving-kindness, oh, how good! Loving-kindness, loving-kindness, His loving-kindness, oh, how good!
God’s Word is living water refreshing my soul. Word-picture perfect, Psalm 42 reminds me, “God knows.”
As the deer pants for the water brooks, So pants my soul for You, O God . . . My tears have been my food day and night,While they continually say to me,“Where is your God?” . . .
For I used to go with the multitude;I went with them to the house of God,With the voice of joy and praise, Psalm 42:1,3,4.
I will think on this today, “His loving-kindness, oh, how good:”
The Lord will command His lovingkindness in the daytime, And in the night His song shall be with me—A prayer to the God of my life . . .
Why are you cast down, O my soul?And why are you disquieted within me?Hope in God;For I shall yet praise Him,The help of my countenance and my God Psalm 42:8,11.
My eyes are up. My heart is tuned.
“He saved me from my lost estate, His loving-kindness, oh, how great!”
Awake, my soul, to joyful lays, And sing they great Redeemer’s praise; He justly claims a song for me, His loving-kindness, oh, how free!
His loving-kindness, oh, . . .
how free!
Revive us Oh Lord. We speak aloud Your Word:
“Sing, . . . Enlarge the place of your tent, stretch your tent curtains wide, do not hold back; lengthen your cords, strengthen your stakes . . . Do not be afraid; you will not be put to shame. Do not fear disgrace; you will not be humiliated. the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer; he is called the God of all the earth . . . Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,” says the Lord, who has compassion on you Isaiah 54:1-10.
Awake, my soul, to joyful lays, And sing they great Redeemer’s praise.
“His loving-kindness, oh, how great!”
Loving-Kindness by Samuel Medley, 1782:
Awake, my soul, to joyful lays, And sing thy great Redeemer’s praise; He justly claims a song for me, His loving-kindness, oh, how free! Loving-kindness, loving-kindness, His loving-kindness, oh, how free!
He saw me ruined in the fall, Yet loved me notwithstanding all; He saved me from my lost estate, His loving-kindness, oh, how great! Loving-kindness, loving-kindness, His loving-kindness, oh, how great!
Though num’rous hosts of mighty foes, Though earth and hell my way oppose, He safely leads my soul along, His loving-kindness, oh, how strong! Loving-kindness, loving-kindness, His loving-kindness, oh, how strong!
When trouble like a gloomy cloud, Has gathered thick and thundered loud, He near my soul has always stood, His loving-kindness, oh, how good! Loving-kindness, loving-kindness, His loving-kindness, oh, how good!
Soon I shall pass the gloomy vale, Soon all my mortal pow’rs must fail; Oh, may my last expiring breath His loving-kindness sing in death. Loving-kindness, loving-kindness, His loving-kindness sing in death.
Then let me mount and soar away To the bright world of endless day; And sing with raptures and surprise, His loving-kindness in the skies. Loving-kindness, loving-kindness, His loving-kindness in the skies.
Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth— for your love is more delightful than wine Song of Songs which is Solomon’s 1:2.
Will I allow the Creator of all that I am, come near me?
Even so personal, and intimate as a kiss.
And not on the cheek.
“Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth,” sings the Song of Songs.
Is this the Song above all others?
The greatest song our hearts can sing?
The ultimate song of surrender?
Can I believe that the Creator God of all the Universe and all that’s in it, desires time with me?
Only me?
Intimate and concerned with . . . me?
Perhaps doing hard things in life are more than huge tasks and difficult adventures.
Doing hard things might be . . . simply letting God love us.
You.
Me.
Being still to receive.
Will I?
Allow, authorize, commission, license, accede to, agree to, consent to . . .
God and His precious love for me?
Will I concede, grant, endure, and tolerate . . .
the kisses of His mouth, to my lips?
Will I?
It’s natural for my hurting heart to turn from, or hinder, impede, obstruct, censure, deny, disallow, disapprove, refuse, reject, revoke, suppress, and withhold.
Hurts permeate our souls. We’re broken.
Weak, with no energy to fight, God’s love endures. He patiently breaks through.
He suffers long through ages of time and rejection.
God’s love rises above envy and pride. He’s never provoked or rude as we so often are.
How can He bear all things?
How does He believe the best in each one He sees?
How can He hope all things for me? He remains steadfast. He never gives up on anyone. (1)
There is none like God. (2)
“I am the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valleys. As the lily among thorns, so is my love among the daughters” Song of Solomon 2: 1,2.
He gave His precious life, a red rose of Sharon, a tender lily among thorns of the cross.
Before I knew the beauty of the Lord, His love surrounded me.
“Behold, thou art fair, my love; behold, thou art fair, thou hast doves eyes” Song of Solomon 1:15.
Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations” Jeremiah 1:5.
He knows me. The good, the bad, the ugly.
He knows you too. Yet, He reaches out His arms to us.
“His left hand is under my head, and his right hand doth embrace me” Song of Solomon 2:6.
In His arms of love, there is no other place of peace.
“The voice of my beloved, behold, he cometh leaping upon the mountains, skipping upon the hills” Song of Solomon 2:8.
Mountains of trouble and strife are everywhere, but he comes leaping on them, skipping up the hills. Yes, He’s lover of my soul, and you?
“Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth— For your love is better than wine”
“Your name is ointment poured forth; . . . Draw me away!” Song of Solomon 1:2,3,4.
Can we hear Him call?
“Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away.
For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone; The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come” Song of Solomon 2:10,11.
(When we sit to eat a meal, we hope to satisfy and fulfill. Today, many face great struggles and hard times. Perhaps we might read aloud to a child at our table, or, better yet, become that comforted child as we remember God through a weave of rhyme.
God News is needed to help enrich our day with food from His Word that is wholesome, sweet, trustworthy, and good.)
We can’t see God. We can’t hear His voice. But maybe we can, when we stop to be still and come away from the noise.
When times are filled with sunshine and laughter, it’s easy to praise God with joy inside.
But, when loss comes, or great sadness within, where can we go to start breathing again?
One vision will hold you and me at such times:
Imagine Jesus showing you His nail pierced hands. Yes, holding out His outreached arms, with marks from His scars. It’s so hard to understand.
Jesus has scars. He has suffered all we have, the same. And more.
He is able to know how you feel, He is Lord.
He was nailed to the cross, for you and for me. He was willing to suffer. And today, He says, “I love you. Do you believe?”
God speaks. Not audibly, of course, but He desires to comfort. He’s near when we call.
God spoke out loud, one day of Jesus His Son. His voice came with sound, straight down from heaven:
“You are my Son and I love you. I am very pleased with you.” This is what the Bible tells us in Mark 1:11.
God spoke again, at another time from a cloud, “This is my Son, and I love him. Obey him!”
The Bible tells us this in Mark 9:7.
We can see that God loves his Son.
But God, the Creator, the One in control, even though we don’t understand all that’s happening, and our feelings are low,
God gave His only Son to pay for our sin. Those marks on His hands are proof we’re forgiven.
“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you . . .” Jesus tells us in John15:9. These words should be repeated aloud at least three times.
“As the Father has loved me, so have I love you. God loved His Son so very much, but here He’s saying, with that same love, He loves us.
This is His remedy for sad times of loss.
No matter what, Jesus loves.
No matter what’s happened, He asks that we ” . . . remain in my love.”
“Now remain in my love,” This is Jesus giving us a job to do.
This is God’s remedy. This is how it’s done.
We remain close, giving God our pain and sorrows. And He comforts us. He carries us today.
And we can comfort someone else in their hard day, tomorrow.
He’s got a good plan for all who believe.
His scars healed. And He will help ours heal also.
“Help us dear Jesus, always remember Your great love. Help us stay close and read Your word, so we can hear Your voice and grow.
