September 2

“When our faith puts on this armor of God, and always takes hold of the sword of the Spirit, and we confront our enemy with a shout of undaunted faith, we cannot fail to conquer the mightiest giant or to take the strongest city.”  Hannah Whitall Smith, Daily Secrets, 9/1

The sword of the Spirit is God’s Word--all His promises and declarations.  It’s interesting to me that God uses analogies through His Word that men can readily understand--like weapons.  Jesus was the master of parables.  Today in our society I believe God uses films in a large way to communicate with us.  Every good film I’ve seen has held some message for me.  Even within nature--which has always been with us--God has been speaking to us in parables--stories that hold a message for us.  Whether it’s the butterfly that starts off as a lowly worm or the kernel of grain that must fall to the ground before it can spring up as a new plant full of life-giving purpose, God is communicating with us.  His desire to be in a relationship is so continual we should all feel greatly loved just on that basis!  But He went even further in that He provides all our needs, including the payment for our ingratitude.  His love is so constant, so pervasive that only those who refuse Him are lost.  Even within this devotional God is speaking to me.  He is telling me that when I do not forgive those who desire to be forgiven I am not only refusing their love I’m also refusing His love, for one of the many ways He loves us is through the love of others.

“Above all hold unfailing your love for one another, since love covers a multitude of sins.”  1 Peter 4:8

February 13

“Do those close to you know that they can fail and do foolish things, yet you will not falter in your love for them?  Are others assured that, even when they hurt you, you still love them, holding nothing against them?”  H. Blackaby, Experiencing God Day-by-Day, 2/13

Blackaby asks these questions in his devotional entitled “Love Assumes the Best.”  I first experienced this Truth for myself more than 25 years ago when I lived in a townhouse community.  I noticed that the emptied trash cans left out front too long by the neighbors who were my friends didn’t bother me like the ones left out by neighbors I didn’t know.   I often think of that example when I find myself feeling irritated by something I have no control over. I remind myself I must “make friends” with the people involved.  But I must confess I’ve not always applied this Truth to those closest to me.  I know I’m not alone in this because others have not always loved me in this unconditional way.  As I write, I can see God looking down from above at His pitiful children standing their ground--insisting on their right to be loved unconditionally first before they'll love.  God is shaking His Head, mourning the fact that we still don’t get it--not even His Children.  He loves us unto death, literally, yet all we do is take, take, take.  He came to earth in the form of a man, suffered a painful death on the cross for us, inviting us to die to ourselves with Him by taking up His cross as our cross, so that we might have His Life in exchange--enabling us to love others as He loves us.  Each time we fail to love someone unconditionally we are denying this.

“Above all hold unfailing your love for one another, since love covers a multitude of sins.” 1 Peter 4:8