ME: Is daddy upset with you?
HAVEN: Yes.
ME: Does daddy love you?
HAVEN: Yes.
Every time I hear Haven’s responses to those two questions I think of my Heavenly Father, who continues to love me even when my sin angers him.
Why do we let so many days pass without telling our loved ones how much they mean to us? Allow 6 year old Elena to inspire you to write a note today to someone you love.
Warning: There is a 99.99% chance you will cry when you watch the video.
For a long time now I have loved the first 14 verses of Ezekiel 16, where God opens his journal and reads the graphic, love-soaked words to his beloved bride, Israel. Detailing his faithful love from her birth, through adolescence, and into womanhood, God tugs on the heartstrings of anyone who has ever held a child, invested in a teenager, or loved a spouse. Powerful. Intimate. Beautiful.
Hideous. A sudden shift occurs in verse 15. In spite of God’s devoted commitment to the marriage, his bride has left him broken hearted. Jealous, angry, and hurt, God reveals his disgust with her adulterous ways. He unloads: “You’re nothing but a prostitute. No, I take that back. You’re worse than a prostitute. A prostitute gets paid to sleep with strangers. You, on the other hand…you do it for free. Even worse, you’re the one paying for the sleazy service.” A little later in the one-sided conversation, God continues: “You’re as bad as Sodom. No, you’re worse than Sodom. As a matter of fact, you are so much worse that you make Sodom look good.” Heart wrenching. Pitiful. Disgusting.
Amazing. Another sharp break comes in verse 60. In spite of Israel’s rebellious ways, God vows his continued faithfulness to the marriage. God won’t let go. He can’t give her up. He renews the vows that she broke, pledging to establish an everlasting covenant with his wayward bride, atone for her heinous crimes, and someway, somehow rediscover the close relationship that has been lost.
Just in case you’re wondering, this story is not unique. It’s my story. It’s your story. It’s humanity’s story. Praise God for his amazing grace!
Jesus’ story doesn’t begin at his miraculous conception and lowly birth. Before his life on earth, Jesus had a life in heaven.
The Apostle John, at the outset of his gospel, tells of four amazing aspects of Jesus’ pre-incarnate life:
John’s four insights suggest a significant difference between Jesus’ birth and ours. We had no say in whether or not we were born. Jesus, on the other hand, CHOSE to be born. He made himself nothing, in the words of Philippians 2:5-8.
The motivation behind him choosing to live here? LOVE. This love is, in fact, the essence of Jesus’ being and existence.
In love Jesus came for us. In return, he asks that we love him enough to come to him.
I was washing dishes (yippee!) a moment ago and began reflecting on the many, many blessings my family has received in the past week. In the last several days we’ve been blessed with a healthy baby boy, wonderful care at the hospital, many visits to the hospital and our house by close friends and family, and on top of all that…several wonderful meals prepared and delivered to us by caring members of our church family. I suppose it was the washing of these other people’s dishes that triggered these thoughts a moment ago.
These thoughts about my blessings led me to this statement in Paul’s letter to the Romans: “Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn” (12:15). I’m fortunate to be a part of a church family that does that very well. Many people, unfortunately, are not a part of God’s family and so are not familiar with the kind of support my family has received lately. That’s unfortunate because two of the toughest spots in which to find yourself in life are:
Fortunately, my church family rejoices and weeps with me. They keep me out of these two tough spots.
