Friday 16 February 2007

Weeks 05 & 06 (07) - Blessings of Divine Guidance

The word LOVE takes on a whole new meaning for a 58 year old Christian. [1 Cor. 13] begins to make sense. But to love God's way is a huge challenge. God's love is patient...kind....does not envy....does not boast....not proud....not rude....not self-seeking....not easily angered....keeps no record of wrongs.....does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. So far, only Jesus has demonstrated it fully by His own examples. It would be heaven on earth if more and more people would understand God's love and put it into practice. For myself, I still have a long way to go. But, although it is a struggle to love God's way, I will not give up because of the hope it brings to a broken world. :o)

As I write, Kim is 5000 miles away in Malaysia visiting her aging & frail parents. I cannot remember the last time Kim is away from me on Valentine's Day. But again, she needs to make the most of her school holidays, with our loved ones living in 4 different continents. It will be my turn this summer, visiting my 95 year old Dad in Vancouver.:o)

God's love enables selfish human beings to be more self-sacrificing. His love empowers us to love supernaturally. So, "Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song."[Ps. 95:1-7 NIV]

"When God created man, he made him in the likeness of God." Selfless innocent beings reflecting God's Character. Despite of the mistake made by the first man, God continues to create man in His image, maintaining a lineage that will one day restore God's original plan and purpose for man. "He created them male and female and blessed them......When Adam had lived 130 years, he had a son.....and he named him Seth.....Enosh.....Kenan......Mahalalel......Jared......Enoch......Methuselah.......Lamech. When Lamech had lived 182 years, he had a son. He named him Noah and said, "He will comfort us in the labor and painful toil of our hands caused by the ground the LORD has cursed."[Gen. 5:1-29 NIV} Thats love.

And that love is magnified in Jesus when He hung there on the cross for 6 long hours, starting at the 3rd hour. "At the sixth hour darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour. And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice......"Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?"-- which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?".....With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last."[Mark 15:33-39 NIV] He died for me and you and every man & woman ever lived - in the past, in the present and in the future!

"The LORD detests the sacrifice of the wicked, but the prayer of the upright pleases him. .......he hears the prayer of the righteous."[Prov. 15:8,29 NIV] May the self-sacrificing love of St. Valentine bring's hope to a selfish world. May our prayers for His church find favours in the Lord.

Amen!

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