Remember the reason for the season

The world has so changed Christmas. They have it as just a day of celebration. Sure, some might know generally what it means. But, they don’t realize the true meaning. And, it’s not just what the song say, “The giving of love every day.” Although that is a start.

Ttrue love is unconditional. It doesn’t matter what you do, God loves you. A person who has not received Christ’s forgiveness has chosen to go his or her own way. Isaiah 53: 6 says, “All we like sheep have gone astray, we have turned each one to his own way. And the Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all.”

This is the time of year when we should celebrate the fact that God gave that love to us. He did so by giving Jesus to us. And, Jesus being God the Son, it also means that God came for us. He gave of Himself.

See, it’s all about giving, but not the way the world thinks. The world tries to get you to spend money to buy things for others. But, we give things because it’s symbolic of what God gave us. We don’t have to give gifts at Christmas. We could give gifts anytime. If you give gifts, that’s fine. Romans 14 teaches that we shouldn’t judge someone because they choose to celebrate a certain day, as long as they are honoring God. But don’t let that draw you into the world’s view of Christmas. Remember to keep Jesus first.

Second, quite a few families – especially with children – remember the meaning by singing “Happy Birthday” to Jesus. That’s great; especially if you make a cake since you can eat it. Seriously, though, it’s great to remember Jesus’ birthday. But, while we’re on the subject of giving, birthdays are another time when we give gifts, right?

So, what are you giving Jesus?

We can give Him our time, our commitment, our love, our devotion. We can give Him praise and glory through how we treat others and tell others about Him. We can give Him so much. So, my second reminder to you is, as you remember the true meaning of Christmas – that Jesus came to die for our sins and rise from the dead – don’t just say “Happy birthday” and forget about Him. Give Him a gift that keeps on giving.

Finally, to tie these 2 thoughts together, remember how great that gift is that God gave.

People can give great things. I have a great uncle who remembers the Great Depression. His dad, my great grandfather, was going to lose the family’s home, which he’d built about 7 years earlier. He tells the story of how Pop went to see a great aunt who was quite rich for that time. She gave them the money to save their house, and then some left over. My great uncle says they felt like they were rich.

That was a great gift their Aunt Kate gave. Except for organ/bone marrow donations, it’s probably among the greatest gifts a person can give. Still, it is nothing when compared to the fact Jesus came to become sin for us. (2 Cor. 5: 21) He came to save us from the penalty of hell, which each of us deserves because of our sin. However, those of us who have trusted in Him to save us are not under that penalty anymore. We are passed from death unto life. (John 5:24, 1 John 3:14)

Think about that. Even someone who donates an organ, or bone marrow, can only give someone a normal healthy life span at best. (And that isn’t always a guarantee.) But, God’s gift to us makes sure that all who receive it have everlasting life in God’s perfect heaven, and relationship with Him on earth.

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten son. That whosoever believeth in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3: 16)

Think of the certainty that gives. That last part – Jesus Himself guarantees that that believer will have everlasting life. But, later we read that those who do not believe (that is, heart knowledge, not just head knowledge) will not see life.

Thus, we must make it our goal to tell others. And, to show Christ’s love to others through our actions as well as our words.

“The giving of love every day,” as the song says? Only because Christ’s followers are to be known by their love. We must show Christ, and tell others about Him, in this lost and dying world.

Gods love can be conditional and unconditional ( He gave up his son Jesus Christ to die for our sins)or both. People who know God’s will and who love righteousness will hate sin and evil. There is no scripture to say that God loves everyone, regardless of what they have said or done. If God’s love were unconditional, there would be no Hell and all the unrepentant sinners, no matter how evil, would go to Heaven. Having a right relationship with God begins with acknowledging your sin. God is love (1 John 4:8), but God also punishes the sinner and hates all who do iniquity. To sin is to break God’s Law and offend His character. God hates sin. Sin is breaking God’s Ten Commandment law. The Bible says that when we knowingly break any command of God, we are sinning as transgression of the law of God (1 John 3:4) and rebellion against God (James 4:17), But, He does not punish sin. He punishes the sinner. God punishes the sinner and hates all who do iniquity. All unrighteousness is sin and it is described in the Bible (Deuteronomy 9:7; Joshua 1:18). Every sin has its own consequences. God hates everyone who doesn’t put Him first.” God is not angry merely against the sin abstracted from the sinner, but against the sinner himself.Eg when you say God hates the theft, but loves the thief. He abhors adultery, but is pleased with the adulterer. This will not make any sense. The sin has no moral character apart from the sinner. Sin is the nature of a wicked and a characteristic of a Devil and who has gone spiritually away from God. We should continuously pray to God at all times to deliver us from all evil and guarding our selves not to have fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness. The sins are always to be confessed, repented, and mourned truly in order to be a righteous before God. The Bible lists many things that are sinful in God’s eyes. Jesus hated sin and he hated worldliness. He put up with the sinfulness of men in order to call sinners to repentance. We can even cultivate relationships with the godless for the purpose of calling sinners to repentance and evangelizing them, but never to enjoy their sin or sinful life style. Paul said this to the Ephesians in Eph. 5:3-8, II Cor. 6:14-17

we are not to socialize at all with people who, having become part of God’s Church, are practicing sin. Jesus was compassionate for sinners because Christ came into the world to save sinners. He didn’t come to make sinners feel good about themselves.

Some people attempt to justify their wrongdoing by saying, for example, that Jesus refused to condemn the woman caught in adultery and that He spent much of His time eating and drinking with sinners. Jesus’ words to the adulterous woman, “Neither do I condemn you” (Jn. 8:11), are filled with forgiveness, not tolerance. She knew her own sin, and He knew that she did, whereas the would-be stone-throwers weren’t

reflecting upon theirs. So Jesus had to deal with them first. But after He forgave the woman, notice that Jesus did not say, “Go, follow your feelings, celebrate diversity, and try not to hurt anyone.” He said, “Go, and sin no more.” To the paralytic, He added a further warning: “Sin no more, lest something worse befall you” (Jn. 5:14). That God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.2 Corinthians 5:19

Do not be a lukewarm Christian rebuke the sin, judge righteously. One does not need to have lived all his life without sin in order to rebuke others. Jesus knew His disciples had committed sins, yet he still ordered them to rebuke sin (Matthew 18:15, Ephesians 5:11, John 7:24, James 5:19,20,).If we fail to rebuke others when they sin, then we ourselves have committed the sin of disobeying the above verses. We learn that the Bible forbids certain kinds of judgment, but it also requires us to rebuke sin in order to help people please God and be saved.

The Bible commands men to depart from all sin, to keep God’s commandments, to be holy because God is holy, and to be perfect as our Father in heaven is perfect. The Bible teaches that all men ought to live without sin and that they can live without sin by God’s grace and the power of his indwelling Holy Spirit. The Bible also teaches that Christians do live without sin and overcome the world, the flesh, and the devil. One can live without sin. Here are some scriptures ref.Awake to righteousness, and sin not 1 Cor. 15:34

God has given us Ten Commandments to keep and be obedient to his commandment which is a part of his conditional love for us in order to protect us. God also cursed Adam and Eve when they sin against him. If sin alone was the object of His hatred, why didn’t He destroy only the sin of our first parents? There are many people who ignore scriptures on God’s wrath against sin. Even though God is a loving God who forgives sin, the wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. When we truly repent, God shows his grace and love, but if we do not repent, it shows that we are continuing in our rebellious ways which results in Gods wrath.

Bible verses on Conditional love:

In John 14:21He who HAS MY COMMANDMENTS AND KEEPS THEM, it is he who loves me. And HE WHO LOVES ME will be loved by my father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.

I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand {generations} of those who love me and keep my commandments. (Ex 20:5-6)

The Father himself loves you because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God (John 16:27).

If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God. And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. (1 John 4:15-16)

Romans 5:12 shows us the consequences of what Adam and Eve started, that, “just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin,” death has “spread to all men, because all sinned.

God judges the righteous, and God is angry with the wicked every day.” (Psa 7:11)

Proverbs 15:9 the way of the wicked is an abomination unto the LORD: but he loveth him that followeth after righteousness.

Proverbs 30:12 there is a generation that is pure in their own eyes, and yet is not washed from their filthiness.

Isaiah 13:11 And I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible.

Amos 3:2 you only have I known of all the families of the earth: therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities.

“But this is the day of the Lord GOD of hosts, a day of vengeance, vengeance on his foes! — The sword devours, is sated, drunk with their blood: for the Lord GOD of hosts holds a slaughter feast” [Jer. 46:10]

God hates sinners so much that “for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death. (Revelation 21:8)

Because of these the wrath of God is coming (upon the disobedient).” [Col. 3:6]

Proverbs 6:16-19 There are six things the LORD hates, seven that are detestable to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies and a man who stirs up dissension among brothers.

Hebrews 1:9 – You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness.

Jeremiah 12:17 But if they will not obey, I will utterly pluck up and destroy that nation, saith the LORD.

Jeremiah 51:13 O thou that dwellest upon many waters, abundant in treasures, thine end is come, and the measure of thy covetousness.

Jeremiah 51:52 Wherefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will do judgment upon her graven images: and through all her land the wounded shall groan..

Romans 2:2-9 “But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed. God ‘will give to each person according to what he has done.’ To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger. There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile”

A man who remains stiff-necked after many rebukes will suddenly be destroyed—without remedy. Proverbs 29:1

Proverbs 14:9 Fools make a mock at sin: but among the righteous there is favour.

Psalms 10:11 He hath said in his heart, God hath forgotten: he hideth his face; he will never see it.

2 Peter 2:14 Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: an heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children:

Proverbs 10:16 The labour of the righteous tendeth to life: the fruit of the wicked to sin.

Do not set foot on the path of the wicked or walk in the way of evil men. Proverbs 4:14

And pray that we may be delivered from wicked and evil men, for not everyone has faith. 2 Thessalonians 3:2

Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. 2 Timothy 2:22

May God bless all those who take a stand for the truth!

God’s love for us

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.  Psalm 46:1 

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.  Proverbs 3:5-6   

(Jesus said) “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  Matthew 11:28-29  

This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, (Jesus is the Truth) and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence whenever our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.

But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit. Keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.  Jude 1:20-21 

AMEN!!!

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Why is the sky blue? It’s among the most asked questions children have – almost a generic one to show the curiosity of young people and the joy of learning that comes when youngsters are encourged.

Some may not think of light scattering through the atmosphere as the primary answer, of course. Some may first think of jokes, like Lucy’s in one Peanuts comic where she said crabbily, “Because it isn’t green.”

Others may think poetically about the sky, as it reaches up to infinity. Oh, sure, the atmosphere only goes so far, but even it goes much farther than we can imagine, or see, thinning until it is merely a few molecules per square mile.

And yet, the same sky – blue, thanks to the light scattering from the sun – reaches all the way down to the ground.

Isn’t it amazing? We don’t think about it, because we’re used to thinking of the “sky” as way up there. But, if we put on that same childlike faith that kids have, we realize that just sitting up on an adult’s shoulders feels like we’re “way up there.” And, we’re actually walking around in a sky that begins way down at our feet. Good thing, too, or the atmosphere wouldn’t allow us to breathe, if it started only a few dozen feet up.

Why is it down that far? Why are we allowed to breathe in that sky that starts not somewhere many feet up, but right down at the ground? becuase of an unseen force called gravity.

It’s important to remember why the sky is blue, of course. And, it’s also important to remember other great things as school starts back up.

1. Learning should be fun.

Not every part of learning – or anything – will be fun. Even a great athlete like LeBron James has parts of the sport he doens’t like – same with pretty much every NFL player by the end of training camp.

People dream of being like them in some way, though, because they do something that their fans think would be lots of fun.

In the same way, we should get through the boring stuff like those NFL drills, with an eye toward the big picture. We will gain so much knowledge, and hopefully the wisdom to use it.

After all, think about how cool it is to muse about the sky like I just did – and to consider that you’re in the sky right now, in some ways. Not high up, but you are in the atmosphere.

2. The sky and space are like life

That unseen force holding us down, which he need to rely on, is the same one holding that atmosphere we need so much. That force is gravity.

It doesn’t end there, though. There is an invisible force lovingly guiding each of us, too – one who wants what’s best for us, and who knows even better than we do. But, He’s not just an unseen force.

Shien a flashlight on a far wall. Where is the light? Int he flashlight? Ont he wall? Actually, it’s everywhere on a straight line between the flashlight and the wall – we just need a special instrument to see it. Just like that instrument we need to see God – faith.

Like the sky, God’s love is unfathomable, reaching out beyond what we can perceive, except that His love is many times greater than that. It is infinite, just as space is. Space, with a few atoms of hydrogen per square light year at times – but still, atoms of some element, just like the sky has. That’s right; particles and waves exist out in space, so space is not completely empty. The atoms and electrons spread to unimagined thinness and heights, and then the particles and electromagnetic waves still keep going. And, other particles and waves come at us from the deepest reaches of space.

They are drawn by an invisible force called gravity. Gravity, which we rely on by faith, unthinking, to hold us down, to keep us from flying into space. Just as we must rely on God to help us, and to save us.

Because you see, gravity does something else wonderful for us. It not only keeps that atmosphere on the ground, preventing it from fleeing away and stopping all breath. It keeps enough atmosphere down on the ground, so anyone can breathe in it.

In the same way, God, in His love, doesn’t expect us to reach out to His unfathomable heights. He reaches down to us. In fact, He came down to us, in the person of Jesus Christ, to suffer and die for our sins, and rise fromt he dead, so we could get to Heaven, and also so we could enjoy life more abudnantly here.

3. God wants you to breathe freely

God doesn’t force you to come to Him. Just like He doesn’t force people to breath ehte atmosphere. A person could live their whole lives breathing something in a spacesuit. The question is, why? It would take so much effort, and there wouldn’t be the joy of living and breathing freely. Plus, the body would die anyway, so all that work would be for nothing.

God has something better for you, though. He has verses like Philippians 4:8, Galatians 5:22-23, the Commandments, and so on, that help us to make this world a better place. They’re not rules that we’re forced to follow; they’re rules He set up to lovingly guide us, and make the world better for us – and for others.

He lovingly reached down and tdid that, because we couldn’t reach up to Him. But, we have a problem. We dont’ always keep His commandments.

He made a way to reconcile Himself to us, though. He came to this world, int eh person of Jesus Christ. he lived a perfect life. He could do that becuase He was God in flesh. God the Father God the Son, and God the Spirit are all God – just as ice, water, and water vapor are all H2O. He was perfect, because He had to be to take our punishment – He didn’t have to be punished for His own sin. He died on the cross for you, me, everyone, and rose fromt he dead. He’d defeated death and sin.

Now, each person must simply receive Him by simple faith. Call on Him to forgive you, for all who call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. (Rom. 10:13) He has allowed you, by grace alone, to not only get to Heaven and have eternal life, but to have it here on Earth, also.

4. God can change things with you putting your whole trust in Him

Things can be very tough at school. You may wonder if you’ll ever rise up above al lthe gossip, mean talk, and superficial lifestyles people have. Well, on our own, we can’t, but God promises in his Word, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” (Phil. 4:13)

So, trust Him to help you show His love through your actions, and your words, and you will make a difference. People will see something different in you, and will ask why – then, you can tell them how to have Jesus in their hearts (through the Holy Spirit) as well. But, you need Him as your Savior first, before you can help anyone else to do so.

He loves you, and wants you to live for Him, though. Not becuase you have to, but because He wants you to admit you’re a sinner and seek forgiveness for your sins, a change in your heart, so you can show others His great love.

Because, there’s a world of hurting people out there, many at school. People who are waiting to be told all about Christ’s love.

A couple of weeks ago I had lunch with some lovely ladies at work and was intrigued by the questions they raised as they discussed a trend that has recently gained so much momentum that I wonder if we will ever be able to haul in the reins on it. Divorce. Have you noticed how many couples are splitting lately? Some will come right out and get a divorce, some will call it ‘separation,’ others call it ‘amicably parting ways.’ Call it what you may, it isn’t God’s intended plan.

As the lovely ladies recounted tale after tale of seemingly ‘match-made-in-heaven’ couples who ended up parting ways for any number of reasons, right from incompatibility, just better suited as friends and not as a couple, fell out of love, sickness, poverty, bankruptcy, infidelity… (the list is endless really), the question of the true meaning of love slowly arose. One lady argued that love doesn’t exist. That this thing we call ‘love’ is just a cheap excuse for all the emotional mistakes we make, that it is irrelevant when choosing a life partner, and that for a marriage to work it should be treated as a ludicrous business investment, complete with a detailed signed contract, lawyers, no emotional involvement whatsoever, the works!

I attempted to answer her question at the time but even I found my explanation wanting. So I’ve been praying over it and asking the Master to reveal it to me. And he, in his wonderful faithfulness, revealed it to me as I walked home for lunch not too long ago. It’s so simple that when he said it I didn’t believe it. I’ve had enough time to think it through and ask all the questions I had and I’m now convinced that love is really just simple. Not easy, simple.

‘To be good to – ‘ That’s what love means. To love someone is to be good to them. To love something is to be good to it, to use it in a way that will preserve it’s value while maximizing its potential. To love God is to be good to him. That’s it!

For clarity’s sake, let me expound on what this goodness is. It doesn’t mean to do ‘good’ things or to ‘please’ someone. Instead it means doing the right thing. To be good to someone means to do the most beneficial thing for that person. It means to uphold the integrity of the person, to respect them. For example, a person full of love will not harass a waiter at a hotel, or rudely answer a watchman at the company gate, or show some despicable hand signals to other road users. The love in him causes him to refrain from these actions. When you walk into a shop and the attendant steps up to help you, love commands – or demands – that you speak politely to them no matter their looks, dress, IQ, or even if they’re chewing gum! It doesn’t mean that you have to hug them and declare that you love them in front of everyone!

1st Corinthians 13 is a well known passage of scripture. It talks about love and its various attributes. My understanding of the passage is that it is God’s guide to what it means to be good to others, what it means to love others. When the apostle says ‘Love is patient, kind, does not envy, does not boast, is not proud, is not rude, is not self-seeking, is not easily angered, keeps no record of wrongs, does not delight in evil, always rejoices with truth, always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres, never fails… in essence he is describing the action of love. If I can paraphrase, “When you love someone, it means that at all times you will be good to them; you will be patient with them and kind to them, you will not envy them but rejoice when they receive good things, you will not boast of your possessions and your achievement, putting them down in the process, but you will seek to edify them, to encourage them, to uplift them…”

Love and like are not alike. Not in the slightest. Love is an independent entity. It is not dependent on who the receiver is, what they look like, how they act, how they dress, what they like, how learned they are, how clean they are, what they’ve done, what they haven’t done. It not even dependent on the giver, and what he likes, and what he wants, and what sort of mood he’s in. Love is purely independent. There is nothing like ‘conditional love.’ Love is unconditional. Conditional love is as real as a cold fire. Like, on the other hand, is purely dependent. It is more of a feeling, an affirmation we unconsciously make of another person’s actions, behavior, and mere presence.

The bible says that God is love. And it also says that God is good. It therefore follows that love is good. The two are synonymous, but only in their true form. Just because someone is acting good towards you doesn’t mean that they love you. It could only be a ruse to get something out of you. But if someone is constantly being good towards you, even in his motives and unexpressed thoughts concerning you, then that person surely loves you. Remember too, that in Genesis, God created man in his own image. And since God is love, then man is the image of love. The difference is that man has been corrupted by sin, and sin defiles love. The more we live in sin, the further we move away from love. It becomes increasingly easier for us to lie, steal, curse, molest, assault, murder, drink, abuse drugs, fornicate, commit adultery… There is less and less love in us hence less inclination to be good to anyone. Including ourselves. The closer we come to God, as he washes away our sins and purges us with the blood of the Messiah, the richer our love grows.

Love doesn’t always feel good. No child enjoys the stroke(s) of the cane, yet the Lord advices us not to spare the rod lest we spoil the child. Hebrews 12:6 tells us that the Lord disciplines those he loves and punishes everyone he accepts as a son. Love sometimes means making great sacrifices like the one God made when he gave up Jesus to die for our sins. See, the bible says “For God so loved the world…” He did it out of love. It wasn’t just a random act, or a careless gesture, or an idiotic notion. It was a sacrifice driven purely by love. But love at times means saying no. It means that because I love you I will not spoil you with money before you learn its value. It means that because I love you I will not encourage your fantasies by agreeing to date you even when I know that I will never marry you. It means that because I love you I will not support your homosexual tendencies, I will not support your false religion and claims that Jesus is not the only way to heaven, I will not support your prostitution and fornication in the guise of ‘love’ or ‘poverty’ or whatever excuse you give for it. I will do what I can for you, but I will not support you in sin, because I know that the consequence of sin is destruction and I do not want you to be destroyed. Because I love you.

One last thing. So loving someone means being good to them, and loving something means being good to it – giving my baby healthy food, taking my car for servicing, treating my girlfriend with respect and not engaging in sex before marriage because I do not want to make her sin – but how can I be good to God? I am supposed to love God, aren’t I? Why, of course! King Solomon has the answer to that. Ecclesiastes 12:13 “Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.” The apostle John reiterates this in his first letter. 1st John 5:3 “This is love for God: to obey his commands.” All that he wants us to do is to obey his commands. Not so he can feel powerful and elevated, not to stroke or massage his ego (if he has one!) for he is not puffed up of full of himself, but because they are guidelines to true happiness on earth.

Shining Perspective

I had just finished my shower. I dried off and was getting ready to brush my teeth and then I hear, “Mommy?” The soft seeking voice of my son breaks the sound of the bathroom fan whirring. The door slowly opens. Then silence. “What are you doing honey?” I ask standing in front of the mirror. (Of course I wasn’t wearing anything because I just got out of the shower, and I had dried off and already hung up my towel to dry.) He creeps into the room and stands next to me. Then he slowly leans into my side. I wrap my arm around him and kiss his head. I ask, “Are you alright honey?” “Yea” he replies and I say, “What are you doing?” His sweet little voice replied, “I’m loving you.” In that moment I realized that God wants me to come to Him in the same way. God wants all of us to come to Him without any hesitation.

Isaiah just wanted to express his love for me. It didn’t matter to him that we had just spent several minutes together, snuggling and sharing a whole lot of hugs and kisses. It didn’t matter that I was completely naked, or that I was behind the closed door of the bathroom. It didn’t matter to him, because I am always approachable. He doesn’t let anything stand in his way of getting to me, there are no boundaries. He comes to me with a love that in uninhibited. God’s love knows no bounds and God longs for us to come to Him in the same way with anything and everything. “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28. I had just spent quite a bit of time with Isaiah before I got into the shower, BUT it wasn’t enough. God wants me to be like that. He doesn’t want me to have a specific time scheduled for Him, He wants me all the time and He wants me to come with hunger and thirst that only He can satisfy.

That afternoon I took Isaiah to the park. Once we reached the playground, I was five years old. I entered into his world and became a child. I ran, I jumped (I didn’t know I could still do that) I slid down the slides and climbed up all the different ways I could, including walking up the slides backwards. I didn’t care who was watching me, (I’m sure I looked pretty silly) I didn’t care what anyone thought. It didn’t matter; I loved my son, in his way, on his level with no bounds. We giggled while I was the monster and he was “the people.” We went on a journey to Cupcake Island on our jungle gym boat. We loved each other while we rested at the bottom of the slide and talked.  I think that’s just where God wants to meet us. No matter where we are, no matter what we do, He wants to meet you there, on your level, in the way that only He can.

My friend recently told me “God wants to be the one you love to giggle with and tell secrets to.”  I had never had it described quite that way before, but I think it’s exactly what God wants us to do. I think it’s exactly what a child would do. “At that time Jesus said, ‘I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children.’” ~Matthew 11:25. “I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” ~Luke 18:17

Do you find yourself in a difficult spot? Maybe your circumstances have become “impossible.” Maybe the trial at your doorstep is just to remind you that your Father in heaven is longing to hear from you. I know I’ve been given some new circumstances that are bringing me to a new level of brokenness, and dependence on God and God alone. I praise the Lord that He has me in a place where my only option is to wait on Him with faith like that of a child’s. “How kind the Lord is! How good he is! So merciful, this God of ours! The Lord protects those of childlike faith; I was facing death, and he saved me. Let my soul be at rest again, for the Lord has been good to me.” ~Psalm 116:5-7