Category: Uncategorized

A Life with Love Can Be Forsaken

True love does not forsake but love can be forsaken. Love is always a choice. If there was no choice then it would not be love. God gave man the freedom to choose. Man can love God or man can leave God. You can choose to love your spouse or you can choose to leave your spouse. There is the freedom of choice in love. Love is an act of the will and is not based on an emotion. Emotions come and go but we can always choose to love and when we choose to love our emotions will follow. God chose to love man even when man chose to not love God.

They heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. Then the Lord God called to the man, and said to him, “Where are you?” He said, “I heard the sound of You in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself.” Genesis 3:8-10

Adam and Eve were afraid because they had forsaken the Lord and they hid themselves from God. If we feel guilty then we don’t want to see the one who we have sinned against. Adam and Eve had sinned against God by desiring something other than what God had for them. Even in their sin the Lord had not forsaken them and He still sought to love them and provided for their needs and gave them hope through a promise.

He shall bruise you on the head,
And you shall bruise him on the heel.” Genesis 3:15b

The Lord promised a Savior who would crush Satan on the head.

The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife, and clothed them. Genesis 3:21

The Lord provided clothes for Adam and Eve.

Then you are to say to them, ‘It is because your forefathers have forsaken Me,’ declares the Lord, ‘and have followed other gods and served them and bowed down to them; but Me they have forsaken and have not kept My law. Jeremiah 16:11

Just as Adam and Eve forsook the Lord when they did not obey Him, so we also, when we do not obey the Lord we too are forsaking Him for another god. It may be the “god of fleshly pleasure or fleshly desire” or we may be forsaking Him by pursuing the “god of the boastful pride of life” and neglecting spending time with Him in His Word or in prayer.

Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever. I John 2:15-17

Anything that we love more than God or in place of God has become an idol in our heart. We can not love God and love idols. Anything that keeps us from doing the will of God, by obeying His Word, has caused us to forsake God and His love for us.

No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. Matthew 6:24a

We can not serve two masters. We will love one and hate the other. We can not serve God and serve something else. The love of God is what must be our one and only choice.

He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who has found his life will lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake will find it. Matthew 10:37-39

We must love God more than any other human relationship. We must love God more than life itself. When we love God more than all else then we will find love and life.

O Lord, the hope of Israel, All who forsake You will be put to shame. Those who turn away on earth will be written down, Because they have forsaken the fountain of living water, even the Lord. Jeremiah 17:13

Those who forsake the Lord and His love will be put to shame.

And those who know Your name will put their trust in You, For You, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You. Psalm 9:10

The Lord will not forsake those who trust in Him and seek Him.

Let the wicked forsake his way And the unrighteous man his thoughts; And let him return to the Lord, And He will have compassion on him, And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon. Isaiah 55:7

The Lord gives us a choice. We can love Him and forsake all others or we can go our own way and forsake Him. Just as in a marriage, we must choose to love our spouse and forsake all others or we can forsake our spouse and “love” another. Love is a choice. Christianity is a love relationship with God that is based on God’s love for us and our response to His love. Will we forsake “our” way and turn to Him or will we continue to go “our” way and indulge in “our” unrighteous thoughts? If we will turn to Him with all of our heart then He will have compassion on us and He will forgive.

The Lord is gracious and merciful; Slow to anger and great in lovingkindness. Psalm 145:8

A Life with Love Does Not Forsake

True love does not forsake. Since the source of true love is not the recipient but the one who is the giver of the love, true love is not dependent on the one loved but is dependent on the lover. The only source of true love is the Lord because He is the only One who never changes. However, He can give us His love for others so that we can love others with a true love. When Jesus Christ comes to live within a person then He can and wants to love others through the one whom He lives within.

We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. I John 4:18

Abide means to live within. When the Lord is where our heart abides and He abides in our heart then we will experience His love and others will experience His love through us. When we come to know God then we come to know His love and how great it is.

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love. I John 4:7,8

God’s love for us never changes. The Lord says that He will never forsake us, in other words, His love will never leave us and God will always be with us. This is one of the most amazing truths about Jesus Christ and His love for us. The reason why this truth is so powerful and amazing is that this love came at a very high price. All of us forsook the Lord and so we deserve to be forsaken. Forsake means to leave and all of us left God. Adam and Eve left God when they sinned in the garden and everyone who has descended from them inherited the same sin nature to “want to live life on our own” and “be our own master” with the same outcome of death.

Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned— Romans 5:12

Since all of us sinned then all of us deserve death. Death is ultimately separation from God. We are all born spiritually dead without the capacity to know God. Every time we sin we experience death to our soul, which is the guilt, remorse, regret and all of the other destructive things we feel when we do not keep God’s law. Man even tries to get rid of God’s laws so that man can rid himself of the guilt but God’s laws are written on our hearts and so we have to close ourselves completely off to God to try to get rid of the guilt. The only way we can do this is to say that there is no God. However, even our mind can not accept that because the Lord has put it within us to know that there is a Creator. So…we try to get rid of a Creator by saying that we all evolved through the theory of evolution. However, as all of us can see, trying to get rid of God becomes even more foolish because only God can give life and breath. For this reason, it has been said, that there are few atheists on the deathbed. In our hearts, all of know that there is a God. We have to be taught that there is no God and we believe that teaching only if there are things in our lives that go against God’s laws, such as immorality, stealing, lying or anything else that brings guilt on us.

So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men. Romans 5:18

Through Adam’s sin came death and condemnation to all men. However, through the righteousness of Jesus Christ came the gift of justification and life to all men.

For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ. Romans 5:17

Jesus Christ is the only One who never sinned and did what was right in God’s eyes. He kept the entire Law of God and in obedience to the Father, Jesus Christ went to the cross for us. He took our sin and death on Himself in order to give us His life and righteousness.

For as through the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous. Romans 5:19

Jesus Christ was forsaken so that those who receive the gift of what He did on the cross for them, the gift of life, would never be forsaken. Forsaken means to be cut off from God’s presence and His love.

At the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” which is translated, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” Mark 15:34

When Jesus Christ took our sin, He also took the death and condemnation that we deserved. God’s wrath was poured out on Jesus Christ when He was on the cross. God, the Father, turned His back on Jesus Christ. God, the Father, forsook Jesus Christ on the cross so that we would not be forsaken.

for He Himself has said, “I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you,” Hebrews 13:5b

Jesus Christ was forsaken so that we would not be forsaken by God. Jesus Christ is the gift that God gave because He so loved the world.

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. John 3:16

The gift of Jesus Christ is available to all men and any who will believe in Jesus Christ and receive this gift of God will never be forsaken. This amazing love and promise is for whoever will believe in Him.

But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, John 1:12

Those who receive Jesus Christ will never be forsaken and will live in His love for all eternity because God gives them the privilege and right of becoming His child. God restores what was lost in the garden of Eden when Adam and Eve sinned. God restores the love relationship and sweet fellowship with God that He designed for man to have through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ paid the price for our sin with His own blood.

See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are. I John 3:1

It is not until we come to know God’s love that we can ever truly love someone else with this same kind of love that will not forsake or change. We are never more like God than when we love, for God is love and the one who loves is born of God and knows God.

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love. By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him. I John 4:7-9

If you want to find love and keep love in your life then you must find God. He allows Himself to be found by those who will seek Him with all of their heart. Seek Him and you will find Him. In finding God, you will find true love and the true love of God will never forsake you.

But from there you will seek the Lord your God, and you will find Him if you search for Him with all your heart and all your soul. Deuteronomy 4:29

A Life with Love Casts Out Fear

There is no comfort in fear. Fear can emotionally paralyze the one who has it. Fear can control us and ultimately destroy our mental well being. Fear comes from not knowing and not being in control and when life seems out of control we become anxious and fearful. Fear is not a part of God’s will for your life.

There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, I John 4:18a

The only cure for fear is when we will trust the One who is always in control and who loves us perfectly. We do not even love ourselves perfectly so we can not even trust ourselves. Nor do we have all power to control everything always so we are helpless and can not even help ourselves. There is only One who can ultimately help us and He is all loving and all powerful and we can trust Him. He is in control and is fully aware of everything that is going on in our lives. Nothing catches Him by surprise.

The Lord has established His throne in the heavens, And His sovereignty rules over all. Psalm 103:19

The Lord can do whatever He pleases. He is the only One with that kind of power.

Whatever the Lord pleases, He does, In heaven and in earth, in the seas and in all deeps. Psalm 135:6

The Lord loves you and He loves all of us. He does not show partiality.

For the Lord your God is the God of gods and the Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God who does not show partiality nor take a bribe. Deuteronomy 10:17

His love is perfect and it is available to any who will call on Him. He is able, He will and He wants to deliver you from your fears.

And it will come about that whoever calls on the name of the Lord
Will be delivered; Joel 2:32a

The Lord will not only deliver you from your fears if you call on Him but He will save you. He will be your Savior in this world and for all eternity if you will confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Jesus from the dead.

that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. Romans 10:9,10

He will never leave you nor forsake you if you call on Jesus Christ to save you.

for He Himself has said, “I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you,” so that we confidently say, “The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid. Hebrews 13:5b, 6a

He will replace your fear with His peace. There is not anything that can take His peace away from you.

Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful. John 14:27

To those who call on the Lord Jesus Christ to save them He will be their refuge and One whom they can go to any time and call on any time if they ever start feeling fearful again. He will deliver them from evil and their soul can find safety and shelter from the troubles of life.

For you have made the Lord, my refuge,
Even the Most High, your dwelling place.
No evil will befall you,
Nor will any plague come near your tent. Psalm 91:9,10

Those who call on the Lord Jesus Christ and put their trust in Him will not be disappointed.

For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes in Him will not be disappointed.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him; for “Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Romans 10:11-13

He is a present help in time of trouble. If this is a fearful and troubling time for you then maybe God has allowed this time so that you will realize that you need Jesus Christ in your life, not only for now, but for all time.

God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble. Psalm 46:1

If you are weary of trying to make it on your own or if you are weary of carrying the burden of your fears and anxieties then come to Him. He invites all who are weary to come to Him. He is gentle and humble of heart and He understands your fears, anxieties and troubles and He loves you.

“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, 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. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30

Jesus Christ loves you and in His love your fears will be cast out and in Him you will find rest for your soul. He will be a present help in time of trouble and you will be able to take refuge in Him and be safe. He will give you His peace and nothing can take it away. He will never leave you. You will not be disappointed when you put your trust in Him.

The name of the Lord is a strong tower; The righteous runs into it and is safe. Proverbs 18:10

A Life with Stability

A basic need in a person’s well being is for there to be absolutes that do not change. The world changes, people change, relationships change, finances change and nearly everything else is subject to change. However, people need hope and an anchor for their soul, so that when life changes or storms come they have something that keeps them secure and stable so that their life and emotions are not like the waves of the sea.

God is our refuge and strength,
A very present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change
And though the mountains slip into the heart of the sea;
Though its waters roar and foam,
Though the mountains quake at its swelling pride. Psalm 46:1-3

God is the only One who does not change. A person who takes refuge in the Lord does not need to fear. The Lord will be their strength and He is a present help in time of trouble. The Lord does not say that trouble will not come but rather He promises those who look to Him that He will be a present help in their trouble. The Lord will be with them in their trouble. A person who takes refuge in the Lord and looks to Him will not fear even though the earth should change and the mountains slip into the sea. The Lord is able and will help those who look to Him to be their refuge and strength.

The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our sons forever, that we may observe all the words of this law. Deuteronomy 29:29

God reveals Himself to mankind through the Scriptures, which are God’s inspired Words. It is through God’s Words that we come to know Him.

But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God. II Peter 1:20,21

God’s Word does not change. God’s Words are who He is. We can trust what He says in His Word, the Bible. We can build our life on His truths found in His Words.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. John 1:1-3

And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14

Jesus Christ is God’s revelation of who God is. Jesus Christ is God. Jesus Christ was in the beginning and He is God. All things came into being through Him. The Word became flesh and God manifested Himself in Jesus Christ and lived on earth. Jesus Christ was not created for He is God and He is the Creator. Jesus Christ is the only begotten Son of God, the Father. God is One. Jesus Christ and God the Father are equal. This is a mystery and it is infinite. Man can not fully understand God for man is finite. We may not be able to fully understand God, for if we could then we would be like God, however, we can fully trust God. God has revealed Himself to us that He is good and He is love. He also is all powerful. Nothing is too difficult for Him.

Ah Lord God! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and by Your outstretched arm! Nothing is too difficult for You, Jeremiah 32:17

When we feel confused or doubt, it is because we do not know the Lord. He wants us to know Him and when we know Him then we can trust Him. We know the Lord through His Word, the Bible. He wants us to trust Him. We can trust His love, His knowledge and His power. We do not need to fear.

But Jesus answered and said to them, “You are mistaken, not understanding the Scriptures nor the power of God. Matthew 22:29

The more we trust Him then the more we will not fear. The more we know Him then the more we can trust Him. The Lord wants us to not just “know about Him” but He wants us to know Him intimately. The Lord wants us to have a love relationship with Him. This love relationship comes about through Jesus Christ. When we receive Him into our heart and life then we come in a relationship with Him. It is when we begin a relationship with Him that He is revealed to us. For this reason, those who are skeptical or cynical or doubting can not know Him. It is when we turn to Jesus Christ in faith that we see Him and see His love, power and faithfulness. We begin a relationship with Him through coming to Jesus Christ in prayer through faith.

Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord; Acts 3:19

Repent means to turn to God from whatever we were looking to or doing to give us comfort, stability, purpose, security or any other significant need and desire in life. God has made us to be in a relationship with Himself. At one time, everyone believed in God because the Lord puts the belief of Him in the hearts of children, that they might come to Him. However, for whatever reason, if one did not come to Him as a child then the light of God starts to grow dim and then even dimmer as time goes on. Since a person can not live without love and significance a person starts seeking love and meaning in other ways. These are always invalid substitutes for the real thing, which is God alone. Jesus Christ is the only One who can satisfy us and fill the emptiness within our hearts and lives. He is the only One who never changes. His love is a constant and He came to love us with an unconditional love. Just as a person can not live without love, a person can not live with guilt. Jesus Christ is the only One who can take our guilt away. Not only does He take our guilt away but He also takes our shame and our sin. He makes us clean on the inside and fill us with Himself and His love.

There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love. I John 4:18

It is our fears that bring instability and the Lord is the only One who can cast out all fear. He never changes and His love never changes. We can trust Him completely. When we come to Him then He casts out our fears and gives us the stability that we long for and the peace that we need. He becomes our stability, our refuge and our hope when He becomes our Lord and our Savior.

And He will be the stability of your times, A wealth of salvation, wisdom and knowledge; Isaiah 33:6

My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold and my refuge; My Savior, You save me from violence. II Samuel 22:3

This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast…Hebrews 6:19a

A Life with Love has a Refuge

A refuge is a safe place where a person can feel secure. We all need a refuge. We need a refuge from the storms of life just as a person needs a refuge if they are caught in a physical storm. There is something very unsettling about being in a place that starts to shake during a hurricane or a very bad storm. The winds blow and howl and the rain seems never to stop. Often the storms seem worse during the night. The sounds can cause much fear and more than anything else the unknown can seem the worse. Not too many years ago there was not much warning when a hurricane was coming and people did not know how long it would last. The storms of life are kind of like that, we don’t know how long they will last or what will be the outcome. Storms can be frightening.

Trust in Him at all times, O people;
Pour out your heart before Him;
God is a refuge for us. Psalm 62:8

The Lord is the only One who can be a refuge for us at all times and at any time. We can trust in Him all of the time. He wants us to pour out our hearts to Him. He is a present help in time of trouble.

God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble. Psalm 46:1

Since the Lord does not change and He loves us perfectly therefore He is the perfect refuge for us. Everything else in life will change but if God is our refuge then we do not need to fear. We do not need to fear the unknown or the changes. The Lord is a present help in time of trouble.

Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change
And though the mountains slip into the heart of the sea;
Though its waters roar and foam,
Though the mountains quake at its swelling pride. Psalm 46:2,3

The Lord will cover you with His pinions and under His wings you seek refuge. Just as a mother bird will protect her babies so the Lord will protect those who take refuge in Him.

I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress,
My God, in whom I trust!”
For it is He who delivers you from the snare of the trapper
And from the deadly pestilence.
He will cover you with His pinions,
And under His wings you may seek refuge;
His faithfulness is a shield and bulwark. Psalm 91:2-4

The Lord can protect you from harm. His faithfulness is a shield and a bulwark. He is faithful to His Word. You can trust Him.

As for God, His way is blameless; The word of the Lord is tested; He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him. II Samuel 22:31

The Lord preserves those who take refuge in Him.

Preserve me, O God, for I take refuge in You. Psalm 16:1

Those who take refuge in the Lord will not be ashamed.

In You, O Lord, I have taken refuge; Let me never be ashamed; In Your righteousness deliver me. Psalm 31:1

The person who takes refuge in the Lord will see how great His goodness is that He has stored up for them.

How great is Your goodness, Which You have stored up for those who fear You, Which You have wrought for those who take refuge in You, Before the sons of men! Psalm 31:19

How blessed will be the one who takes refuge in the Lord.

O taste and see that the Lord is good; How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him! Psalm 34:8

None of those who take refuge in Him will be condemned. He redeems them.

The Lord redeems the soul of His servants, And none of those who take refuge in Him will be condemned. Psalm 34:22

The Lord wants us to hasten to Him and take refuge in Him. When the storm is coming it is important to hasten to the place of refuge.

I would hasten to my place of refuge from the stormy wind and tempest. Psalm 55:8

You will find that as you learn to take refuge in the Lord that you will want to sing of His love and His faithfulness. Your heart will overflow with joy. The storm will not last forever and those who took refuge in the Lord will have a testimony to share of the Lord and what He has done for them. Do you want to see the Lord and experience His love and faithfulness? Learn to go to Him rather than seek refuge in people or other “things”. He is the only sure refuge and you will be safe and secure.

But as for me, I shall sing of Your strength; Yes, I shall joyfully sing of Your lovingkindness in the morning, For You have been my stronghold And a refuge in the day of my distress. Psalm 59:16

A Life of Much Gladness

Gladness is different from joy. Joy comes from the presence of the Lord. The Bible says, “in Thy presence is fulness of Joy”. Gladness comes from loving what is right and doing it. Gladness comes from a clear conscience that you did the right thing earlier and so you are not fearful about being questioned or being caught.  Gladness is closely related to happiness. If you love the right thing and do what is right you will be happier than all of your friends.

Hebrews 1:9 “You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You with the oil of gladness above your companions.”

Not only will you have gladness but you will also not walk in darkness for you will have the light of the Lord.

Psalm 97:11 Light is sown like seed for the righteous and gladness for the upright in heart.

When others go their own way if you will seek the Lord and walk with Him then you will see that He will give you a witness of Himself and that He is good by giving you a fruitful life and will satisfy your heart with gladness.

Acts 14:16,17 In the generations gone by He permitted all the nations to go their own ways; and yet He did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good and gave you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness.”

However, when you walk with the Lord the gladness that the Lord gives you will even be greater than the gladness that you have when you have been blessed with an abundance on this earth. He will give you a gladness in your heart that transcends the blessings of this life on earth and you will sing for joy all the days of your life if only you will seek Him with all of your heart.

Psalm 4:6b,7 Lift up the light of Your countenance upon us, O Lord!
You have put gladness in my heart,
More than when their grain and new wine abound.

When the Lord’s countenance shines on you then you will reflect the Lord to the world and your heart will be glad. His countenance shining on you is an expression of His favor. There is no sweeter experience than to have the favor of the Lord on your life. When you walk with the Lord in the light of His countenance then it truly is a taste of heaven on earth and is what the Lord designed for us in the garden of Eden.

Psalm 30:10-12 “Hear, O Lord, and be gracious to me;
O Lord, be my helper.”
You have turned for me my mourning into dancing;
You have loosed my sackcloth and girded me with gladness,
That my soul may sing praise to You and not be silent.
O Lord my God, I will give thanks to You forever.

The Lord is the only One who can change our mourning into dancing and loose the things that make us sad and clothe us with gladness. If you heart is sad then let Him do this for you today. Taste and see that the Lord is good and follow Him with all of your heart that you may sing for joy all the days of your life.

 

A Life with Love Wants to Do Right

Love does what is right. The loving person will want to do what is right in the sight of God and all men. Sometimes we do not know the right thing to do but we will almost always recognize the right thing when it is done by someone else.

Then the king said, “The one says, ‘This is my son who is living, and your son is the dead one’; and the other says, ‘No! For your son is the dead one, and my son is the living one.’” The king said, “Get me a sword.” So they brought a sword before the king. The king said, “Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one and half to the other.” Then the woman whose child was the living one spoke to the king, for she was deeply stirred over her son and said, “Oh, my lord, give her the living child, and by no means kill him.” But the other said, “He shall be neither mine nor yours; divide him!” Then the king said, “Give the first woman the living child, and by no means kill him. She is his mother.” When all Israel heard of the judgment which the king had handed down, they feared the king, for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him to administer justice. I Kings 3:23-28

When King Solomon became king he was presented with a difficult situation in which he had to make a decision. When he made the right decision the people recognized that it was right and he gained their respect to rule over them. How important it is for a leader to do what is right so that the people who he is to lead will listen to, follow and respect him. When parents do what is right then their children will feel secure and want to honor them. When a husband does what is right then the wife will respect Him from her heart rather than only out of obedience to the Lord.

“The Spirit of the Lord spoke by me,
And His word was on my tongue.
“The God of Israel said,
The Rock of Israel spoke to me,
‘He who rules over men righteously,
Who rules in the fear of God,
Is as the light of the morning when the sun rises,
A morning without clouds,
When the tender grass springs out of the earth,
Through sunshine after rain.’ II Samuel 23:2-4

The leader who loves will do what is right. He will care about those whom the Lord has given him responsibility for their well being. A great leader will rule in the fear of God. God’s Word will be in his heart and on his tongue. He will be as refreshing as when the daylight comes when the sun rises in the morning. There will be peace, quietness and confidence.

And the work of righteousness will be peace,
And the service of righteousness, quietness and confidence forever. Isaiah 32:17

When there is love and righteousness in the home then those who live there will feel secure. When a husband and father loves his family and does what is right then his wife will trust him and so will his children.

Then my people will live in a peaceful habitation,
And in secure dwellings and in undisturbed resting places; Isaiah 32:18

When a mother is loving and does what is right then her children will love her when they are young. They will praise her when they are older and will also want to come back home to visit when she is older.

When the righteous increase, the people rejoice, But when a wicked man rules, people groan. Proverbs 29:2

When a leader is wicked and does what is wrong then those under that leader will groan. Rather than loving them he will bring them much sorrow and shame. He will not have their respect but they will live in fear. There will be no joy or peace. This can be true in a family and home and the children will long to leave and not come back.

Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. I Corinthians 13:4-7

Love is patient and love is kind. Love wants to do what is right and does not rejoice in unrighteousness. Love rejoices with the truth.

Do not let kindness and truth leave you;
Bind them around your neck,
Write them on the tablet of your heart.
So you will find favor and good repute
In the sight of God and man. Proverbs 3:3,4

When love, kindness and truth characterize your life then you will do what is right in the sight of God and men. Not only will you do what is right but you will find favor with God and have a good reputation with men.

A Life with Love Shows Mercy in Justice

When Cain’s offering was not accepted by God, rather than doing what was right he did what was wrong and he murdered his brother, Abel, whose offering God had accepted. When we do wrong we can still do what is right. The choice is ours.

And the Lord had regard for Abel and for his offering; but for Cain and for his offering He had no regard. So Cain became very angry and his countenance fell. Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? If you do well, will not your countenance be lifted up? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must master it.” Genesis 4:4b-7

It may be humbling but we can still do what is right and if we do what is right then we will be glad and our countenance will reflect it. The Lord gives us the opportunity to humble ourselves before Him so that we might receive His grace which enables us to do what is right no matter how great the sin.

But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, “God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” James 4:6

His grace will always measure up to the measure of the sin. One aspect of His grace is the strength to do what needs to be done to do what the Lord wants to be done.

but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, even so grace would reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Romans 5:21b,22

If you mess up or sin once or a million times you can still turn away from sin and turn to the Lord to begin doing what is right. Cain could still have done what was right or he could do what was wrong. The choice is still our choice. The wages of sin is death. It is death to us spiritually and it is death to our soul and death to our body. If we will do what is right then the Lord will meet us and help us.

You meet him who rejoices in doing righteousness,
Who remembers You in Your ways. Isaiah 64:5a

Cain was jealous of his brother and killed him. Cain did not love his brother but he hated him.

For this is the message which you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another; not as Cain, who was of the evil one and slew his brother. And for what reason did he slay him? Because his deeds were evil, and his brother’s were righteous. I John 3:11,12

How much easier it is for us to love someone else when we have more than they do. However, when someone becomes more successful and has more money, receives more honor or is accepted more then that love can easily turn to hate.

Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer; I John 3:15a

Sin begins in the heart but if it is not quickly checked and confessed then it will lead to action. Cain did not plan to kill his brother. Most of us don’t plan to sin but we have allowed sin to take root in our heart and then to master us. Sin is a cruel master and when Cain heard his punishment it was too hard to bear. The Lord spoke to Cain.

He said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood is crying to Me from the ground. Now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. When you cultivate the ground, it will no longer yield its strength to you; you will be a vagrant and a wanderer on the earth.” Cain said to the Lord, “My punishment is too great to bear! Behold, You have driven me this day from the face of the ground; and from Your face I will be hidden, and I will be a vagrant and a wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me.” Genesis 4:10-14

When Cain poured out his heart to the Lord then the Lord heard him and showed him mercy. The Lord is a just God but He is also merciful. How important it is to show mercy to those to whom we have to show justice. This is such an important truth for parents when they need to discipline their child. There can be no love without justice but love must be shown in justice so that the one who receives justice should not despair.

So the Lord said to him, “Therefore whoever kills Cain, vengeance will be taken on him sevenfold.” And the Lord appointed a sign for Cain, so that no one finding him would slay him. Genesis 4:15

Many a regret comes from an action in the emotion of the moment. Cain messed up privately in his worship with the Lord and the Lord reproved him privately. The Lord had not told anyone. Cain told his brother and when they were alone he killed him.

Cain told Abel his brother. And it came about when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him. Genesis 4:8

Jealousy is a sickness of the heart that can destroy us from the inside out. It is a secret sin that comes from insecurity. The best way to deal with jealousy is to get it out in the open. Go to someone who walks with the Lord and who you can trust and confess your sin of jealousy to them and ask them to pray for you.

Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much. James 5:16

The Lord is faithful, righteous and able to cleanse and heal us if we will confess our sins. He can also restore our relationships and heal our marriages and homes.

If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. I John 1:8,9

In God’s righteousness and faithfulness to His Word there is justice but in His love He shows us mercy when we come to Him and pour out our heart to Him.

A Life with Love Must Be Selective

Contrary to what some may say and others may believe we can not have it all. We can not have a life filled with love and do what we want to do. To find and keep love a life must be selective about what it hears, sees and does. What comes into your life is what will be expressed through your life.

and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us and released us from our sins by His blood— Revelation 1:5

There is One who loves us and He loved us with His life and He released us from the things that would destroy our lives, our marriages and our homes. He does not want us to go back to a life of destruction. He came to bring us life overflowing.

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. John 10:10

There are six things that must characterize your life if you want to find and keep love. If you do these six things then you will live on the heights of the earth, that is, you will live above your circumstances rather than under your circumstances. Often it is not our circumstances that determine our lives but our response to our circumstances.

He who walks righteously and speaks with sincerity,
He who rejects unjust gain
And shakes his hands so that they hold no bribe;
He who stops his ears from hearing about bloodshed
And shuts his eyes from looking upon evil; Isaiah 33:15

“He who walks righteously” Walking righteously is doing what God says. He is the only One who is righteous and when we do what He says then we will walk righteously.

It will be righteousness for us if we are careful to observe all this commandment before the Lord our God, just as He commanded us. Deuteronomy 6:25

“speaks with sincerity” Speaking with sincerity can only come when a person is honestly walking with God. Only a person with integrity, where there is no double mindedness in them, can speak with sincerity. This person is singular in their desire to please God. There is nothing that they desire from another.

Whom have I in heaven but You? And besides You, I desire nothing on earth. Psalm 73:25

“He who rejects unjust gain” To reject unjust gain is to not be deceptive or cheat in any way. It is to be honest in all of our dealings. To reject unjust gain is to walk in God’s ways and not to want our own way. The Lord says that He will teach us how to profit. When we are seeking Him and seeking to walk in His ways then He will show us how to profit in a way that all will benefit.

They have all turned to their own way, Each one to his unjust gain, to the last one. Isaiah 56:11b

“And shakes his hands so that they hold no bribe” The Lord does not take bribes

For the Lord your God is the God of gods and the Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God who does not show partiality nor take a bribe. Deuteronomy 10:17

“And shakes his hands so that they hold no bribe” The Lord does not want us to take bribes.

You shall not distort justice; you shall not be partial, and you shall not take a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and perverts the words of the righteous. Deuteronomy 10:19

“He who stops his ears from hearing about bloodshed” The Lord does not want us to listen to bloodshed. We need to stop our ears from listening to bloodshed. Is there bloodshed in the news? Is there bloodshed in the books or movies that are available? The Lord wants us to be proactive in what we listen to and to stop our ears from listening to bloodshed. The Lord wants us to hate bloodshed and not listen to it.

therefore as I live,” declares the Lord God, “I will give you over to bloodshed, and bloodshed will pursue you; since you have not hated bloodshed, therefore bloodshed will pursue you. Ezekiel 35:6

“And shuts his eyes from looking upon evil” The Lord wants us to shut our eyes from looking upon evil. We will only be able to do what we know. He does not even want us to have the knowledge of evil. If we want to find and keep love then we must be innocent in what is evil. There is something pure and refreshing about a person who is innocent in the knowledge of evil.

but I want you to be wise in what is good and innocent in what is evil. Romans 16:19b

The Lord says that if you will do these six things then you will live on the heights of the earth. You will be secure and you will not worry over the basic necessities of life, in fact, they will be given to you and you can be sure of them.

He will dwell on the heights,
His refuge will be the impregnable rock;
His bread will be given him,
His water will be sure. Isaiah 33:16

For the person who does these six things they will not only live securely and live a life above the way the rest of the world but they will see the Lord in His beauty. This person will see the Lord and their eyes will also behold that far distant land that He has in store for them. Their entire perspective will be changed and they will realize that this life is only passing. They will have something far greater to live for than what this world has to offer. They will see the One who is love and in seeing they will realize that they have found love and they will keep the love that God has for them, for God is love.

Your eyes will see the King in His beauty;
They will behold a far distant land. Isaiah 33:17

A Life that Will Rise from the Dead

All people will die but not all will rise again from the dead. Only those who have put their trust in Jesus Christ in this life will rise again. Those who trust in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savoir will be raised from the dead when Jesus Christ comes back to earth. He is coming again just as He said and He is coming again for those who are expectantly waiting for Him.

For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. Romans 6:10

Christ died for our sins in order that He might bring us to God. God raised Him from the dead. After Jesus Christ rose from the dead he appeared to people individually and to as many as five hundred people at one time. There were many witnesses of His resurrected life after He rose from the dead.

For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He appeared to Peter, then to the twelve. After that He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, I Corinthians 15:3-6a

Jesus Christ died in order that He might bring us to God. We could not come into the presence of God because of our sin. All of us have sinned, and yet, Jesus died for all of our sins, in order that whoever will come to Him might receive the gift of God’s forgiveness. Once we have received the gift of forgiveness through Jesus Christ then we are restored to a right relationship with God and can come into God’s presence through Jesus Christ.

For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, I Peter 3:18a

Jesus Christ took our punishment and the death that we deserved for our sinful ways. Our sin began with “wanting to do our own thing and go our own way”. We did not want to live by God’s ways but thought we knew better. The longer we go “living our own life” the bigger mess we make because God never designed us to live on our own. He made us to be in a love relationship with Him and to live in harmony with God and His creation. We can’t even live in harmony with each other apart from God. God came to earth in the person of Jesus Christ to bring peace on earth and goodwill towards men. There will only be lasting peace in Jesus Christ. When a person becomes a Christian they die to themselves and their “desires” and “own way” and they live to God. They are crucified with Christ and the life that they now live they live by faith in Jesus Christ.

I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me. Galatians 2:20

The person who has come to Jesus Christ and received His forgiveness through His death on the cross is freed from sin. Sin no longer has power over him and death has been defeated.

For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; for he who has died is freed from sin. Romans 6:5-7

The Lord has destined each person to become one of His children. We lost that privilege and right through Adam and Eve’s sin but God, in His love, made a way for each person who wants to become a child of God. It is our destiny to belong to God and live in harmony with Him and each other.

In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace which He lavished on us. Ephesians 1:4b-8a

However, love is a choice and God does not make anyone receive His love. He offers it through the gift of His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ came to the Jews first, but they did not receive Him or recognize Him as the Messiah.

He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, John 1:11,12

God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, so that anyone who wants to, can come to Him. Those who come to God through Jesus Christ can become a child of God, receive forgiveness and live forever with Him.

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. John 3:16,17

It is these who come to Him in this life who will be raised from the dead when He comes a second time. They will not experience an eternal death nor will they be judged for their sins. Jesus Christ took their judgment on the cross. Those who reject His gift, by not receiving it, will be judged for their sins and will die forever. They will experience an eternal death. The Lord sets before us the choice of life or death. He is a loving God and love is a choice. A person can reject God’s love and in doing so, they reject the life that He also gives to those who choose Him.

And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment, so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him. Hebrews 9:27,28

When a person comes to Jesus Christ then they are judging themselves and in essence, saying, “I have sinned and I need a Lord and Savior”. The Bible says that those who judge themselves will not be judged. When we judge ourselves then we are saying that we deserve the death on the cross because of our sins. We sin because we are a sinner. Jesus Christ never sinned. He took the death we deserved so that we might receive the life, that is a gift from Him. Salvation can not be earned and there is not anything we can do to deserve it. It is a gift from God which comes through Jesus Christ.

For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. Ephesians 2:8,9

This gift of eternal life is the greatest gift ever offered to anyone. God loves you and God loves the world. He offers the gift of His love to everyone but only those who receive will experience His love. Those who reject God’s gift of love in Jesus Christ will experience judgment, eternal death and a total absence of anything good. They will spend all of eternity in hell. God never destined any person for hell. Hell was made for the devil and the demons. Love is a choice and God has chosen to love you but you can reject His love and go on living out your “desires” and going “your own way”.

But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. Ephesians 2:4-7

God, who is rich in mercy loves you. He has many promises for those who will come to Him in faith. Faith is coming to God through prayer. He will hear a sinner’s prayer when they say, “Lord, save me”. He will show you the way, for He is the way. He will show you His love, for He is love. He will show you His truth, for He is the truth and He will give you His life, for He is life.

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me. John 14:6