Daily Archives: January 13, 2013

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Created to Love – Charles Stanley

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Have you ever wondered if your life has a purpose? The Word of God says it does—one that is both noble and desirable: Every believer was created by God to love and be loved.

God loves you personally and individually, without limit or qualification. He desires to shower you with His affection and kindness. Let me assure you of several things:

God’s love is the most important thing we can know about Him.

The very essence of God’s being—in other words, His personality and nature—is love (1 John 4:8). It is the reason Jesus came to earth, lived a victorious life, and then died to restore man’s relationship with the Father (John 3:16). The most important decision we can ever make is to receive this gift of God.

The Lord’s affection is absolute, unwavering, and sacrificial. Moreover, God’s love is not subject to favoritism. He cares for the sinner as much as He does for the saint. In our human pride or our desire to be “somebody special,” we may find that fact difficult to swallow. But God grants love to each person.

The Bible tells us that the rain falls on the just and the unjust, and the sun shines on the righteous and the wicked (Matt. 5:45). This means that with or without faith in God, everyone experiences certain benefits and blessings from Him. But the person who receives Jesus as Savior is in a position to reap the blessings that accompany an outpouring of love into his or her life.

The Lord’s love is not based upon what we do, what we have, or what we achieve. He freely gives it to us simply because we are His creation. You cannot win or earn more of God’s favor—it has nothing to do with performance. Accept and delight in that truth.

The most important response we can make is to reciprocate God’s love.

John said it simply and eloquently: “We love Him because He first loved us” (1 John 4:19, NKJV). And Jesus said the first and foremost commandment was this: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind” (Matt. 22:37). The only acceptable response to God’s great outpouring of love toward you is to love Him back.

We can choose to rebel. And while this doesn’t affect God’s nature, it will change us. Those who refuse to acknowledge and receive divine love cut themselves off from great blessing. Not only that, but such individuals typically yield to anger, hatred, and bitterness. To harden one’s heart toward God is the supreme act of rebellion—in doing so, a person hurts himself far more than he hurts others. Humbly receiving God, on the other hand, brings good into one’s life.

Satan constantly tries to convince us that if we follow Jesus, we will have to give up personal freedom, identity, and pleasure. But those who live apart from God’s love inevitably discover their rebellion did not make them any freer. They may not go to jail, but they end up in emotional or psychological prisons—caught in addiction or trapped by feelings of resentment. The longer they live separated from the Lord’s love and mercy, the less pleasure they find in life. In that situation, it is easy to become cynical, jaded, critical, and in the end, apathetic to nearly everything.

But those who embrace and reciprocate God’s love enjoy inner freedom they never imagined. They develop as individuals, discovering hidden talents and abilities. They experience true delight in God’s creation and know the joy of perpetual discovery.

When we choose to love and obey God, we can be sure He will guide us toward doing what will bring about the greatest fulfillment in life.

God’s love is our ultimate reason to hope.

If we know with certainty that God loves us and desires good for our lives, what is there to fear? Hope in Christ is for everyone. It compels us not to remain in a state of dread, doubt, or worry but to seek transformation by the Holy Spirit’s power. Trust encourages us to anticipate God’s best and look for the dawning of a new day.

Our heavenly Father is generous—even extravagant—in His love. Open your heart and let the Lord shower more of His good gifts upon you. You won’t regret yielding your life to Him.

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Charles Spurgeon’s Morning and Evening

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Morning  “Jehoshaphat made ships of Tharshish to go to Ophir for gold: but they went

not; for the ships were broken at Ezion-geber” / 1 Kings 22:48

Solomon’s ships had returned in safety, but Jehoshaphat’s vessels never

reached the land of gold. Providence prospers one, and frustrates the desires

of another, in the same business and at the same spot, yet the Great Ruler is

as good and wise at one time as another. May we have grace today, in the

remembrance of this text, to bless the Lord for ships broken at Ezion-geber,

as well as for vessels freighted with temporal blessings; let us not envy the

more successful, nor murmur at our losses as though we were singularly and

specially tried. Like Jehoshaphat, we may be precious in the Lord’s sight,

although our schemes end in disappointment.

The secret cause of Jehoshaphat’s loss is well worthy of notice, for it is the

root of very much of the suffering of the Lord’s people; it was his alliance

with a sinful family, his fellowship with sinners. In 2 Ch. 20:37, we are told

that the Lord sent a prophet to declare, “Because thou hast joined thyself

with Ahaziah, the Lord hath broken thy works.” This was a fatherly

chastisement, which appears to have been blest to him; for in the verse which

succeeds our morning’s text we find him refusing to allow his servants to sail

in the same vessels with those of the wicked king. Would to God that

Jehoshaphat’s experience might be a warning to the rest of the Lord’s people,

to avoid being unequally yoked together with unbelievers! A life of misery is

usually the lot of those who are united in marriage, or in any other way of

their own choosing, with the men of the world. O for such love to Jesus that,

like him, we may be holy, harmless, undefiled, and separate from sinners; for

if it be not so with us, we may expect to hear it often said, “The Lord hath

broken thy works.”

 

Evening   “The iron did swim.” / 2 Kings 6:6

The axe-head seemed hopelessly lost, and as it was borrowed, the honour of the

prophetic band was likely to be imperilled, and so the name of their God to be

compromised. Contrary to all expectation, the iron was made to mount from the

depth of the stream and to swim; for things impossible with man are possible

with God. I knew a man in Christ but a few years ago who was called to

undertake a work far exceeding his strength. It appeared so difficult as to

involve absurdity in the bare idea of attempting it. Yet he was called

thereto, and his faith rose with the occasion; God honoured his faith,

unlooked-for aid was sent, and the iron did swim. Another of the Lord’s family

was in grievous financial straits, he was able to meet all claims, and much

more if he could have realized a certain portion of his estate, but he was

overtaken with a sudden pressure; he sought for friends in vain, but faith led

him to the unfailing Helper, and lo, the trouble was averted, his footsteps

were enlarged, and the iron did swim. A third had a sorrowful case of

depravity to deal with. He had taught, reproved, warned, invited, and

interceded, but all in vain. Old Adam was too strong for young Melancthon, the

stubborn spirit would not relent. Then came an agony of prayer, and before

long a blessed answer was sent from heaven. The hard heart was broken, the

iron did swim.

Beloved reader, what is thy desperate case? What heavy matter hast thou in

hand this evening? Bring it hither. The God of the prophets lives, and lives

to help his saints. He will not suffer thee to lack any good thing. Believe

thou in the Lord of hosts! Approach him pleading the name of Jesus, and the

iron shall swim; thou too shalt see the finger of God working marvels for his

people. According to thy faith be it unto thee, and yet again the iron shall

swim.

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Enjoying God’s Forgiveness – John MacArthur

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In Christ we have “the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of [God’s] grace, which He lavished upon us” (Eph. 1:7-8).

On Israel’s Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) the high priest selected two goats. One was sacrificed; the other set free. Before releasing the second goat, the high priest symbolically placed the sins of the people on it by laying his hands on its head. This “scapegoat” was then taken a great distance from camp and released–never to return again (Lev. 16:7-10).

The Greek word translated “forgiveness” in Ephesians 1:7 means “to send away.” It speaks of cancelling a debt or granting a pardon. Like the scapegoat, Christ carried away our sins on the cross.

In Christ, God cancelled your debt and pardoned your transgressions, and He did so “according to the riches of His grace, which He lavished upon [you]” (v. 8). That means you have infinite forgiveness because God’s grace is infinite. You cannot sin beyond God’s grace because where sin abounds, grace super-abounds (Rom. 5:20).

God delights in lavishing His grace upon you. Such grace is overflowing and cannot be contained. You are forgiven for every sin–past, present, and future. You will never be condemned by God or separated from Him (Rom. 8:1-2, 31-39). Even when you fail, God doesn’t hold your sins against you. Christ bore them all so that you might know the joy and peace that freedom from sin and guilt brings.

Let the reality of God’s grace fill your heart with joy and assurance. Let the responsibility of glorifying Him fill you with awe and reverence. Let this day be a sacrifice of praise and service to Him.

Suggestions for Prayer:

Thank God for His infinite grace and forgiveness.

Look for opportunities to extend forgiveness to others.

 

For Further Study: Read Matthew 18:21-35

What characteristic marked the wicked slave?

What was the king’s response to the wicked slave’s actions?

What point was Jesus making? How does it apply to you?

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