Infinite Love and Forgiveness

Psalm  103: 11-12  For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.  (NIV)

     How far is the east from the west?  They will never meet and are always an infinite distance from each other.  When I picture this distance, I see that God has removed my sins from me forever.  They are gone never to return.

     How high are the heavens above the earth?  This is another picture of an infinite distance that shows how much God loves me and desires that I fear Him.  Fear means to have reverence, respect, awe and worship for Him.

     Both of these word pictures show me that God loves me with a fierce and unending love and desires to forgive me.  What then is keeping me from His love and forgiveness?  1John 1:9 says “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”    John 3:16 says “For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”    Is anything keeping you from God’s love and forgiveness today?  Are you bound up with pride or consumed with hopelessness?  James 4:8a promises “Draw near to God and he will draw near to you.”   Do it today and be free from guilt and sin.  Walk towards Easter with forgiveness and hope in your heart.

Walking the road to forgiveness and hope,

Linda

Land’s End in Finnestera Spain. This was once thought to be the end of the Earth, the farthest point west. Pilgrims come today and burn items as a symbol of the old being put to rest and a new beginning.

God's Grace to Me

Psalm 103:8-10  “The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.  He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. (NIV)

     As we enter this Lenten season, we are consciously mindful of our sinfulness and state of unworthiness.  These verses point us to God’s mercy and grace, longsuffering patience and immeasurable love.   Accuse means to find fault with or blame.  God does not always see us as failures and His anger is not eternal towards us.  In His grace, He does not give us the punishment our sins deserve or does He keep count of our mounting sins.  In His grace and mercy, though the love of Christ, God wipes our slate clean and forgive us for eternity.

     How can God love me so much?   That much love is incomprehensible and worthy of my praise and adoration.  Without Christ, my fate would be eternal death for my sins.  Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.  Thank Him today.

Prayer:  Lord, how can I ever thank you enough for sending Jesus to die for my sins.  You loved me so much and wanted me to spend eternity with you that you sent Jesus to die in my place.  Thank you for my eternal salvation and the cleansing power of Christ’s blood.  Thank you Jesus that I am forgiven and made whole through your work on the cross.  Amen.

Blessings as you stand by God’s grace today,

Linda

Cemetery of fallen soldiers in Normandy, France. Death apart from Christ will separate us from God for eternity. Through Christ’s sacrifice on the cross, we can spend eternity with God. We choose- forgiven or forsaken.

 

Ash Wednesday Bless the Lord O My Soul

Psalm 103: 1-5  Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name!  Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good so that your youth his renewed like the eagle’s. (ESV)

This is one of my favorite Psalms and I will be using portions of Psalms or even whole Psalms as we walk through this season of Lent.  Here the Psalmist reveals the essence of God’s character in His forgiveness and redemption.  We are also reminded of God’s mercy and goodness as He satisfies the needs of our souls and renews us.

As you mediate on these verses today- focus on your iniquity and seek His forgiveness.  God desires that we are humble and penitent before Him.   1Peter 5:5b-6 “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.  Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand so that at the proper time he may exalt you.”  (ESV)    Know that God can and will forgive you as you repent and turn to follow Him more closely.  As you pray claim these verses in Micah and know with assurance that your sins are gone.

Micah 7:18-20   Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity and passing over transgression for the remnant of his inheritance?  He does not retain his anger forever, because he delights in steadfast love.  He will again have compassion on us, he will tread our iniquities underfoot.  You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea.  You will show faithfulness to Jacob and steadfast love to Abraham, as you have sworn to our fathers from the days of old. 

Because of Christ’s work on the cross, we are His children and belong to His forever family. Praise God for His mercy and forgiveness.

Beginning with forgiveness,

Linda

Remember, God casts our sins into the depths of the sea- way out there- they are gone. Let them GO! 

Observing Lent Together

The practice of observing Lent has been going on since before 1000 AD.  It is a time of fasting and penitence beginning on Ash Wednesday and lasting 40 days until Easter.    40 seems to be a significant number in scripture.  Here  are a few famous 40’s you’ll probably remember.  It rained for 40 days and 40 nights while Noah and his family were in the ark.  Jesus was in the wilderness fasting for 40 days and 40 nights and then Satan came and confronted him with various temptations.  After Christ ascension into heaven, it was 40 days until Pentecost and the arrival of the Holy Spirit.  40 seems to be number that shows a length of time that is not too short or too long but enough to reveal our character and devotion.

It is my intent to publish a daily blog during this Lenten season to help us focus on Christ’s sacrifice, His glorious resurrection and victory over death.  I would ask you to pray for me as I write and mediate on God’s word that I will be able to communicate helpful, though provoking and uplifting devotions that will help all of us to focus on Jesus, His sacrifice and His love for us.  Please pray that the devotions will be glorifying to Him.

Join me each day in His word as we seek to glorify Him during this special season.  I pray that this Lenten season be one you will remember as you strive to increase your love and devotion to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Blessings as we prepare our hearts,

Linda

Come join me as we journey towards Calvary together.

God's Love is Constant and Filled with Joy

John 15:9-11  “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you.  Now remain in my love.  If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love.  I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your  joy may be complete.”  (NIV)

Promise:  God promises that obeying His commands will keep us in His love.

Lessons and Truths:

1.    God desires obedience.
2.    To stay in God’s love requires obedience.
3.    The Love that God has for his Son Jesus is like the love Jesus has for me.
4.    Obedience brings complete joy.

      God’s love is complete and unconditional.  We learn from Jesus that obedience and love go hand in hand.  We can’t say we love God and then turn around and purposely live a life of sin and disobedience.  Walking with God and staying close to Him, accepting His ways and will for our lives and striving to follow the pattern of obedience set by Christ will keep us in His love.  What better place is there to be???   We can then join Paul and say as he did in Romans 8:38-39  “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  (NIV)

     In John 15: 9-11 Jesus is telling us about the constancy of God’s love and the hope and joy that will be ours when we walk in obedience to Him.  He says our JOY will be complete.  Have you experienced the joy of obedience?  Do you strive to please God with how you live your life?  Make this your prayer today and you will see your joy and the presence of God’s love more abundantly in your life.

Happy Valentine’s Day with the best love ever- God’s Love,

Linda

Find Everlasting and Eternal Love

Jeremiah 31:3-4a  The Lord appeared to us in the past, saying:  ” I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness,  I will build you up again and you will be rebuilt.”  (NIV)

Promise:  God promises His everlasting love and faithfulness to those who belong to Him.

      This promise was given to the nation Israel by the prophet Jeremiah.  He was trying to encourage the Israelites with assurances from the past as they faced deportation to Babylon in their future.  God had always been faithful to his people and Jeremiah wanted them to know that God will continue to love and support them in the future regardless of where they find themselves.

     These ancient words of encouragement can be ours today!  God does not change His attitudes and actions toward those He has chosen,  Scripture tells us in Hebrews 13:8 that “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.  Jesus tells us in John 15:19 that “If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own.   As it is you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world.  That is why the world hates you.”   Just as the Israelites were chosen by God to bring his message to the world, so we are chosen by God to bring the message of hope and salvation though our Lord Jesus Christ.

      In this month where we celebrate love, isn’t it comforting to know that we have the love of our heavenly Father and that His love stands for eternity.  God is faithful and will keep his promises to us.  Hebrews 10:23  Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, as He who promised is faithful.  We can hold onto these truths and promises as we seek to show His love and kindness to others.  If you waver, take a moment or two and remember how God has been with you faithfully day by day and has strengthened and supported you.  He will give you the strength to continue and love for those around you.

In His Love,
Linda

God is good all the time!

Last week I was writing discussion questions to be used with my book Fearless Living and Psalm 31:9 from Day 4 came up in our study.  “How great is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you, which you bestow in the sight of men on those who take refuge in you.” (NIV)  We did a search for verses describing God’s goodness. 
Here are a few of the verses we looked at:

Psalm 86:5  “You are forgiving and good, O Lord, abounding in love to all who call to you.”

Psalm 100:5 “For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.”

Psalm 145:9 “The LORD is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made.”

Lamentations 3:25 “The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him:

Nahum 1:7  “The LORD is good, a refuge in times of trouble, He cares for those who trust in him,

Matthew 7:11 (Jesus is speaking)  “If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!

Philippians 1:6  “being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”

1Peter 2:1-3 “Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind.  Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.”

     Do these verse speak to you about God’s goodness?  We see that God in His goodness forgives and loves us. (Ps 86:5)   His goodness is eternal and will last from generation to generation.(Ps 100:5)   In His goodness He shows compassion on everyone and everything He has created. (Ps 145:9)  In His goodness He gives hope to those who believe in Him. (Lam 3:25)  His goodness provides care and refuge for the believer. (Nah 1:9)  Jesus said that God will give good gifts out of His goodness if we ask Him. (Matt 7:11)  God promises that the work He is doing in us is good! (Phil 1:6)  He promises that experiencing God’s goodness will cause us to move away from sin and grow up in the Lord. (1Pet 2:1-3)

I pray that you will let these verses sink into your soul and bring you Hope and Assurance of God’s goodness.  It is part of His character and cannot be separated from His being.  May you taste and see, experience in your own life, the goodness of God this week.

Blessings,
Linda

God’s goodness in evident in all creation.  Flowers on a garden wall near Gethsemane.