Love

Hanging By A Thread

Posted on by Shameless Plug

Getting tired of being disappointed? Are you on the verge of quitting your job? Does your patience get tested? Feel like you’re losing grip of everything? Finances? Relationships?

We’ve all had some moment(s) where we’re hanging by a thread and it’s about to snap. So what do you do?

The Psalms tell of many difficult times, grieving, sorrows, etc… To name a couple, Psalm 88 and Psalm 42 sound particularly distraught. But as we read on, we realize that God is indeed faithful and He provides. Take a look at how He delivers from troubles in Psalm 121 and Psalm 34.

Even Jesus tells His disciples in John 16 (“The Disciples’ Grief Will Turn To Joy”) that they’ll face trouble in this world but to take heart, for He has overcome the world!

So actually, it’s no surprise that we so often feel like we’re hanging by a thread. In fact, it’s just as much not a surprise to know that God will come through and set us back on solid rock! Psalm 40 says exactly this: “He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; He set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.”

But back to the original question: So what do you do? We can be sure that God knows what’s going on in our lives, how we’re feeling, what we’re going through… So pray to Him, cry out to Him, trust in Him – the One who is for us. We shouldn’t focus on the bad or the suffering but, just as we saw in the Psalms, remember that God is good, loving, gracious, and on-time. Isaiah 26 says that God will keep those whose minds are faithful in perfect peace because they trust in the Lord.

May Jesus be the peace and the anchor in our troubling times. For just as the life of Jesus was not spared in order to save us from our sins, we trust in our God who is rich in love & mercy who can surely catch us from the thread, pull us out of the pit, bring us ashore… And if God is for us, who can be against us? (Romans 8:31)

Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you… (1 Peter 5:7)

Reflection Song: Christ Is

True Love (A Valentine’s Day Blog)

Posted on by Shameless Plug

Maybe you’ve seen a movie like 2010’s Valentine’s Day or some other rom-com where they try to answer the age-old question “What is love?”, or you’ve been to one too many weddings where they quote 1 Corinthians 13, or you’ve been able to celebrate Valentine’s Day with somebody special over the years.

But perhaps on this Valentine’s Day, I can offer a different perspective: Valentine’s Day is about true love. Can you believe that just 300 years ago, Valentine’s Day flowers, chocolates, and cards never even crossed our minds?

The story goes that Saint Valentine was a Christian priest and physician in early Rome, during a time where it was very anti-Christian and anti-marriage. Yet, he constantly did good deeds, cared for the sick & the poor, and secretly performed Christian weddings. Right before the Roman Empire beheaded Valentine for his Christian faith, he fell in love with a woman and gave her a final note signed, “Your Valentine”.

Now where in that story did you see true love? The origin of Valentine’s Day cards? Or how Valentine knew the value of his faith and love for Jesus Christ that he would take it to the very end?

When we think of true love, we may think of romance… but real, true love is unconditional, like the true love shown to us by Jesus Christ – the perfect sign of God’s love on the cross. This true love is what inspired and drove Valentine to do what he did. He risked persecution, punishment, and even death to take a stand for his Christian faith. Jesus was his shameless plug.

So this Valentine’s Day, have fun with the candy and flowers but don’t just fall for the commercialism and Hallmark holiday of February 14 – Valentine’s Day is more than that. Consider true love and show true love to those you care about: your friends, family, husband/wife, boyfriend/girlfriend, and even strangers. How can you show more of the true love of Jesus?

Reflection Song: Here Today