The Perfect Parent

      I am blessed to have parents who love and care for their family.  I am doubly blessed to be able to attend church services at the same congregation they do.  Last Wednesday night after hearing a great lesson, my parents and I were the last ones to leave the church building from our side of the parking lot. 
      I got in my car, put on my seat belt and was preparing to start the van when noticed my parents had pulled from their parking space to the other side of my vehicle.  I was somewhat surprised to see them sitting there until I realized they didn't plan to leave until I did.  They were waiting to  make sure my car started and I was on my home.  It was such a comforting feeling to know they were watching over me. 
     As I drove home, I thanked God for my parents who do so much for all their children and the entire extended family.  That automatically led me to think of the Heavenly Father who loves us all so much.  My dad often tells us that he loves us, but God loves us more.  Oh how wonderful it is to have a perfect parent in heaven who is so full of love for us that He sent His only Son to die for us! 
     God is the perfect parent.  He is the Creator of the world.  He made us (you and me) and he loves us all so much!  There are so many verses in the Bible that tell us of the Father's love.
    “As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him.   For He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust.  (Psalm 103:13-14 ESV).  I also love Matthew 6:26 and Matthew 10:29-31 –
Jesus  reminds us God is our Father and we are of great value to Him.  These passages are such a comfort for the Christian because Jesus lets us know God takes care of His own.
      Matthew 6:26 - "Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.  Are you not of more value than they?  (ESV)   The Savior goes on to say if we but seek the kingdom of first, all these things will be added to us (v. 33)
     Before He sends the 12 apostles out to preach that the kingdom of heaven is at hand, Christ warns them of the persecution they may suffer.  However, He also reminds them of God's great love and care. 
      “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny?  And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father.  But even the hairs of your head are all numbered.  Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows."
                                                             (Matthew 10:29-31 ESV)

      God cares for His children.  He is always with us -- even through all kinds of trials and persecutions.  He richly rewards those who are steadfastly faithful to Him.   He is the "Father of mercies and the God of all comfort."  (2 Corinthians 1:3)  We can depend on Him to take care of us. 

      Yet the only way we can come to the Father is through the Son.  Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me."  (John 14:6 ESV).  To love the Father we must love the Son.  We must learn from Him.  We must love as He would have us to love.  And we must seek to obey His commandments.  (John 14:15)

       It seems to me it goes in a circle of sorts.  God loves us so much that He gave His only Son (who also loved us).  To show our love to God ... and in order to get to be with Him, we must love and honor the Son.  See -- the Father - gave His Son - to us.   Then we -- follow the Son - to get to the Father. 

       I am so very grateful to have parents who love me.  But God - my perfect parent - our perfect parent --loves us more.  This loves goes far beyond anything we can imagine.   If we live for the Son -- we glorify God and gain eternal life.   What a wonderful thought!

       

     "Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word.  (2 Thessalonians 16-17 ESV)

 

Christ above all things,

Robin

 


 

 

Rooted and Grounded in Love

        A few weeks ago someone posted on a popular multi-media site a picture an uprooted tree in someone’s yard.  It was a rather large old tree.  I’m sure it had been there for many years.  The tree had such a large network of roots that it pulled the lawn up with it as if the grass were a carpet or a blanket being pulled back to show what was underneath. 

     Many posted comments that the picture was photo shopped and therefore not real.   Others disagreed.  I have no way of knowing.  I realize some pictures aren’t real.  That goes back to the old saying, “Don’t believe everything you see.”  Of course, the same thing goes for what you hear.  People have been involved in hoaxes almost since we were created. 

    Whether or not the picture was real was of little importance to me.  It was the large network of roots that interested me.  One of my friends commented there had to be a “Bible lesson in this somewhere.”   Almost immediately one of my favorite passages came to mind. 

      Ephesians 3:16-18 – “I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.  And I pray that you being rooted and established in love,” (NIV)

     This passage gives me such comfort.  It speaks of God’s power in our inner being.  Paul’s prayer for the Ephesians is that Christ will dwell in their hearts.  He longs for them to be rooted and established in love (grounded –KJV and ESV).   As Christians, we should always keep Christ in our hearts.  Love is the key.  Being rooted and grounded in the love of Christ will bring us untold riches.

     Is it our faith that keeps us rooted and grounded in the love of Christ – or does being rooted and grounded in His love give us our faith?  It seems they are so closely entwined it may be difficult to determine the precise answer to this question.  Having a deep faith in our God guides us through times of troubles and keeps us from sin when we are tempted. 

      As Christians, we have no doubt that staying in step with God brings abundant blessings our way.  I’m reminded of Psalm 1:1-3

      “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers.  But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on His law he meditates day and night.  He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither.  In all that he does, he prospers.”

      Doesn’t this passage paint a beautiful picture?  I imagine a grand old tree planted by the stream of the living water of the word of Christ.  A grand and wonderful tree that bears fruit and whose leaves never die. 

      Do you want God to prosper you?  Delight in His law.  Follow Him.  Love and obey Him.   Meditate on the word of God to know how He would have you to live and you will  soon find yourself planted by that living stream rooted and grounded in His love.    

 

 Christ above all things,

Robin

 

 

Finding Our Target

       "What are we aiming for?" was the subject of my last post.   Our most important goal in life should be to get to heaven.  We need to look for the strait narrow gate and be willing to travel the road "that is hard to follow."  We know eternal life will be worth whatever "light affliction" we go through on earth. 
      Simply put, sin is what keeps us from hitting our target.  One of the definitions of sin is literally to "miss the mark."  Consider Romans 3:23 - "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."   On our own, we miss the mark of perfection.  But because God loves us we are "justified by His grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by His blood to be received by faith."  (Romans 3:24-25 ESV)
      So we know we miss the mark.  We can't have good aim without the help of God.  He gave us His grace as a gift.  Our redemption is found in the blood of Christ.  It is to be received by faith.  Isn't it wonderful to know that we can obtain this gift? 
      We must receive this gift through faith.  This faith is an obedient faith.  Again look at Matthew 7:13-14.  The way to eternal life is through a narrow gate and the road there is hard to follow. (Easy to Read Version).  Faith is different than belief.  We can say we believe all day long and not seek that gate or travel that hard road. 
      The inspired writer of Hebrews says it is impossible to please God without faith.  Not only do we have to believe He exists, but we have to believe that He rewards those who seek Him.  (Hebrews 11:6)  The way through that narrow gate involves so much more than simply believing He is.  We have to understand who He rewards.  Scripture points it out very clearly.  God only rewards those who seek Him. 
     To reach our goal, then - to "hit" what we aim for - we must be willing to know what to do to please the Savior.  OK  -- how do we do that?   Jesus said "Take my yoke upon you and learn from me."  (Matthew 11:29)   We must learn from Christ.  If we want to build our house upon the Rock of Christ we must hear His words and keep them (Matthew 7:24-25) 
      Jesus said in John 14:6 "I am the way, the truth and the life."  And He told us in John 8:32-33 - " ... If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples.  Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."  It is so important to know the will of Christ ... to learn about Him ... to keep His words.  The only way to hit our target is through study of the scriptures.  That is the way hear His words today. 
     After we learn of Christ -- after we hear His teachings, we must keep them.  We must act upon what we learn.  Our faith in His word and our love for His gift us grace is what prompts us to obey His word.  If we believe and understand that we are only rewarded when we seek Him -- then we will seek to learn more and more about Him.  We will want to draw near to Him.  We will want that beautiful reward.
      We simply cannot find that narrow gate without looking for it.  It will not magically appear in front of our eyes one day.  Looking for our target .... studying the word of God .. will expose us to the untold riches of our Lord and Savior.  We will discover His love and sacrifice for us.   We will long to be with Him just as He longs to be with us.   
      That's the target isn't it?  Eternal life in heaven with God and Christ.  Studying God's word helps us learn how to get through that gate.  The discovery of His love and grace spurs us to work on our aim. 

Christ above all things,
Robin