Simply–love

Deuteronomy 6:5 KJV — And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.

God’s Word is clear, we are to love Him.

That our hearts should be devoted to Him first, most, and best.

Because life lived in any other pursuit will lead us astray, into sin, shame, pain, and eventually death eternal.

But for those who love the Lord God, the benefits are incredible.

Psalm 31:23 KJV — O love the LORD, all ye his saints: for the LORD preserveth the faithful, and plentifully rewardeth the proud doer.

Psalm 145:20 KJV — The LORD preserveth all them that love him: but all the wicked will he destroy.

Being preserved by God is indeed a wonderful promise, giving us a place to find rest and peace beyond today’s trouble, past the temporary struggles, and beyond the grave.

Joshua 23:11 KJV — Take good heed therefore unto yourselves, that ye love the LORD your God.

It’s not complicated, love God.

Luke 10:27 KJV — And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.

In loving God, we find another opportunity: loving others.

Because love is a gift meant to be shared.

1 Corinthians 13:4-8 NKJV — Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away.

Love is more than an emotion and far more than any physical pleasure, it is a continued support, care, and nurture.

Romans 12:10 KJV — Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;

Ephesians 4:2 KJV — With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;

Love is what Jesus shows us.

Hebrews 10:24 KJV — And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:

Just as Jesus encouraged the disciples in loving God and loving others, we too can be encouraged in both, and encourage one another.

It’s simple: love.

Love God first, most, and best.

And in doing so love others.

Dear Lord Jesus,

Thank You so much for Your Word. Thank You for loving and guiding each one of us. Lord Jesus, thank You for living a life of love and sacrifice. You are our perfect example in all things and we are so blessed to have Your Word to teach us and Your Spirit to convict us. Please, show me where I need to grow in love. Please let me never weary of doing good, but to increase my efforts in every way to follow You with all that I am. Lord, there is nothing more awesome than You and Your love is amazing. Please continue to guide my heart, speak through Your Word, and show me Your way. Thank You for Your love. Thank You for life. I praise Your holy name Jesus! Amen.

Follow the Leader

And as He walked by the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. Then Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men.”  They immediately left their nets and followed Him.
Mark 1:16‭-‬18 NKJV

This wasn’t a game or a joke, Jesus was calling Peter and Andrew to follow Him.

Can anyone imagine what this moment was like for them?

They immediately take action and follow.

Peter goes from a fisherman to…a preacher, an elder in the church, a man God used mightily.

The Gospels are clear, Peter made his mistakes, but those things do not impead his following.

Even after he denied he knew Jesus, Jesus restored him. (John 21:15-17)

The truth of Jesus’s life, death, and resurrection were testified to by this Fisher of Men.

2 Peter 1:16 NKJV — For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty.

Peter’s life was forever changed by the Lord Jesus.

His choice to follow Christ is one each of us has the opportunity to make.

In this we can be encouraged to follow Christ as well.

To live a life of devotion to Jesus.

The Bible clearly explains what following Jesus is.

Here are a few verses:

Luke 9:23 NKJV — Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.

John 10:27 NKJV — “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.

John 12:26 NKJV — “If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor.

It is through love that Jesus came, died, and rose again.

It is through love that He called his disciples and they in turn discipled others.

It is through love that anyone can be a follower of Jesus Christ.

John 14:21 NKJV — “He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.”

When Jesus calls you to follow Him, what will your answer be?

Will you follow the Leader?

I truly hope so.

Dear Lord Jesus,

Thank You so much for Your Word and Your truth. Lord, thank You for giving us hope that we too can follow You. Lord, You do not see as man sees. We get caught up with looks or outward things, but You see the heart. Lord Jesus, purify my heart before You. Please continue to help me pick up my cross and follow You. Lord, thank You for Your love, Your faithfulness, and Your salvation. My eyes are on You, Lord, lead me. Amen.

…with Christ

I have been crucified with Christ; 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 for me. Galatians 2:20 NKJV

These words convicted me deeply.

They have returned over and over again, as a reminder of what my life is truly supposed to be.

“I have been crucified with Christ;” Gal. 2:20a

Meditate upon what crucified with Christ means.

My Lord and Savior chose to humble Himself to the point of allowing His own creation to beat Him, scourge Him, and crucify Him.

His words in the garden give us a guide.

Luke 22:42 NKJV — saying, “Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.”

Jesus did as the Father told Him.

John 5:19 NKJV — Then Jesus answered and said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner.

As should I.

I no longer live, Christ lives in me, and my life should reflect that in every area.

Not in a ritualistic pride of false piety.

Nothing, but the humble love and devotion to Jesus Christ who loves me.

He loves each and every one.

“I live by faith in the Son…” Gal. 2:20b

Because life lived by works is again striving to do it on our own.

Salvation is a free gift and Jesus was the only One Who could pay such a costly price.

Therefore, my life is a daily practice of humbling myself before God.

Choosing to say, not my will but Thine.

Choosing to look to Jesus and remember His unfathomable love.

Choosing to walk in faith of which rests souly upon that unfathomable love.

Because anything else is a waste.

I don’t have it down yet.

I expect this to be a lifetime lesson of dieing daily, carrying my cross, and walking in faith with Christ Jesus.

Just that thought brings a smile to my lips.

What a glorious adventure!

To walk daily with Christ Jesus.

Dear Lord Jesus,

Thank You for Your sacrifice. Thank You for being our example in all things. Lord, I love that when questions arise I can always turn to You. When troubles come, I can find comfort in You. When life seems frightening, You are my Refuge and Strength. Jesus, You alone are worthy of all our praise. You alone are worthy of every honor. May Your name be glorified throughout the whole Earth!

Matthew

Matthew 9:9 NKJV — As Jesus passed on from there, He saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, “Follow Me.” So he arose and followed Him.

It seems so very simple.

Jesus calls.

Matthew follows.

But was it?

We know little about this tax collector, before Jesus called him.

The scriptures do not give us an account of how he became a tax collector, what choices led him to that despised profession.

We don’t know if Matthew was familiar with Jesus before He called him.

What we do know are his actions.

He followed.

No questions asked.

No, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” (Matthew 8:21)

“So he arose and followed Him.” Matthew 9:9b

Wow!

If Jesus were to show up at your job, look you in the eye and say, “follow Me” would you?

Although, Jesus has ascended into heaven, His call is just as real today as it was on the day He called Matthew.

Jesus’s call isn’t simply a call to another profession.

It was and still is a call to live completely for the glory of God.

A call to love as He loves, to live with eternity in mind, to fashion our choices, mindset, attitudes, and actions in line with the Bible.

What Matthew did that day eventually would change the world.

He followed Jesus.

Later, he wrote the Gospel of Matthew.

He never returned to the tax collector booth.

Praise God!

His faith in Jesus is truly astonishing.

His actions are a testimony to the power of God to change the lives of those who choose to follow Him.

This man who would have been hated and rejected by all he knew, was loved by Jesus.

Through that love, Matthew has become a respected mam throughout the body of Christ as one of the twelve and the hand which penned the Gospel bearing his name.

What an incredible change!

All because Jesus called.

And Matthew followed.

…Truth in his heart

He who walks uprightly, And works righteousness, And speaks the truth in his heart;
Psalms 15:2 NKJV

It’s something I’ve been working on.

Taking captive my thoughts and being diligent about what I allow to reside in my heart.

Because truth is spiritual.

It comes from God alone.

Exodus 34:6 KJV — And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth,

Psalm 119:160 NKJV — The entirety of Your word is truth, And every one of Your righteous judgments endures forever.

Therefore, to speak the truth in my heart, I need to know God’s Word and I need a personal relationship with Him each day.

Simply memorization of scripture doesn’t change the condition of my heart.

Bible knowledge does nothing if my heart is not completely surrendered to my LORD.

And it’s obvious, as I struggle with speaking only the truth, in love.

Zechariah 8:16 NKJV — These are the things you shall do: Speak each man the truth to his neighbor; Give judgment in your gates for truth, justice, and peace;

To speak truth, one needs to know it.

I’ve spoken falsely many times, simply because I had not known the truth.

There is only One who always knows the truth.

That is because He is the truth.

John 14:6 NKJV — Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

And the best part is we can each one know Him.

Infact, the truth of salvation is His sacrifice for every person.

John 8:32 NKJV — “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

As our payment for sin, He opens the door to eternal truth and life in Him.

And God gives us His Holy Spirit to teach, train, and convict us of the truth.

John 15:26 NKJV — “But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me.

Therefore, as difficult as it is to speak only the truth in our hearts, God has given us such wonderful help!

I want to be one who walks uprightly, and an important part of working righteousness is to speak truth within my heart.

On my own, it is impossible.

But I’m not alone and neither are you.

We all have God, who has prepared everything required.

Each one must make their choice daily, how they will walk, what they will focus on, and what they allow to dwell in their hearts.

My prayer for today and this week is to speak the truth in my heart.

Dear Lord Jesus,

Thank You for being the truth. Thank You for guiding my heart each day. Please continue to mold and shape my thoughts into Your truths. Show me the places where I have been deceived, that lies might be replaced with truth. Lord, please continually soften my heart that I might be quick to love, gentle, and steadfast. Lord, I want to follow You in all my ways. Please help me to do so today, and every day. Thank You, Jesus. Amen.

Teddy bears and wooden signs

Isn’t this sweet!

I’m always amazed at how God uses people.

How He gifts each one with different abilities and talents.

Yet, He doesn’t stop there.

He also imparts the ability to grow in understanding.

The skills to hone a gifting or He shines new ones through knowledge gained with learning.

I’ve experienced it.

I’ve watched it.

My dear friends at Unbound Farms have come up with some lovely signs.

They have two different but equally beautiful Nativity signs.

I’ve actually gotten to see a little of the process which they put in each of their designs.

It’s truly been a blessing to see how God has given them such creativity and how they hone it into wooden words or pictures.

This beautiful hand painted Nativity is another example of the lovely creations God has given them.

Maybe I’m so impressed, because I have zero talents in the wood working arena.

But really, I appreciate how the folks at Unbound Farms love Jesus.

He is the most important part of their lives and I see it in the work of their hands.

I praise God for those who love Him and walk daily with Him.

It’s that encouragement of knowing I’m not the only person who is continuing to seek God.

There are many, many who do.

I could easily write a hundred blogs about all those I know who live for Jesus every single day.

But I wanted to take a moment to praise the Lord for His blessing me with my friends at Unbound Farms.

He’s been stretching me too.

My husband has encouraged me to sell my teddy bears.

To make an effort I’d ordinarily wouldn’t.

For me, it’s a step (feels like a leap) of faith.

So, I’ve teamed up with Unbound Farms to do a booth at the Douglas County Christmas Craft Fair.

I’ve been working on bears like crazy.

I pray over each, asking God for the skill to create, but mostly for His love and blessings to be on each person who receives one.

I’ve been enjoying how God is teaching me.

I know He has a plan in it all.

What a blessing it is to follow the Lord!

He guides.

He directs.

He provides.

And as an extra measure He brings others who love, support, and encourage.

What an amazing God, He truly is!