Perfect Love

"Perfect love casts out fear." 1 John 4:18

How wonderful, that God's love is perfect--and in His love, there is no fear. We don't have to worry. We can just rest.

Isn't that beautiful? I've been thinking lately about love. Who hasn't? And I've had a mix of feelings.

But I will tell you the absolute truth. I know that I have the best love in the world. His name is Jesus. I don't have to worry that He will be fickle. I don't have concerns about His faithfulness. I don't ever feel the need to try and win His affections.

He loves me. That's simply it. The simple truth.

And isn't that a beautiful love to abide in?

Captivate Us ~ by Watermark

Your face is beautiful
And Your eyes are like the stars
Your gentle hands have healing
There, inside the scars

Your loving arms, they draw me near
And Your smile, it brings me peace
Draw me closer, oh, my Lord
Draw me closer, Lord, to Thee

Captivate us, Lord Jesus
And set our eyes on You
Devastate us with Your presence
Falling down

And rushing river, draw us nearer
And holy fountain consume us with You
And captivate us, Lord Jesus, with You

Your voice is powerful
And Your words are radiant bright
And in Your breath and shadow
I will come close and abide

You whisper love and life divine
And Your fellowship is free
Draw me closer, oh, my Lord
Draw me closer, Lord, to Thee

Captivate us, Lord Jesus
And set our eyes on You
Devastate us with Your presence
Falling down

And rushing river, draw us nearer
And holy fountain consume us with You
And captivate us, Lord Jesus, with You

And let everything be lost in the shadows
Of the light of Your face
Let every chain be broken from me
As I'm bound in Your grace

For Your yoke is easy, Your burden is light
You're full of wisdom, power and might
And every eye will see You

Captivate us, Lord Jesus
And set our eyes on You
Devastate us with Your presence
Falling down

And rushing river, draw us nearer
And holy fountain consume us with You
Captivate us, Lord Jesus, with You
And captivate us, Lord Jesus, with You

Captivate us with You

Tomorow is Another Day

That despairing malaise...when your glass half full somehow gets spilled over and is now lying on the floor close to empty with maybe just a drop or two of that life-giving water lingering at the edges.

Bleh. Everyone feels like a bucket of cold water has been thrown over them sometimes...maybe containing seaweed and few frogs for good measure. And for some reason, from start to finish, your day just has this blanket of melancholy across it. You try and fight it, and maybe you even succeed a little, but it's as if the universe has agreed that somehow, someway, it is going to put you back in a bad mood if it possibly can!

Personally, I think this can happen because of spiritual warfare. Satan loves to try and mess with someone's life, especially when they are doing something for the Kingdom of God. I do not believe that demons can possess Christians, but they can oppress them. So, when I begin to feel that way and I just don't know why, I start by praying demons and spiritual oppression away. And sometimes, I have to continue in this prayer throughout the day before the feelings release.

Other times, I think the malaise is caused by the weather, barometric pressure, lack of sleep, and pbly something somebody said that triggered this melancholy even though now we can't remember what anyone said or did. Things cumulate until we feel too tired to go on like we had before.

When we feel physically, emotionally, and spiritually tired, there is only one thing to do: seek the presence of the Lord. It may be the very last thing you want to do in that moment, but I promise, it is the ONLY thing that will bring refreshing and hope back into your perspective.

The Bible says "Draw near to the Lord and He will draw near to you." James 4:8 (NKJV) It doesn't say maybe. It doesn't say possibly. Or even very likely.

He WILL draw near to you. And I don't know about you, but the presence of the Lord is more than enough of a river of delight, abundance, and peace to get me through a bad day.

And after all, like Scarlett is so famous for saying, "Tomorrow is another day."

Why Did That Happen?

I truly believe that we are fighting a spiritual war here on Earth. We are not fighting against flesh and blood so much as the spiritual forces of darkness.

"For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places." Eph. 6:12

Sometimes, God allows what we see to be bad or an inconvenience in our life because he is preventing something else worse from happening or He is setting us up for a different future than we could have if we had that something that we've always wanted...or even if we have a fender bender, get stuck in traffic, or find ourselves in the middle of a conflict that we never intended to get into in the first place.

Now, I'm not saying that God causes bad things to happen. Unless we are talking about His judgment or punishment, which sometimes happens, I truly do not believe He purposes to cause His children harm. The Bible says that "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning." James 1: 17 It also says, "So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him." Matthew 7:11 (NLT)

But the truth is, as much as God desires our good, our world is just full of bad. It is because of the fall of man (Adam and Eve sinning in the garden--you know, the apple and the snake and all that) and because that original sin infected man kind for the future that mankind continues on Earth. Now, I do not believe that children die and go to hell. I believe in something called the Age of Accountability. Look that up if you're interested! But I do think we all suffer from a sin condition that we were, essentially, born with. But I think we all can admit that we all have "sinned and fallen short of the glory of God," no matter what Eve did. So, because God gave us free will, we sin. Did God have to give us free will? Nope. He could have made us all robots that followed Him no matter what. But He didn't. He decided to give us the choice.

Why? Because He wants us to choose on our own to follow Him out of the love in our hearts. He wants a true relationship with us. He did this for our own good. He wanted us to be in a relationship with Him that was greater than that of the angels even (whom He also gave free will by the way). He wanted us to share in His own glory as co-heirs with Christ. He wanted so very much for us! Of course, we usually find a way to disappoint God. We usually let our flesh get us in trouble for time to time. Which is why it is so wonderful to be covered in the blood of Christ, sealed with Him for eternity.

But here's the deal, we cannot blame all the bad stuff in the world on God. We can't get all up in arms because He's not a genie granting us our every wish. God has a bigger picture of our lives and the world than we do. And the main thing is that people are saved and that His Kingdom is expanded. And He does have a plan on ridding the world of evil eventually. And vanquishing Satan. Whoohoo!

In the meantime, though, we have a job--and that is to share the Gospel of Christ and to be His examples on Earth. In our jobs, in our families, in our going about the world, we should be about His business--and not our own. Ouch. That really puts things into perspective for me. I have no right to throw things in the face of God when my life is not my own anyway. And I know He has a good plan for me. I know this because His word says it. "For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, to give you a future and hope." Jeremiah 29:11

So, the next time you stub your toe, try saying a word of praise to God instead of cursing. He has a plan--and maybe it was that you wouldn't wear your high heeled shoes and fall down the stairs, breaking your who knows what. Who knows? Only God does.

So let's leave things to Him and just do what He has told us to--be His witnesses to a lost world, confused and trapped by its darkness, not knowing or understanding the Light that could dispel it all for once and for all--and for good.