Tag Archives: love

The Fruit of Forgiveness

18 Friday Mar 2016

Posted by in Friday's Focus, Psalms

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But you forgive us, and so we will worship you (Psalm 130:4, CEV).

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Plum Blossoms, Nagoya, Japan — photo courtesy of Matthew Taylor

Reflection

This week’s I Love the Psalms theme is forgiveness.

Worship is the fruit of forgiveness. Those who have been forgiven by God worship God. Jesus said this of a sinful woman,  “So I tell you that all her sins are forgiven, and that is why she has shown great love. But anyone who has been forgiven for only a little will show only a little love”  (Luke 7:47, CEV).

Jesus forgave this woman’s sins and so she poured out her love to him by kissing his feet and washing them with her tears.

Our heartfelt worship is our expression of love for God. Today’s verse from the Psalms captures this thought succinctly.

But you forgive us, and so we will worship you (Psalm 130:4, CEV).

Forgiveness is like a heaven-sent love potion. It restores our relationship with God and draws us into His arms of love.

Response: LORD God, a thousand words of thanks are not enough. Your forgiveness draws me to worship you with a grateful heart. I praise you, LORD of heaven and earth. Amen.

Your Turn: Does God’s forgiveness move you to worship?

Willing Forgiveness

16 Wednesday Mar 2016

Posted by in Mid-Week Medtiation, Psalms

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You willingly forgive, and your love is always there for those who pray to you (Psalm 86:5, CEV).

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Plum Blossoms, Nagoya, Japan — Photo courtesy of Matthew Taylor

Reflection

This week’s I Love the Psalms theme is forgiveness.

We are all familiar with the phrase: Well, I guess if I have to. It’s usually signals a lot of reluctance on the part of the speaker.

When we think about God, we may feel that since He is perfect and holy, He may be reluctant to forgive our many sins. Just the opposite is true and today’s verse from the Psalms makes this crystal clear.

You willingly forgive, and your love is always there for those who pray to you (Psalm 86:5, CEV).

Jesus beautifully portrayed the love of our heavenly Father when he told the story of the prodigal son.

The younger son got up and started back to his father. But when he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt sorry for him. He ran to his son and hugged and kissed him (Luke 15: 20, CEV).

Our heavenly Father shows no reluctance to forgive.

Response: Father God, I come to you. Thanks for running to me when I repent and ask for forgiveness. I do not deserve such a loving response. It is beyond wonderful. Amen.

Your Turn: Have you seen God as reluctant to forgive?

Always, always, ALWAYS!

19 Friday Feb 2016

Posted by in Friday's Focus, Psalms

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You are merciful, LORD! You are kind and patient and always loving (Psalm 145:8, CEV).

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God’s Paintbrush – photo courtesy of Donald Adam

Reflection

This week’s I Love the Psalms theme is patience.

Sometimes I don’t see something because it’s too obvious. I stare into the fridge looking for that jar of fruit, but can I see it? Of course not! My wife has to come over and point it out.

I think the same is true when it comes to seeing God. He is always there – at work right in front of us, but like that jar of fruit, it seems we can’t see Him.

The sunset photo above is a beautiful example of God at work painting the sky. What a work of art! What an artist! God paints a gorgeous sky-scape twice a day, but do we even notice? Sometimes I need someone to point out to me that God is always loving, kind and patient.

Response: LORD God, open my eyes to your patience and love. I know it’s always there, but I want to see it daily with the eyes of my heart. Help me to see you today in the world around me. Amen.

Your Turn: Do you have trouble seeing God?

Patient Love

15 Monday Feb 2016

Posted by in Monday Meditation, Psalms

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The LORD is merciful! He is kind and patient, and his love never fails (Psalm 103:8, CEV).

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Wild Flower – photo courtesy of Donald Adam

Reflection

This week’s I Love the Psalms theme is patience.

Can love be impatient? I certainly can be. But true love is not about me. It’s always about the other person. Impatience is all about me. The other person has not moved according to my schedule, so I am irritated or displeased.

Today’s verse from the Psalms reminds us that God is loving and patient with us. The LORD is merciful! He is kind and patient, and his love never fails (Psalm 103:8, CEV).

I wonder if the apostle Paul had the words from this Psalm in mind when he penned those famous lines: Love is kind and patient, never jealous, boastful, proud, or  rude. Love isn’t selfish or quick tempered. It doesn’t keep a record of wrongs that others do (1 Corinthians 13:4-5, CEV).

My impatience reveals my need for a greater level of God’s love, and mercy in my life. The love, mercy and patience that I have received from the LORD needs to be extended to others.

Response: LORD God, fill me with unselfish love so that I can be patient with those that don’t quickly conform to my wishes. Give me patient love. Amen.

Your Turn: How do we break our habits of self-focus?

Goodness and Peace

01 Monday Feb 2016

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Love and loyalty will come together; goodness and peace will unite (Psalm 85:10, CEV).

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Monarch Butterfly — photo by David Kitz

Reflection

This week’s I Love the Psalms theme is goodness.

Do you pay attention to the news? At times it can be quite discouraging listening to a daily barrage of reports about violence, suffering and war. Then there’s that other feature of the news: politicians and world leaders arguing about—you guessed it—violence, suffering and war.

It can leave you wondering if there is any goodness left in our world.

That’s why I find today’s verse from the Psalms so comforting. Love and loyalty will come together; goodness and peace will unite (Psalm 85:10, CEV).

There’s a promise in that verse. This is something that will happen. We have God’s word on it. I want to be part of it.

Response: LORD God, give me faith to believe your word. Grant me hope so that I can see you at work. Give me grace to be an instrument of peace and love in a world of discord. Amen.

Your Turn: How can you be an instrument of peace this week?

Always Loving

29 Friday Jan 2016

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You are merciful, LORD!
    You are kind and patient
    and always loving (Psalm 145:8, CEV).

Eric E. Wright 5

Sunset over Lake Ontario – photo by Eric E. Wright

Reflection

This week’s I Love the Psalms theme is mercy.

What is God like? Gaze into the sunset pictured above and you will get a very good idea of what God is like. He is splendid, glorious and creative–a God of diversity and variety. We can deduce this from observing nature.

God puts on a splendid show before our eyes every day. The heavens keep telling the wonders of God, and the skies declare what he has done (Psalm 19:1, CEV).

But today’s verse from the Psalms also tells us the LORD is merciful, kind, patient and always loving. The word of God reveals more fully to us the character of God. That’s why I read the Bible.

We see God in nature, we learn about Him through His book, the Bible, and we experience Him through the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

Response: LORD God, I want to know you better. I want to see more of you in my life. I want to experience your mercy, kindness and love. Open my eyes to see you all around me. Amen.

Your Turn: Where do you most often see God?

Trust God’s Love

04 Friday Dec 2015

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I will tell them, “God’s love can always be trusted, and his faithfulness lasts as long as the heavens” (Psalm 89:2 CEV)

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Central Park, New York, NY — Photo by David Kitz

Reflection

In keeping with the Advent season, this week’s I Love the Psalms theme is faithfulness.

American currency bears the motto “In God we trust.” It’s a noble thought, but all too often we put our trust in money and the security it can bring. But real security, eternal security is found in God alone. His love and faithfulness can always be trusted.

Response: LORD God, love is everlasting. I bask in your faithful care. Amen.

Your Turn: In what are you placing your trust?

Who Deserves Praise?

30 Monday Nov 2015

Posted by in Monday Meditation, Psalms

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We don’t deserve praise! The LORD alone deserves all of the praise, because of his love and faithfulness (Psalm 115:1 CEV).

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Central Park, New York, NY — Photo by David Kitz

Reflection

In keeping with the Advent season, this week’s I Love the Psalms theme is faithfulness.

I must admit I like to be praised. It stokes my ego. But do I deserve praise? That’s not always the case. But there is One who is always worthy of praise—the Creator of the universe and the Redeemer of my soul.

Response: LORD God, I thank and praise you for your love and faithfulness. You have been my help in times of need. Amen.

Your Turn: Has the Lord shown you His love and faithfulness in recent days?

Your Greatest Need

31 Saturday Oct 2015

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What is your greatest need?

There are many ways to answer that question. For the starving infant it’s food. For the desert wanderer it’s water. For the man who has ruined his lungs by smoking it’s oxygen. For the woman caught in a blizzard it’s warmth and shelter.

But what is your greatest need?

If those life sustaining basics are readily available, what do we need beyond that?  I would say that our greatest need is love. We can have all the basics in abundance, food, shelter, clothing, and good health, but without love we lack meaning and purpose in life.

Paul, the apostle, says it best. If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing (1 Corinthians 13:1-3).   

Photo by Donald Adam

Photo by Donald Adam

If I do not have love, I am nothing.

That statement says it all. Life only has meaning—it takes on meaning—when it is filled with love. Without love your life means zero. Nothing. Zilch. Just a big fat zero.

If I’m not loved and I have no love to give, I may as well end it all. My life has no meaning or purpose. Without love I am nothing.

And let’s not confuse sex with love. One can have sex without having love. In this world it happens all too often. At best sex without love is hollow self-gratification; at worst it’s a form of rape.

Again I say, without love I am nothing. But from a bloody wooden cross Jesus calls to me. He loves me. Pierced bleeding hands whisper, “I love you!”

My life has meaning, will always have meaning, because Jesus loves me. He loves me to death—his death and my death too.

He fills my zero with love—overflowing love.

My greatest need is met. What about yours?

Response: Thank you, Lord Jesus, for loving me when I wasn’t worth loving. Thank you for filling my life with meaning, purpose and love. I can’t thank you enough. Amen.

Your Turn: Has Jesus whispered to you from the cross? What did he say?

Unfailing Love

24 Thursday Sep 2015

Posted by in Psalms

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Reading:                                           Psalm 62

(Verses 9-12)

Surely the lowborn are but a breath,
the highborn are but a lie.
If weighed on a balance, they are nothing;
together they are only a breath.
Do not trust in extortion
or put vain hope in stolen goods;
though your riches increase,
do not set your heart on them.

One thing God has spoken,
two things I have heard:
“Power belongs to you, God,
and with you, Lord, is unfailing love”;
and, “You reward everyone
according to what they have done” (NIV).

Reflection

In this life that we have been given, what things are solid? What things are sure? Not much according to the psalmist, David.

Old Orchard Beach, Maine--David Kitz

Old Orchard Beach, Maine–David Kitz

Our station in life is just a fabricated lie. At heart, the highborn are no different from the street pauper. We breathe the same air, suffer the indignities of aging, and our bodies are fated for death and decay. In his epistle, James makes our fate quite clear. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes (James 4:14b).

As for this world’s wealth, it has no lasting value. Here is sound advice—advice you won’t get from a financial planner: though your riches increase, do not set your heart on them.

What then should we do? How should we live? Live in the light and knowledge of eternity and the One who holds eternity in His hands. David reminds us God will…“reward everyone according to what they have done.”

In other words, how we live matters. It matters for now and eternity. That knowledge should inform and give shape to all that we say and do. But there are two additional truths that should bring meaning to our lives. One thing God has spoken, two things I have heard: “Power belongs to you, God, and with you, Lord, is unfailing love.”

God alone has the power of life, death and resurrection. And in Jesus, He demonstrated his unfailing power and love for every man, woman and child on this planet. On the cross Jesus showed his unfailing love. Other loves—human loves—may fail us, but God’s love stands firm and unwavering.

Response: LORD God, thank you for the unfailing love of Jesus. You love me even when I have failed and despite my shortcomings.  Help me live my life in the light of eternity. Amen.

Your Turn: Is God’s love a motivator for you to change your ways?