Tag: loving kindness

He Will Never Stop Longing for Us to Return to Him

Luke 15:20
And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him.

“Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to Him” is the opening verse in the passage about the prodigal son. Luke wanted us to know that Jesus was not speaking to His disciples. Jesus’ audience was exactly who He wanted to reach with His message about the love of the Father. Jesus used this parable to define the breadth, width and depth of the love of Our Heavenly Father for all people – no matter how much their lives separates them from being a disciple of Jesus Christ.

When the prodigal son returned in shame, he was a filthy and stinky. He was a broken mess of a man, completely defeated. His father saw no filth. His father smelled nothing but the fragrance of the son that he so longed to see return to him. The father did not scorn the son. He celebrated his return and placed him in good standing once again.

Jesus went into great detail to establish that Our Father in heaven will allow us to go as far away from Him as we choose. But it will be our choice, not His. He will allow us to choose the entitlements of the world over the entitlements of His kingdom. But it will be our choice, not His. But no matter what choices we make, He will not stop loving us. He will not stop longing for us to return to Him no matter where we have gone in our travels away. And when we do return, all of the heavens will celebrate our return.

Let us run to the One who waits for us with open arms. Let us run confidently knowing that His love for us never changes. Let us repent of our old ways so that we may receive the abundant love that covers us completely. Let us share His perfect love and forgiveness with the world around us.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank You for Your loving kindness, Your mercy and Your grace. We rejoice in knowing that Your love for us is so great that You see us only in the image of Your Son, Jesus, whose blood covers the stench of our sinful pasts. Father, forgive us for the times that we have chosen the entitlements of the world over Your precious gifts. We humble ourselves before You and ask that we may be Your servants for all eternity. We pray our new lives in Christ will be an encouragement to others to join in Your heavenly celebration. We ask all these things in the name of the One who washes us clean, Jesus Christ.

When Our Obedience is Tested by a Hard Word from God

Luke 18:22
When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.”

The young ruler, as he is often called, was given the directive to sell what He had and follow Jesus. It was a hard word for the young man to take. He walked away from all that Jesus had offered because he could not give up his earthly treasures in exchange for the treasures that Jesus offered to him.

For most all of us, God’s words do not come to us in such a direct manner as the words spoken to the young man. They do not come in clear audible context. God’s directives come to us in the faint internal whisperings of the Holy Spirit. We receive more of a gentle urging of the spirit rather than an anything audible. Nonetheless, we are challenged just like the young ruler to decide if God is the most important thing in our lives.

Maybe, unlike the young ruler, it is not our treasures that we are holding on to. Maybe we are holding on to a job that keeps us away from our family. Maybe we are holding on to an outside interest that keeps us out of church on Sunday. Maybe we are holding on to a habit that limits our ability to draw closer to God. Maybe it is simply pride that is keeping us from fully surrendering to Our Savior.

Whatever it is, it is clear to Our Lord what we are holding on to. In His loving kindness, He will insure that which we are clinging to is exposed. The Holy Spirit will reveal the things of the flesh that we are clinging to. The Holy Spirit will send us urgings that are designed to test our obedience. If we ignore the urgings, they will become weaker and weaker until they eventually cease. If we are obedient to the urgings, they will become clearer and clearer to us. God’s inspiration will become a greater part of our lives as we begin to seek the urgings of the Holy Spirit in all of our endeavors. Through the process of obedience and surrender, we will learn to walk in the fullness of Jesus Christ.

Let us ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to us the things that we are placing above God in our lives. Let us ask the Holy Spirit to show us any areas of lack in our spiritual walk with Christ. Let us submit to the urgings of the Holy Spirit so that we may live the abundant life that God has planned for us.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank You for drawing us to Yourself through the gentle urgings of the Holy Spirit. We praise You for providing the ever present Counselor in our daily lives. We pray that our minds and hearts will be receptive to all that the Holy Spirit brings to us. We ask for the strength to release the trappings of our flesh that are keeping us from surrendering fully to Your Son. May our obedience bring richness to our daily walk with Our Savior. We ask all these things in the name of Our Treasure on earth and in heaven, Jesus Christ.

Blessed is the Man Against Whom the Lord Counts No Iniquity

Psalm 32:5
I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,” and you forgave the iniquity of my sin.

In the flesh, it is very difficult to deliver a full confession of the sin in our lives. We simply are not equipped to deal with self-condemnation without the aid of the Holy Spirit. Our carnal minds are not able to fathom the real joy in the forgiving mercy of Jesus Christ.

It is very important that we confess our sins and repent of them quickly. We should not hold on to them for any reason – not even to punish ourselves. We must take God’s merciful grace and cleanse ourselves of our sins. We must recognize that Jesus Christ has atoned for all of our sins for all eternity. To hold on to any sin, even its guilt, is to continue to unnecessarily suffer its destruction in our lives.

Once we have cleansed ourselves of our sins through confession, the Holy Spirit will come along side us and lift us to a new, higher level relationship with the Father. “Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit.” Psalm 32:1-2

Let us ask the Holy Spirit to inspect us and to reveal to us the darkness of sin in our lives. Let us surrender to the urgings of the Holy Spirit to repent of our sins so that we may be cleansed. Let us rejoice in the peace, comfort and freedom that we are given as we confess our sins and receive the perfect love and forgiveness of Our Savior. Thus let us take our relationship with Our Heavenly Father to a higher level.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank You for Your loving kindness, Your mercy and Your grace that has provided a way for us to be cleansed of our sins and freed from its destructive power in our lives. We thank You Jesus for settling our sin debt for all eternity. We exalt the name of Our Savior. We pray that the Holy Spirit will help us to uncover all of the sin in our lives so that we may quickly confess it with our mouths. May we escape the darkness that has overcome us and live in the precious light of Our Redeeming King. May we reach higher and higher in building our relationship with You, Father. We ask all these things in the mighty, holy and precious name of Jesus Christ.

Our Eternally Compassionate King

Matthew 14:14
When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick.

Jesus has great compassion for all people. During His time on earth, He poured out His compassion on all of the people whom He encountered. He did not go out condemning them, even though many deserved His condemnation. No matter what condition He found them in, He offered help. He came to heal them all in mind, body and spirit. In each case, He forgave them of their sins and offered them the hope of an eternal inheritance.

Today He does the very same thing for us. He does not care what condition we are in now or what condition we come from. His offer is always the same. He pours our His loving kindness on us. He offers us the opportunity to be healed in mind, body and spirit and to receive our eternal inheritance through His mercy and grace. His offer is always accompanied by His perfect love and forgiveness.

In turn, He expects us to reflect His love and forgiveness by having compassion on the people that He places in our lives. We should be alert to those around us that are burdened by afflictions, addictions and iniquities.

Let us raise our awareness for the need to show mercy and compassion for those who are burdened. Let us prepare ourselves to provide for the needs of their minds, their bodies and their souls. Let us willingly and purposely serve them in the same manner that Jesus would have served them, compassionately without condemnation.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank You for providing for our every need and offering us the keys to Your kingdom through Your Son, Jesus. We exalt the name of Jesus for the sacrifice He endured for us to be able to accept His loving kindness and mercy. Remind us, Lord, that we are Jesus’ ambassadors of compassion today. May we be living vessels of His perfect love and forgiveness. We pray that through Your grace we will serve the world around us compassionately without condemnation. We ask all these things in the name of our eternally compassionate king, Jesus Christ.

Compassion for Those Who are Burdened

Matthew 14:14
When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick.

Jesus has great compassion for all people. During His time on earth, He poured out His compassion on all of the people whom He encountered. He did not go out condemning them, even though many deserved His condemnation. No matter what condition He found them in, He offered help. He came to heal them all in mind, body and spirit. In each case, He forgave them of their sins and offered them the hope of an eternal inheritance.

Today He does the very same thing for us. He does not care what condition we are in now or what condition we come from. His offer is always the same. He pours out His loving kindness on us. He offers us the opportunity to be healed in mind, body and spirit and to receive our eternal inheritance through His mercy and grace. His offer is always accompanied by His perfect love and forgiveness.

In turn, He expects us to reflect His love and forgiveness by having compassion on the people that He places in our lives. We should be alert to those around us that are burdened by afflictions, addictions and iniquities.

Let us raise our awareness for the need to show mercy and compassion for those who are burdened. Let us prepare ourselves to provide for the needs of their minds, their bodies and their souls. Let us willingly and purposely serve them in the same manner that Jesus would have served them, compassionately without condemnation.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank You for providing for our every need and offering us the keys to Your kingdom through Your Son, Jesus. We exalt the name of Jesus for the sacrifice He endured for us to be able to accept His loving kindness and mercy. Remind us, Lord, that we are Jesus’ ambassadors of compassion today. May we be living vessels of His perfect love and forgiveness. We pray that through Your grace we will serve the world around us compassionately without condemnation. We ask all these things in the name of our eternally compassionate king, Jesus Christ.

The Perfect Standard for Forgiveness

Matthew 5:22
But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire.

Jesus was absolutely crystal clear in defining His position about forgiving others. He taught that there is no leeway given for those who are unwilling to forgive. Whoever is angry with another without cause is in danger of judgement themselves.

We need to look to Jesus Christ when we consider whether we are justified to be angry with another. He is the essence of perfect love and forgiveness. Jesus’ anger was limited to those who took away from the glory of the Father. He set aside His anger and replaced it with love and forgiveness when any other lesser offense was involved, whether it be directed toward Him or not. His perfect standard is the same standard that we are all called to meet. When we fall short of this standard in our daily lives, we are commanded to right ourselves before we come to Him with our offerings and our prayers. Otherwise, our prayers will be ineffective.

Let us first recognize our shortcomings in reconciling our differences with others. Let us be quick to forgive and just as quick to ask for forgiveness. Let us share the perfect love and forgiveness of Jesus with the world around us as we grow as disciples of Jesus. Let us prepare to receive the fullness of His love and forgiveness in our own lives so that we may be worthy to bring our prayers and offerings to the Father.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank You for the loving kindness, the mercy and the grace that You have shown us. We bless the name of Jesus who is the essence of Your perfect love and forgiveness. We pray, Father, that we may become instruments of Your good work and vessels of Your perfect love and forgiveness. May the world know us by our ability to set aside our anger. We ask all these things in the name of Jehovah-Shalom, the Lord of Our Peace, Jesus Christ.

The One Who Strengthens Us

Isaiah 49:5
And now the LORD speaks–the one who formed me in my mother’s womb to be his servant, who commissioned me to bring Israel back to him. The LORD has honored me, and my God has given me strength.

We learn three important things from the prophet Isaiah that pertained not only to him but to all of us:

  • God created us. The entire human race was created to serve and glorify God forever. Through God’s grace we were given life so that we may be one of His servants here on earth. Through God’s mercy we were granted eternal life so that we may praise and glorify Him in His eternal kingdom forever.
  • God commissioned all of us to serve Him. While our calling may be different from the commission of Isaiah, it is just as important in God’s eyes. We have all been uniquely gifted to fulfill the will of Our Heavenly Father and His plan for our lives. Our unique service to Him will be on earth as it will be in heaven.
  • God will give us all we need to fulfill our commission. Through Our Savior, Jesus Christ, we shall have the strength and capability to do the work that we have been called to do. We shall have the protection that we need to overcome our enemies. We shall have the comfort that we need to rise above our discouragements. It will all be fulfilled according to His promises and His indwelling in us. Through it all, He will complete His work in us so that we are prepared for our heavenly duties.

Let us seek the Holy Spirit to reveal God’s unique plan for our lives. Let us cling to Our Savior who waits to prepare us, protect us and strengthen us so that our lives may glorify the Father.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank You for the loving kindness, the mercy and the grace that You have bestowed on us through Your Son, Jesus. We rejoice in knowing that You have a wonderful plan for our lives that will bring praise and glory to You forever. We pray, Lord, that You will bring us to a place of repentance so that we may turn away from all the things in our lives that displease You and turn toward all the things that Your Holy Spirit reveals to us. May it all be for Your eternal glory. We ask all these things in the name of the One who strengthens us, Jesus Christ.

Mercy and Compassion for the Burdened

Matthew 14:14
When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick.

Jesus has great compassion for all people. During His time on earth, He poured out His compassion on all of the people whom He encountered. He did not go out condemning them, even though many deserved His condemnation. No matter what condition He found them in, He offered help. He came to heal them all in mind, body and spirit. In each case, He forgave them of their sins and offered them the hope of an eternal inheritance.

Today He does the very same thing for us. He does not care what condition we are in now or what condition we come from. His offer is always the same. He pours our His loving kindness on us. He offers us the opportunity to be healed in mind, body and spirit and to receive our eternal inheritance through His mercy and grace. His offer is always accompanied by His perfect love and forgiveness.

In turn, He expects us to reflect His love and forgiveness by having compassion on the people that He places in our lives. We should be alert to those around us that are burdened by afflictions, addictions and iniquities.

Let us raise our awareness for the need to show mercy and compassion for those who are burdened. Let us prepare ourselves to provide for the needs of their minds, their bodies and their souls. Let us willingly and purposely serve them in the same manner that Jesus would have served them, compassionately without condemnation.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank You for providing for our every need and offering us the keys to Your kingdom through Your Son, Jesus. We exalt the name of Jesus for the sacrifice He endured for us to be able to accept His loving kindness and mercy. Remind us, Lord, that we are Jesus’ ambassadors of compassion today. May we be living vessels of His perfect love and forgiveness. We pray that through Your grace we will serve the world around us compassionately without condemnation. We ask all these things in the name of our eternally compassionate king, Jesus Christ.

How Blessings are Dispensed

Ephesians 1:3
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.

In this passage we are given the summation of all of our blessings. God the Father is the author and giver of all blessings. Jesus Christ is the medium that God the Father uses to dispense His blessings. The sphere of coverage is every single blessing in heavenly places.

The fullness of everything that we need and the fullness of everything that will satisfy us originates with God the Father. Every iota of these blessings is held in the hands of our risen Savior, Jesus Christ. And His Holy Spirit dwells in us as the dispensing fount that we may draw on at any time.

Why should we ever look elsewhere? Man can never be counted on to stand by us through all circumstances. At some point, all men will fail one another. The Lord, Jesus, never fails us. He is with us even under the direst circumstances, even the ones that we have created ourselves.

Let us surrender ourselves to the God and Father of Our Lord Jesus Christ. Let us prepare to receive all that He can bestow, all that His Son can provide and all that the Holy Spirit can apply in our lives.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank You for the loving kindness, the mercy and the grace that You provide to us through Your Son. We pray that You show us how to turn to Jesus first in all things. Strengthen us, Lord, so that we may leave behind our reliance on a fallen world. Prepare us, Father, to stand before You one day and receive the fullness of Your kingdom in heaven. We ask all these things in the name of Our Mediator, Jesus Christ.