14-Feb-15
Our days on earth are like grass; like wildflowers, we bloom and die. The wind blows, and we are gone— as though we had never been here.But the love of the LORD remains forever with those who fear him. His salvation extends to the children’s children of those who are faithful to his covenant, of those who obey his commandments! Psalm 103:15-18The Lord God is the God of all time of the earth. He sees from the Alpha to the Omega. Although his sight extends from the beginning to the end — He loves each of us in the space He has allotted us in Time. We often live on earth as there is no end, but we miss the Wonder of God, the Mystery of His Glory if we try to hold him just to our brief moment here on earth.His love is without end. It is the one sure thing to hold on to in this life. If we cannot love others as God loves us, our spirit becomes a caricature of what it can be. Our spirit becomes like dry bones that rattle to the end of our days with no hope.We search for meaning, for understanding, through clouded lenses. We see imperfectly that which the Lord is. We hold one piece of the puzzle of life without the finished understanding of all the pieces. We know only a part of what will be? How can I be assured that I do not need to know now?God knows me completely. He knows my heart, he hears my words, he sees my actions, he knows my thoughts. I can never hide from Him. There are three life preservers that lifts me above the swirling waters that threaten me. Three things that will last forever, no matter how long or how short my days are on this earth. Steadfast hope that never ends and the second is a shining hope of the Eternal with God. The last is the greatest of all and makes life whole — Love. Love that shines from God shines through our hearts to others. Love encourages, Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable and keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice, but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful and endures through every circumstance. (I Corinthians 13:4-7)When I cannot see a step ahead of me, I have faith. When I am discouraged, I have hope. And above all, in every moment, I have love. Love for God, love for brothers and sisters, love for the poor and for the rich. I love unconditionally, praying that God’s love wins beyond any doubt, knowing it will.Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely. Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love. I Corinthians 13:12-13