love – Page 5 – Be Still…

Holy Week 2020 – Wednesday

What must Jesus have been feeling? He knew what was coming. It wasn’t going to be pretty, but it was going to be the most beautiful thing he could ever do for those he loved. For us. The time was drawing near. Jesus was human, so he had to be fearful. You know that sick feeling you get when you dread something–that’s what I imagine Jesus was feeling that night. Yet, his love for his friends was stronger.

Jesus’ relationship was secure. God was his Father and he would soon be returning to him. There was no doubt about that. Knowing this truth must have also led to complete and total freedom! Jesus knew who had his back. But he would be leaving his friends behind. Imagine you knew you were going to die, what would you want to tell your friends? Jesus had another lesson left to teach.

2 Corinthians 10:1-6 – Our Secret Weapons

Read 2 Corinthians 10:1-6

I don’t know about you, but when I think of Paul, I don’t think “timid.” Yet he is trying here to be gentle and kind like Christ. That, to me, speaks volumes to us as well. Kindness and Gentleness are two of our secret weapons. Have you ever heard it said, “Kill them with kindness”? Selena Gomez has a song entitled “Kill ‘em With Kindness” and one of the lyrics says, “We don’t have to fall from grace. Put down the weapons you fight with.” When we lead with kindness, good things can happen.

Paul sees this as powerful as well. Afterall, Jesus never led with might and weapons of war. Why should we? But like a shepherd protects his flock, Paul wants to protect his people (us) from the lies of the world. Paul reminds us, “We are human, but we don’t wage war as humans do.” What does that mean? Think of war. Guns. Bombs. Death. Why?

Proverbs 30:11-19 – Beyond Comprehension

Read Proverbs 30:11-19

Look around your little corner of the world today. Don’t just glance, really look. What do you see? You see God’s intricate creation that he loves. Is there anything that stops you in your tracks? Maybe an exquisite sunrise (or sunset for those of us who don’t see the sunrise anymore), flowering trees, your pet’s adoring gaze, children laughing. Beauty and blessing are all around us.

In our text today, there are 3, no 4, things that have struck our writer with awe. In verses 18 and 19 we read, “There are three things that amaze me—no, four things that I don’t understand: how an eagle glides through the sky, how a snake slithers on a rock, how a ship navigates the ocean, how a man loves a woman.” It’s beyond our ability to truly grasp the mysteries here. How do we respond to God’s design in his creation? We can simply sit back, humbled and admire God’s wisdom, remembering we, too, are part of this creation.

1 John 4:7-21 – Love is From God

Read 1 John 4:7-21

Is God living in you? How do you know for sure? John spells it out simply here, “All who declare that Jesus is the Son of God have God living in them, and they live in God.” That seems pretty straightforward. In John’s day, and probably still in current day, there are people who believe Jesus was a man and not God, or God but not a man. John goes out of his way in this book to make sure we are clear that Jesus is God and also a man.

If we are clear on who Jesus is – God’s Son, we can also be sure that we have God living inside us. Since we know that God is love, we know that we are capable of loving because God is in us. It’s a beautiful love triangle. But it all depends on God.

1 John 2:7-14 – Is It New or Old?

Read 1 John 2:7-14

John is focused on relationships, particularly our relationship with God. When he says “know” he is focusing on more than just our “head knowledge.” He wants us to dig deeper. What do we “know” of God through listening for his voice, reading his word and letting it permeate our being, watching his creation unfold before our eyes? How has the life of Jesus and how he lived impacted us and how we want to live?

John reminds us here of an old commandment, but he’s bringing a fresh, new twist to it. We are to love one another. That’s the old law, and you will recall Jesus also spoke of it (John 13:34) as a new commandment. Loving God is of course always #1, but how we treat each other is of utmost importance, too. What’s John’s twist?