Love: Our Present Redeemer

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16
Love one another as God loves you is a first step in making relationships work. God does not control the affairs of man, although he could. He loves us enough to provide for our redemption, not because we earned or begged for it, but because his love knows no bounds. That means we are at liberty to be who we want to be. When that choice takes us down a wrong road, he doesn’t wrench us back, but he does wait for our return. When we do come back he welcomes us with open arms and a clean slate.

_________________________________

Sharon Vander Meer publishes Happenstance Literary, an online magazine featuring her work and the work of other writers. Click here to learn more and to subscribe. Please share this post with others by clicking on the buttons below

Hope

On Eagle's Wings

“But those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” Isaiah 40:31

One of my favorite faith songs is, “On Eagle’s Wings,” by Michael Joncas. The refrain sings of God’s power to protect and guide while giving encouragement.

And He will raise you up on eagle’s wings,

Bear you on the breath of dawn

Make you to shine like the sun,

And hold you in the palm of his hand.

On the days when life is at its most turbulent, God’s grace and mercy are present, his guidance is without fail, and his love raises us above the fray. We can soar on the breath of his love and move forward in the hope of each new day.

Trust

Rooted in God's Promise 

Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.” Mark 9:23

FROM CLIPART.COM

Make no mistake. There is one way and only way to stay ahead of the curves life throws you. God. His blessings, mercy, compassion, strength, and love are the roots that keep us firmly planted in faith and trust. Life is not perfect for anyone. Our need for God is constant. In times of joy he is in the fabric of our lives enriching our happiness. When tough times come it is those roots that keep us from being knocked down and run over. God with us is an absolute; everything else is transient.

_____________________________

Please share this post with others by clicking on the buttons below. Thank you for reading and feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section.

Faith

He is Faithful Without Fail

I can do all this through Him who gives me strength. Philippians 4:13

God gives victory to the faithful, perhaps not in the way we want, but in the ways that are best for us. When we let anyone but God rule our lives we encounter doubt and fear. What about all those people who seem to have no faith but fly through life in a golden airliner? Our relationship with our Father has nothing to do with anyone else. It is personal. When we begin to compare ourselves with others we miss out on what is in store for us. We become entangled with the towering power of self-doubt and the quest for glory and worldly gain. God has more for us than can be measured by the human eye; what He has for us is measured in the heart and demonstrated by our actions. Fear and doubt are nothing in the face of God’s promise to be with us always.

________________________

Please share this post with others by clicking on the buttons below. Thank you for reading and feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section.

 

The Promise

Open Doors

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. Psalm 46: 1-3

The faithful of God

are not promised forever happiness,

that isn’t the way life works.

Life happens, devastating in its brutal reality.

God did not promise

a trouble-free existence.

We endure loses we do not think we can bear,

but we do.

God does promise to be present with us.

God gives us backbone,

Christ gives us comfort,

The Holy Spirit gives us understanding. 

 _____________________________

Please share this post with others by clicking on the buttons below. Thank you for reading and feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section.

Blessings

Count your blessings, name them one by one

Shout with joy to the Lord, O earth! Worship the Lord with gladness. Come before Him, singing with joy. Psalm 100:1-2 (NLT)

Life is a day to day opportunity to rise and shine. My husband likes to quote my sister-in-law, who in her last days asked him as he was leaving after a visit if he was going to go out and look at that "...great big beautiful world." In her limited perspective, so close to the end of her life, she saw each new day as a gift. She saw the future in seconds not hours or days. She was happy for the smiles of her family and probably brokenhearted at the tears they tried not to shed. 

Get up and get moving. It isn't a negative thought, but our days are numbered. How we count them–in joy or sorrow, working or complaining, sharing our gifts or keeping them hidden–is up to us.

Get out there, look at that great big beautiful world and engage in life.

______________________

Please share this post with others by clicking on the buttons below. Thank you for reading and feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section.

Trust: Our Unchangeable God

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. Proverbs 3:5

When everything is falling apart

there is One and only One you can trust.

The world may tell you to trust in your job,

or your friends, or your own devices,

but no one but God can get you through a crisis,

or through joy. And yes, He does get you through joy

otherwise in the ecstasy of accomplishment

you may believe you did it on your own.

We are nothing and have nothing

that does not come from our heavenly Father.

Our faith is not based on empty promises

or worldly establishments built on human desire,

Our faith is in the unchangeable God

who loves us all the time, in joy and in sorrow.

today, yesterday and tomorrow.

 _______________________________

Please share this post with others by clicking on the buttons below. Thank you for reading and feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section.