What a statement that makes so much sense when I read the Old Testament – a people who were looking for love in all the wrong places.
For the Lord says to the house of Israel:
Seek Me and live!
Do not seek Bethel
or go to Gilgal
or journey to Beer-sheba,
for Gilgal will certainly go into exile,
and Bethel will come to nothing.Seek Yahweh and live. – Amos 5:4-6a HCSB
It is also amazing to see the character of God remaining the same then as I see Him now. To “save” someone who refuses to be saved becomes contradictory and counter to God’s ultimate purpose for me – that I be a person who will choose to love and serve God.
My message to the world – God loves you – and He is saying, choose life.
God, listen to my prayer
and do not ignore[a] my plea for help.
Pay attention to me and answer me.
I am restless and in turmoil with my complaint,
because of the enemy’s voice,
because of the pressure[b] of the wicked.
For they bring down disaster on me[c]
and harass me in anger.My heart shudders within me;
terrors of death sweep over me.
Fear and trembling grip me;
horror has overwhelmed me.
I said, “If only I had[d] wings like a dove!
I would fly away and find rest. – Psalm 55:1-6 HCSB
I need to know that God loves me for only then can this rule of Love allow me to imitate my Father when I love an enemy.
In choosing life and accepting God’s love, I continue to extend love to my enemies so that, in fact, I am perfecting love, which means maturing in love via the very involvement of fighting and wrestling when I am troubled. I do trample the waves of this world when I love my enemies. My example is Jesus, who loved His enemies so much that on the Cross He asked His Father to forgive.
My life is love.
Love is light. If I wish for death or for solitude in the midst of all my mess, I still have this one command – to love.
Even if I was to seek some reprieve, it does not mean that I do not love – just my body needs some rest. It is a place where I can pray.
Father, each day I choose to love. I did not see it as me choosing life, but I understand much better this morning. There are so many little things that could become big things, there are so many that feel there is not enough power in this world and they are trying to grab as much as they can and there are so many that walk in darkness who want to quench the light and those who do not choose love but rather hatred. For all of these I need You. Fill me so that my flesh does not react, that my mind is transformed and renewed. Make me like You, in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Erwin (evanlaar1922)
Sixty-six books in a year 