Psalm 103:11, 17
How great is God’s love for all
who worship him?
Greater than the distance
between heaven and earth!
The Lord is always kind
to those who worship him,
and he keeps his promises
to their descendants
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible, Used by Permission.
These
days, heaven seems closer – and farther away – than ever! So when I
read Psalm 103:11, I thought of God’s love as both vast…and
all-encompassing. I envisioned God wrapping His arms around me and
holding me closely as I settled in with Him and gave Him gratitude and
glory for all that He has done for me.
As I read verse 17, I
thought of my mother…the legacy of Christian faith that she left with
her children and extended family. And while it may not seem like the
Lord has been very kind to us lately, I can assure you that He has
indeed. He has not given us more than we can bear. Oh, yes…there are
moments when our hearts are so heavy and our minds cannot concentrate -
and we think that we will surely fall apart completely. But
always…ALWAYS…God rescues us…and we thank Him for His grace and tender
mercy.
Today, our respite came in the form of three little
children – Timothy, Zola, and Nathan - who were eager to return to
church and learn more about Jesus. After lunch, we went to a local
man-made “lake” to look at trumpeter swans that migrate here each
winter. The children fed the birds and ran along the fence that edges
the big lake with the wild abandon of 3, 4, and 6-year-olds. You cannot
help but smile and laugh when you are with happy kids…and I know that
God gave us that much-needed time of joy as a respite from our grief.
A
young father of three elementary school-aged children is on the last
leg of his journey with a 2-year cancer battle. This dear friend is as
ready as anyone ever is for God to call him home. It breaks our hearts
to think that he will not be around to see his children grow up…to help
his wife with all of the milestones and accomplishments…to nurture his
family as its spiritual leader. But as I look at the events of the last
two years, I see much of what I observed with my own mother - a
testament to God’s promises and glory…a person of tremendous faith and
steadfast worship, even in the midst of great tribulation…an example for
countless friends and acquaintances who are now surely closer to God
because of His witness.
The lesson I have learned from my mother –
and my friend – is that God’s love for each of us is vast AND
all-encompassing, all at the same time. We have seen amazing
demonstrations of worship of the LORD in even the most trying
circumstances…and we have seen the glory of His love rain down on those
who were faithful…and their descendants.
This morning, Timothy
got in the car and asked, “Why did Granny die?” I told him that she got
sick and could not get well, and God took her to heaven to live with
Him. He said, “She’s with Jesus now!” “Yes,” I agreed…”and someday we
will be with Jesus, too. If you love Jesus and give Him your heart, you
get to go to heaven someday.” Timothy said, “Oh, I LOVE Jesus…even
when I’m naughty and do bad things.” I told him that Jesus loves HIM,
too…even when he’s naughty. In my mother’s stead…I want to perpetuate
the legacy of worship – and hope in God’s promises. And as I get
opportunities at church to share God’s love with my friend’s children, I
hope to do that, also.
Look around…where can you demonstrate
worship – and hope – that glorifies God and demonstrates His amazing
love for each of us? Where can you perpetuate to those around you –
particularly future generations – how God’s love never fails? Who has
demonstrated this in your life? Who has given you great examples for
how it’s done? Aren’t you ready to “carry the torch” and leave your own
legacy of faith and love in Christ Jesus? Isn’t it time you got
started?
©2016 Debbie Robus
No comments:
Post a Comment