gladitudes

Read this verse this AM and wanted to share. Here’s the ultimate source of worth and value for any human being.

Genesis 1:27

So God created man in his own image,
in the image of God he created him;
male and female he created them.

When you look at someone, do you see a human being who is made in the image of God or something less valuable? I’m challenged with this thought. May we Christians be people who see all people as being of great value and may we treat them accordingly.

I read this verse this morning and was really blessed by it. Check it out.

John 15:1-5

¹I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. ²Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. ³Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. ⁴ Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. ⁵ I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.

A few brief reflections:

• vv. 1-2: God is the vinedresser, not us. In a garden (or vinyard) the plant’s job is to just grow; the gardener is responsible to feed, water, and ensure the plants get light and nutrients. Plants have some ability to seek their own needs (put a plant by a window and watch it grow toward the light…), but ultimately they are at the mercy of the gardener. So it is with us. We have some ability to seek out good light, food, etc.—and we should be doing it—but ultimately God’s the one who will cause us to grow. We will grow most quickly if we just yield to Him, trust Him, and love Him. He is the True Gardener.
• vv. 4-5: This is sort of the same idea as before, but with a slight twist. If we want to accomplish anything as Christians, that too comes by God and yielding to Him. We don’t get saved by God’s grace and mercy then by our own strength and fortitude serve Him. No, we get saved by grace and by grace we live for God. To experience this we abide in God. To abide all we must do is believe God is near, trust Him, obey Him, think about Him, dwell on His word, and do our best to love Him. It seems (to me at times) to be sort of esoteric to abide, but it’s not really—you just do your best to be near God in your heart, mind, and actions.

That’s all for today.

Yesterday was a tough day for me. I am struggling to really hand my burdens over to the Lord. I have heavy things on my heart, but I am striving to trust that God is able to help people understand and see the love He has for them even when I am unable to communicate it. These verses comfort me that God is totally able to accomplish what He needs to because He is the True Gardener.

Walk in blessing and love today!

Here are some verses that I am going to be thinking about today. They are all verses about the way God feels/acts toward us, His people.

It’s so easy for me to take my human perceptions of authority and project them onto God. In doing so, I begin to expect selfishness and evil from God, but He is not like that; He’s not like man and doesn’t have any of the problems and sin man has. These verses are a good way for me to focus on God’s true nature.

Psalm 9:10

And those who know your name put their trust in you,
for you, O LORD, have not forsaken those who seek you.

Psalm 145:18

The LORD is near to all who call on him,
to all who call on him in truth.

Zephaniah 3:17

The LORD your God is in your midst,
a mighty one who will save;
he will rejoice over you with gladness;
he will quiet you by his love;
he will exult over you with loud singing.

Deuteronomy 4:31

For the LORD your God is a merciful God. He will not leave you or destroy you or forget the covenant with your fathers that he swore to them.

Psalm 5:3-4

O LORD, in the morning you hear my voice;
in the morning [I direct my prayer to you]* and watch.
For you are not a God who delights in wickedness;
evil may not dwell with you.

*This is taken from the alternative translation from the ESV bible in the foot note.

I was listening to an album of hymns this morning and came across this one. I caught myself almost in tears as I grasped the truth and beauty of the words. Praise the Lord, for He love us so. (I especially love the last verse.)

The love of God is greater far
Than tongue or pen can ever tell.
It goes beyond the highest star
And reaches to the lowest hell.
The guilty pair, bowed down with care,
God gave His Son to win;
His erring child He reconciled
And pardoned from his sin.

O love of God, how rich and pure!
How measureless and strong!
It shall forevermore endure
The saints’ and angels’ song.

When hoary time shall pass away,
And earthly thrones and kingdoms fall;
When men who here refuse to pray,
On rocks and hills and mountains call;
God’s love, so sure, shall still endure,
All measureless and strong;
Redeeming grace to Adam’s race—
The saints’ and angels’ song.

Could we with ink the ocean fill,
And were the skies of parchment made;
Were every stalk on earth a quill,
And every man a scribe by trade;
To write the love of God above
Would drain the ocean dry;
Nor could the scroll contain the whole,
Though stretched from sky to sky.

(The album I was listening to was by Ascend the Hill and was a free download from Come & Live. Listen and download it if you’re interested.)

Every once in a while you have those times where it seems like the things you depend on are crumbling. There’s this fear and anticipation that can become pretty heavy. In some ways I’m facing one of those times.

This passage was really comforting for me this morning.

Psalm 125:1-2 (ESV)

¹ Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion,
which cannot be moved, but abides forever.
² As the mountains surround Jerusalem,
so the Lord surrounds his people,
from this time forth and forevermore.

Not much to comment on here, other than it blows my mind still that the Almighty God would care for me, yet He has and He does. Simultaneously the most humbling and confidence-building truth I know.