God’s Wedding Plans: Part 1 – The Pursuit

Reading for today: Jeremiah 31:3

“I have loved you with an everlasting love.” ~ Jeremiah 31:3

When discussing the early stages of our relationship, my husband Toby likes to say that I pursued him. And he is probably right.

When we met, I was at a point in my life where I wasn’t sure if I would ever find that always-and-forever kind of love. Yet the moment I met Toby, I knew he was the one. Out of nowhere, I had an all-out sort of love for someone and I was not going to let him get away.

Early in my “pursuit” of Toby, I was worried that he didn’t feel as strongly about me as I did about him. I asked him the dangerous question, “Do you see our relationship going to the next level?” I remember being heartbroken when he responded that he just wanted to be friends. But I didn’t give up.

The Bible describes our relationship with God as a marriage – God is the bridegroom and we are the bride. As the bridegroom, God has an all-out sort of love for us. The Bible is the story of that love.

You see, God loves us with His entire being. He chose us before we even knew Him. He pursues us and is willing to chase after us, even though He knows that our love for Him is nothing in comparison. He is faithful, even when we are not. He is loyal, even when we break His heart. But the best news of all is that God is not willing to give up.

Dear God, Your love is incredible. I don’t deserve it. I make mistakes. I break your heart. But there You are mercifully saying, “I still love you.” Make me worthy of Your great love and give me the power to love others just like You have loved me. Amen.

This week read these passages on how God crazy loves you! Next week we’ll learn the extent of that love.

Day 2 – John 3:16-17

Day 3 – Isaiah 43:1-4

Day 4 – 1 John 4:7-12, 16

Day 5 – 1 Corinthians 13

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Stay Tuned…

It’s wedding season!

Starting next week, we will begin a new study called, “God’s Wedding Plans”. We’ll look at the wedding plans God’s been making and how you and I fit into those plans.

See you next Monday!

 

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The truth about sin

 

Reading for today: 2 Corinthians 5:14-21

Christians have a tendency to talk about how bad sin is and how Jesus has saved us from our sin. But what is sin? And why did we need saving from it?

Fill in the blank: Sin is _______________________.

I asked my kids to define sin for me. They had a variety of answers. Sin is: “Bad stuff.” “Not loving.” “Doing something wrong.” “Something that is not right in the sight of God.” And, “Doing something God has rejected.”

Put together, their definitions could be summarized as something like this: “Sin is breaking God’s rules. And that’s bad.”

While that’s true, sin is more than simply breaking rules. There are plenty of people in this world who live very moralistic, upright lives, yet are stilled defined as sinful and spiritually lost.

That’s because sin is more than simply doing bad things, sin is putting yourself in the place of God. It’s making yourself King, making yourself Savior, and making yourself Judge.

The bad news about this definition of sin is that no one is exempt. The good news about this definition is that likewise, none of us are exempt from God’s transforming love and His call to a new life.

Dear God, I have no idea how to be perfect, how to stop sinning, or how to save myself. But I do know that I need you. Forgive me, renew me, and lead me. Amen.

Sin is a complicated subject. Let’s dig in a little deeper this week.

Day 2 – Genesis 3 (How sin entered the world)

Day 3 – Isaiah 14:12-15 (The truth about sin)

Day 4 – Romans 5:12-17, 6:23 (God’s solution to sin)

Day 5 – I John 1:9, 2:2; 2 Corinthians 5:17-21; Ephesians 1:7-10 (How does God help us with sin now?)

*Recommended reading – The Prodigal God by Timothy Keller

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I am light.

Reading for today: Matthew 5:13-16

Light is a universal symbol for hope, goodness, and knowledge. Shedding light on a situation, seeing the light, the light dawning, you are the light of my life. In each of these idiomatic phrases, light represents something beneficial.

While light brings clarity and positivity to life, it also sustains life. This week my preschool students are running a science experiment on light. They will be testing light as it pertains to the life of a plant.

We will have two trays, each with a similar pot of flowers. One flower will receive everything it needs to grow: soil, water, and sunlight. The other flower will be given some of what it needs, but will be hidden from the sunlight.

While not all the preschoolers will be able to predict what will happen to the plants, I am sure you know the importance of light in the life of those flowers.

In a similar way, God is light and in Him we not only have life, but we also have the ability and the calling to shine that same good, healthy, life-giving light to others.

Dear God, Let my light shine before others that they may see and give glory to You. Amen.

This week let’s read a bit more on the importance of God’s light.

Day 2 – John 8:12; 12:46

Day 3 – 2 Corinthians 4:4-6

Day 4 – 1 John 1:5-9

Day 5 – Psalm 119:105

 

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I am salt.

Reading for today: Matthew 5:13-16

I love to be in the kitchen, cooking, baking, and eating. There are many ingredients in my kitchen that I consider staple, but the most useful is salt. Salt flavors and it preserves.

We have a phrase in our family. “Salt makes everything taste the way it’s supposed to.” Just a quarter teaspoon of salt completely enhances everything from scrambled eggs to chocolate chip cookies to roasted vegetables.

Not only is salt important for taste, but it also acts as a preservative. In our verses for today, Jesus tells his followers, “You are the salt of the earth.” Typically when we think of ourselves as salt, we either think in terms of seasoning or preserving.

However, there is another quality of salt to consider. Salt makes you thirsty. Movie theater popcorn, stadium brats, and pretzels – all are salty foods whose main purpose is to make the consumer thirsty.

Are we useful like salt? Do we season the earth? Do we preserve what’s right in a decaying world? And do we drive others to search for something to quench their thirst?

Dear God, Make me salt and light in this world. Help me to use my life to point others to You for Your glory. Amen.

Reading for this week

Day 2 – Colossians 4:5-6

Day 3 – 2 Corinthians 2:14-17

Day 4 – John 4:13-15

Day 5 – Isaiah 55:1; Psalm 42:1-2

 

 

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