Advent Week 4: Love (God’s Love Story)
December 22, 2024
I had a scary moment a few months ago.
I received word that I was being considered as a speaker for a Christian ladies event in September.
Sounds good, right?
Though I was cheered by the news, my first thought was:
Oh no. Now my life is going to be really hard until September.
I know exactly why I thought it.
2. If I am going to speak about Jesus (which I am), then I know Satan isn’t happy about that. He will use what little power he has to sabotage the event by throwing his lies around to see who will take the bait.
As 1 Peter 5:8 states: Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. When referring to Satan in John 10:10, Jesus says: The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.
Though I knew why I thought it, I also knew it revealed that my perspective had become skewed to
I have had enough.
The main verse in my prayer journal for YEARS is Psalm 143:8: I LET the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you [alone]. Show me the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul.
God loves me…us…lavishly. He sent His Son to die for our sins, for heaven’s sake! (literally)
He promises in Ephesians 3:20 that he is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us…
He wants to love us lavishly and I am going to invite him to do that this summer.
I started practicing this week. Each morning I recited this verse as I so often do, then told him that I was looking forward to watching him love me lavishly that day.
I don’t want my eyes to miss a thing.
I am expectant again.
Summers have been difficult now for several years in a row. On paper, our family faces the same summer circumstances again, but this time
I AM DIFFERENT.
I am entering the summer with an expectant heart and looking forward to God loving me lavishly.
Speaking of summer, last year I did a Lighter Fare series from June-August. Instead of my more meaty and lengthy style (sorry), I wrote shorter posts. This summer I will do a Summer Prayer series that will introduce a verse and corresponding prayer that we can pray for ourselves the following week. Powerful things happen when we pray that our lives look like the Bible verses we are reading!
Blog readership diminishes so much in the summer that I have considered taking the summer off, as many bloggers do, but writing weekly posts keeps my mind in a good place. The discipline of writing for this weekly deadline keeps me from sinking into senseless or hopeless thinking about my circumstances.
If even for just my own sake, I will continue to blog this summer.
Readers, go ahead and plan your summer. We all need to do that, but enter the coming months with an expectant heart that God will love you lavishly…
And hold your plans in an open hand so God has room to surprise us.
Our son graduated from 5th grade this week. Pictures are paired to show the comparison between his last day of fifth grade this week and his first day of kindergarten. (Unfortunately, the photos also contrast me within the same timeframe.) I remember ten years ago attending what I thought was my last elementary school graduation. I left thinking, “Never again.” As the saying goes, Never say never. This boy is part of God’s lavish love toward me.
My dear son, I am so proud of you. Congratulations on traversing the years of elementary school and bravely facing the next years of middle school. Always remember that I will expect you to do your best…and insist that you do…but the measure of who you are will always supersede whatever grades or degrees you earn. May you learn along with me this summer that God loves you lavishly. Get ready for the most important journey of all…God’s journey for you.
© 2016 by Oaks Ministries. All rights reserved.
I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth. So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes growth.
1 Corinthians 3:6
One Response
Congratulations to that handsome young man on finishing elementary school and moving on! How he’s grown! : ) Congratulations on taking the hand again of God’s lavish love, whatever that may look like. : ) I look forward to your summer blog of prayers, Laurie!