Morning
November 23
Song of Songs 8:5-7 (NIV) 5Who is this coming up from
the desert leaning on her lover? Under the apple tree I roused you;
there your mother conceived you, there she who was in labor gave you
birth. 6Place me like a seal over your heart, like a seal on
your arm; for love is as strong as death, its jealousy unyielding as the
grave. It burns like blazing fire, like a mighty flame. 7Many
waters cannot quench love; rivers cannot wash it away. If one were to
give all the wealth of his house for love, it would be utterly scorned.
The bride has lost her identity in her lover. As He
approaches, she clings to Him and is not recognizable apart from Him.
This is where Christ longs to draw us. It is a place where those who see
us associate us with Christ. We frequently find our place alone with
Him and give Him our love. There is time for corporate worship, but if
you do not spend time alone with Him, how can you say you truly love
Him?
She asks for Him to place her like a seal over His
heart, like a seal on His arm. He has done both. The pierced side and
arms will forever be a seal of His love for us. He is at the right hand
of the Father with those marks that proclaim His love. We could call
them love wounds. When He first met with His disciples He displayed
those marks to ease their fears. It is a love as strong as death. No
greater love has anyone than to lay down their life for the one they
love.
If He loves us like that, He will jealously guide us
away from anything else that would compete for our affection and
attention. That zeal for us is like a blazing fire. He would consume all
else so we would be completely His. That is the picture you see as
Jesus cleansed the Temple with a scourge of cords.
Meditation: What a love He has for us! You cannot
purchase it. You cannot earn it. He has set His love upon you, and
nothing can turn it from you. How will you respond?
Evening
November 23
James 1:2-4 (NIV) 2Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. 4Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
This must certainly sound strange to most ears, joy in
the face of trials. James explains that we should be joyful because the
testing of our faith develops a quality of character in our life that
is like that which Christ exhibited, perseverance. Without that quality,
our effectiveness for the Lord will end when the going gets tough, and
it will get tough. That is why the Lord allows the trials of many kinds
to come our way.
Trials are like an old method of growing winter rye.
When it sprouted, the farmer would tramp on it to keep it from growing.
This caused the roots to grow deeper, finding more nourishment. It also
kept the rye from maturing too quickly and freezing.
God is more concerned about your preparation for
eternity than He is about your temporal happiness. He is making you into
a mature and complete Christian, one who lacks nothing. The training
process is not easy. Solid growth comes through difficult conditions.
Do you feel tromped on? Are you wondering why it is so
hard when you are still so young in Christ? Trust the Great Farmer. He
is working something into your life that you desperately need if you are
going to produce fruit. It is the only path to maturity. So don't
complain, be joyful! God has a plan for your life. This trial is for a
glorious purpose. You need it. You will learn more quickly when you
recognize that it is a necessary process for your growth.
Meditation: The trials in my life are developing Christ-like character. That is a reason for joy in the midst of them.
1 comment :
God of heaven will see you through in that problem. Pray Psalms 127 for only 2 times and bring those issues back to God in prayer and you will be surprised of what the Lord has done.
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