Weekly Word for May 11-17, 2003

“for the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved me, and have believed that I came forth from the Father.” (John 16: 27)

Over the past few weeks, we have been talking about “love”. Through the years, I have continued to learn about “love”. The different aspects of it - and what “true love” really means. It took many years for me to comprehend God as the Father! - to trust and love One who loved me so totally that He would offer the gift of His Son! But I did understand loving a child - I just didn’t know I was “His” child! But I am - and so are you!

The Father’s Love - What an amazing love that is! I can only relate to it by understanding how I felt when I gave birth to my two children. I don’t even know how it happened - but I fell in love with these small little beings that totally relied on me to survive! I was amazed by who they were - and by who they might become! But in loving them, I wanted them to have good lives - to stay safe, and be happy. This is where it becomes difficult to be a parent. We want the very best for our children! But to do that, we sometimes cause them to be angry, or even hurt them! I was reminded of this point today. I remembered when my young daughter, she must have been all of four, went zipping past me off a sidewalk and almost got hit by an oncoming car. I was so scared! I grabbed her without thinking and pulled her back out of the path of the car! My daughter then started to scream! She wasn't screaming out of fear for the car, she was screaming from the gash on her forehead which was bleeding down her face. In grabbing her, my nails had dug into her head and cut her forehead. She didn't know all that could have happened to her - all she knew was that her head hurt and she was bleeding! This is exactly what happens to us when The Father in Heaven wants to keep us safe and we, in our youth and blindness, walk straight into oncoming trouble. All we sometimes feel is the pain of being stopped - the hurt that can come with it.

And you have forgotten the exhortation which is addressed to you as sons, “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, Nor faint when you are reproved by Him; . . . For those whom the Lord loves He disciplines (Heb. 12:5 & 6)

There is a country song from a few years ago that talks about “Thank God for Unanswered Prayers”. I listened to the words of the song, and heard the story of a man who in his youth had asked the Lord if he could have the girl, who he loved at that time, forever. The man is remembering this while standing looking at the girl he had once loved, and introducing her to his wife! That is the moment he knew that God had heard his prayer and the answer had been “no”. I don’t know too many children who like the word “no” said to them when they want something! But as parents we have to use that word quite a bit. So does The Father in Heaven.

Hurts? We all have them, and we all cause them. In loving another, we allow them to get close to us. In so doing, we allow them to hurt us. The Lord Jesus said: “offenses must come”! That means that we will always need to deal with hurts. Those caused by loved ones, friends, or even strangers. I was talking with a friend this past week. She has been through a lot of difficult things in her young life. She was expressing her anger at all that she has lost over the years. Her anger was totally justified! The danger is in staying in the anger. The Word says: Be angry, and yet do not sin (Eph. 4:26) How can we do that? We must give our anger to the Lord. If we don’t, it will cause us to become bitter, hard, and unable to love. If we keep our anger, we will become sick, and hurt others.

“Listen to Me, all of you, and understand: there is nothing outside the man which going into him can defile him; but the things which proceed out of the man are what defile the man. (Mark 7:14, 15)

I love this passage! It took me a while to understand exactly what it was saying. It told me that even those things done to me that were wicked, they didn’t make me wicked! Only the things I chose to keep as mine, and to do to others, that was what made me a sinner. My friend’s anger leaking out at her children or friends, that is where she is not OK. We must “choose Life”!

My daughter had a scar on her forehead for many years. I would look at it, and wish that I hadn’t caused it! But I had! All I could do was to ask the Lord to heal my daughter where I had hurt her. That is all you can do. Ask Him to heal your heart where you have been hurt, and to also heal those who you have hurt. Ask The Father to use everything for good. That is what Love is about - choosing to forgive, to ask for healing, to love again.

The difference between good and evil - is just that - choosing to be fully alive or to live in death! Which will you choose?

In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. (John 1:4,5)

“For the bread of God is that which comes down out of heaven, and gives life to the world.” (John 6:33)


God bless you in the coming week ahead.

In His Love,

Debbie and Ted Ayers