Day 113
Judges 1:1‐2:9; Luke 21:29‐22:13; Psalms 90:1‐91:16; Proverbs 13:24‐25
The Love of God
We don’t just want to be loved; we need to be loved. Among our greatest needs is the need to know that we matter to somebody – that somebody truly cares. As we read God’s Word, we learn the story of just how very much God loves us. That is a truth that sustains us.
God created us to be in relationship with Him. He created us to love us, to give the best of Himself to us as benefit and blessing. And He created us to love Him. Lost in this beautiful love story, we can begin to think that because God loves us unconditionally, there are no consequences to our behavior.
We can sometimes think of God as an indulgent Father who gives us everything we want and looks the other way when we sin. Today’s readings disprove that assumption. God does become angry when we are disobedient. That does not mean that He does not love us. It means that He loves us so much that He wants what is best for us.
He knows that obedience to His Word brings true happiness. So He sometimes will let us experience the consequences of our behavior. These consequences may be the discipline that can help us want to obey. Don’t resent God’s discipline. He knows best what we need. His discipline is given in love and for our best interests. We can respond with love by following His Word.
Deacon Mary Delancey