Faith, God’s Love, Write 31 Days Challenge 2019

Day 16 in God’s Love – God’s Love is found in Your Village

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I’ve been reading Becky Keife’s newly released book, “No Better Mom for the Job”. It’s been lovely to read a book where I feel like I’m not alone in this motherhood world. Believe me, being a mother can make you feel like you’re the most loneliest and unlovable person going.

Being a village for each other not only brings about a community, but it enables God to use His people to show His love. Share on X

Becky uses her own situation to describe so well how loving each other can show God’s love for ourselves. She learnt that accepting help from other people gives them a chance to show off the gifts God gave them. In turn, she was then able to reciprocate the gifts she has when the need arose. Being a village for each other not only brings about a community, but it enables God to use His people to show His love.

This isn’t about being each other’s savior. There is only One of those. Yet, we experience more of Christ when we lean into the call to love.

Becky Keife, No Better Mom for the Job, P86

When I Found Love in my Own Village

I experienced this love last year when I needed it most. A quarter of the way through the year I found out I was pregnant. This came as a great surprise. The most shocking moment though was when my husband came with me to our first scan. “And here is the first baby” the sonographer announced. Yes, we were having twins!

Once the shock of having twins had set in, the worry of how we were to provide for them took over. It was quite a stressful time. A year prior to this we had given up on having anymore children. It had been six years after we had our third child and nothing was happening.

We decided to give away all our baby items and clothing. It was obvious we weren’t going to have any more children. Well, God obviously had other plans.

Anyway, we had nothing for when the twins were to be born. We were starting from scratch. But this time already having three growing children.

This was where my village stepped in. Numerous people in my church rallied around and threw a surprise baby shower for me. They showered me with their gifts of love and friendship in ways I would never have imagined. People I hardly knew offered what they did best – the gift of giving.

Little did they know a few weeks prior to this I felt the need for God to really show His love to me. I wanted Him to break through in ways I had not experienced before. Oh, and did He break through!

Becky shares a great Bible verse which captures exactly what I experienced:

Something to think about…

Next time someone offers to help you, can you bite the bullet and say yes? You never know if your yes will be the making of a new friendship. It also gives God a chance to shine through that person. Let Him use other people to shower you with His love.

Prayer

Lord God, we pray for you to touch us with your love in ways we cannot imagine. Use other people around us to show us your love. Open our eyes too so that we do not miss what you want to give us. Amen.

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Faith, God’s Love, Write 31 Days Challenge 2019

Day 15 In God’s Love – Listen to Music

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I find listening to worship music quite therapeutic, especially if I find myself resonating with the words. Even more so if I find myself in a moment where it’s been one of those mornings. And with five children, every morning has potential to be one of those mornings!

Most of the time I turn on the radio and listen to UCB2. Somehow, God seems to work in the right moments to show He is there. The music played and people telling their stories speaks directly to my heart.

I have been listening to some music as I have been working through these posts on God’s Love. I’d like to share these with you and I hope they encourage you like they have me. I also hope they bring you into a deeper knowledge of God’s love.

Reckless Love

Love Me

Waves

Faith, God’s Love, Write 31 Days Challenge 2019

Day 14 in God’s Love – Loving Me For Who I Am

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I often wonder why God loves me. What do I need to do to earn His love? Is He really loving me for who I am?

God doesn’t love us because of the service we are doing for Him. It’s nothing to do with how many people we win for Him. It’s not even because we are super confident with praying or whether we spend hours in the Bible each day.

God loves us because he just does! No questions asked. He always has and always will. For us to taste his love and experience it we need to be in a relationship with him.

Does God love me for who I am?

As I have been reading through the Bible verses which describe God’s love, I have been questioning whether the verses could be applied to myself. Have you felt the same too?

We have our faith in Jesus Christ because He died on the cross for us. That’s a pretty major thing for God to do for little old us. Think about it, God sent His One and only Son into our world to die for us.

He died for me.

He died for you.

Something to think about…

Because of this amazing act of selfless love, we can say we are accepted for who we are. God didn’t say to us “you must change before I let my Son die”. No! He sent Him to die just as we were. If that’s not true love, I don’t know what is. Think about it.

Prayer

Lord, we get days where we forget who we are in you. We forget just exactly how much you love us. Help us to remember what sacrifice you gave up for us. Amen.

Faith, God’s Love, Write 31 Days Challenge 2019

Day 13 in God’s Love – Signs of God’s love

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When Jesus was baptised by John, God opened up the heavens and told him how much he loved him. 

Don’t we just wish that God will say that he loves us just like that? Breaking open the heavens for us and a big booming voice jumping out? That’s the kind of validation I would love to get. I don’t think the heavens will open up just like that though. 

However, God does speak to us in other ways. He uses other people and situations to show us just how much He loves us. We just need to look out for them.  

Signs of God’s love

If we think carefully, we can probably name some instances in our life where God showed up. We may have had one of those moments where we felt His love penetrate us. In His own way He was telling us He loves us and was well pleased with us. 

We may have felt His love work through us when we have been praying. Maybe we heard a specific word or had an image given to us. Perhaps we have had an answer to prayer. It may be a friend has shown up at the right moment, or better still, a stranger showing up at just the right time.

Sometimes, it may take a while to notice when God is showing His love. This may be because we have experienced hurt in our lives. The hurts we encounter hinder us noticing those moments. 

Isaiah 43 mentions numerous ways God works when He loves His people. He also asks us to not dwell on the past because He wants to do a good thing in us.

Something to think about…

We need to soften our hearts to what is around us in order to receive God’s love fully. It takes time and being intentional. It’s hard at first as sometimes we don’t know what to trust. 

I want to encourage you to write down any encounters you experience. Do you notice any signs of God’s love?You can look back on them at the end of the day when it’s quiet. Take in what you have experienced and let it sink deep into your heart.

Prayer

God, thank you for your love. Please touch my heart right now and give me a sign of your deep love for me. Help me to open my heart to receive the love you have for me. Help me to be open to the signs you give me. Amen. 

Faith, God’s Love, Write 31 Days Challenge 2019

Day 12 in God’s Love – Disciplining Love

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I have written previously about the unconditional love God has for us because we are His children. Part of God’s unconditional love is His disciplining love. Just like our children get it wrong sometimes and we teach them the right way to live, so must God do that with us.

When raising children, we have certain standards we expect them to keep. It helps them to learn what they need to achieve later on in life. Life lessons are not easy, but with a little guidance and discipline, we hope they turn out ok.

Disciplining love hurts

It’s not the best type of love I like to receive from God. After all, who enjoys being told off? I know my kids don’t. Although the amount of times I tell them off I may have to question that thought.

My children don’t seem to learn sometimes and often make the same mistakes. Time and time again I tell them not to do something, but they still keep on doing it. They think they know best.

They don’t know what I know. I’ve been a child before and I know how their minds work. I’ve been there and done it! They think they know best, but in reality they don’t have a clue.

This is the same with us and God. We make mistakes too in God’s eyes. Maybe it’s a certain habit we need to break from which doesn’t help us to grow in God’s love.

Time and time again we get a nudge that maybe what we are doing is not what we should be doing. We start to feel guilty. This is God’s Spirit working in us prompting us to turn back to Him.

Sometimes we think we know best though and we ignore the prompting. We carry on our own sweet way trying to figure it out ourselves. Maybe our situation starts to get worse and something happens which causes us pain. What do we then start thinking?

Where is God in all this?

Has He abandoned us? Does He not care if we are suffering? Why has He let this happen to us? Does He not love us anymore? I’ve often had this response from my own children.

“Do you not love me mummy?” They will shout.

“Of course I do” I will reply.

“Then why are you being so mean?” They cry.

Disciplining love teaches

I have told them time and time again what not to do. I gave them consequences if they chose to carry on. Why are they then shocked? They think because I love them I will not carry out my punishment. But I love them and they need to learn.

My children know deep down I love them just like I know deep down God loves me. Sometimes God does not step in to relieve us because we need to learn. If we keep doing the same thing over and over again, maybe God wants to teach us something.

In these moments we need to not be scared and to work through the suffering. Let the suffering we experience help us to turn to God and not away from him. He wants us to come running back to Him. Surely, it’s better if we do this with Him and not against Him?

Something to think about…

Have you noticed if there is a part of your life that doesn’t line up with what God wants for you? Are there any areas where you need the Gardener to come in and do a little pruning? God is here to help you and he will gently cut away the dead branches, if you let Him.

Prayer

God, I know I have sinned and I am sorry. I know I keep making the same mistakes. Please come into my life and show me where I am going wrong. I want to do what is right and grow in your love. Amen.

Encouraging hope in a broken world

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