Loving Your Family/Friends

With Valentines Day just around the corner, how do you show love to your family and friends? It's very easy to come up with lots of practical ways to show love. The internet is full of them. For example, writing special notes and tucking them in unexpected places, making a favorite meal or dessert, buying chocolate candy, etc. The list goes on and on.

But how do we show love on a daily basis to our family and friends. As believers we have the fruit of the Spirit in us. And what is the first fruit mentioned? Love. God's perfect, agape love. What does this love look like? In 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a, God paints a beautiful picture of this love. As you read those verses, reflect on how you are showing that kind of love to others. If you struggle expressing any of those qualities of love toward others, ask God to work that kind of love in your heart.

God's love is patient.

God's love is kind.

God's love does not envy.

God's love is not rude.

God's love is not self -seeking.

God's love is not easily angered.

God's love keeps no record of wrongs.

God's love does not delight in evil.

God's love rejoices with the truth.

God's love always protects.

God's love always trusts.

God's love always hopes.

God's love always perseveres.

GOD'S LOVE NEVER FAILS.

"The word of the Lord is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of Him to who we must give account." Hebrews 4:12-13

LORD, penetrate the depths of my heart and through the power of the Spirit, let me love like you love. Help my focus, not to be on what my family/friends do or don't do, but fully on You and Your great power that is at work within me. In the strong, powerful Name of Jesus. Amen!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Confidence

As we began to look at the characteristics of a woman of noble character in September (see post on September 4 and following), we looked at being a woman of: integrity, honor, strength, dependable and determined. The last character trait is confidence. On what or in who are you looking for confidence in this new year. Confidence as women is something we're all looking for.

As I think about the word, confidence, I'm reminded of a song from The Sound of Music. In the last line of the song, Julie Andrews sings, "I have confidence in confidence alone." Huh? Confidence in confidence alone leaves us alone and keeps us alone with nothing to hope in. Praise the Lord as believers, our confidence is in Jesus Christ alone and He is all we need. "Such confidence as this is ours through Christ before God. Not that we are competent in ourselves, but our competence, comes from God. He has made us competent."
2 Corinthians 3:4-6

Look up each of the following verses and begin applying them to your life. Write the verses on index cards and choose a verse each day and pray it back to the Lord as a reminder of who you are in Him and where your confidence comes from.
~ Deuteronomy 31:8
~ Psalm 27:1,3; 56:3-4; 138:3
~ Proverbs 3:26
~ Isaiah 32:17
~ 2 Corinthians 12:9
~ Ephesians 3:12
~ Philippians 1:4,6; 4:13
~ Hebrews 3:14; 4:16; 10:35; 13:6
~ 1 John 3:21-23; 5:14-15

Remember this is a new year ~ a new beginning ~ a fresh start with Him.

"Blessed are those who trust in the LORD,
whose confidence is in Him."
Jeremiah 17:7

the gifts or The GIFT

In Luke 1 God revealed how His most perfect plan for mankind would be accomplished when He sent an angel to a young woman in Nazareth. (Luke 1:26-37) He told her, she, who was highly favored by the Lord, had been chosen to bear God's Son, the promised Messiah. (Isaiah 9:6-7) Even in her perplexity as to how this could happen, since she was a virgin, she couldn't contain her joy at the revelation. In Luke 1:46-50, Mary said: "My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for He has been mindful of the humble state of His servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me -- holy is His name. His mercy extends to those who fear Him, from generation to generation."

Mary's focus was on the greatness of her God. She cried out to Him and praised Him as her Savior, the Mighty One whose name is Holy. Never did she focus on herself. Mary knew that her faithful God would give her strength to face the coming days and He did!

After the birth of Jesus, shepherds came. They bowed in worship before the One the angels had told them about as they had been watching their flocks at night. "An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom His favor rests." When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about." So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in a manger. When they had seen Him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.
BUT MARY TREASURED ALL THESE THINGS AND PONDERED THEM IN HER HEART." Luke 2:9-19

What are you treasuring this Christmas season? The gifts or the GIFT?
John 3:16
Where is your focus?
Colossians 3:1-17
Is your heart filled with praise and adoration?
Ephesians 1:3-8

May your heart, like Mary's, be filled with praise this Christmas season for God's indescribable gift!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

"My soul glorifies the Lord
and my spirit rejoices
in God my Savior."
Luke 1:46