Enticing Love

"Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good.

His love endures forever."

Psalm 136:1

There is a light beside my backdoor that seems to attract every bug in the county.  Opening that door at night is hazardous: moths and flying insects of every kind hover around, drawn toward the light.  In the morning, the evidence of their get-together is seen by the carcasses of those who came too close to the glow or by those unfortunate ones who smashed themselves against the siding of the house.  

Just as insects are attracted to light, I am drawn toward God's long-term, unconditional, healing, powerful love.  The difference is, God's love will not hurt me.  Instead, it will heal me, bring me peace, complete my soul and give courage to my heart.  Love is what I've been looking for all of my life.

God's love has a way of giving my life meaning and purpose.  Twentieth Century pastor and author A.W. Tozer said that, "God loves us for ourselves.  He values our love more than He values galaxies of new created worlds."  To love God and to be loved by Him is the desire of the human heart.  When I give my life to Him, His love is manifested in many different ways.  

Come Unto Me

Child Abuse. Terrorism.  Bankruptcy.  Broken Marriages. Cancer.  The world is wrecked and sin has brought death and destruction to God's perfect creation.  Things are not as they were meant to be.  Consequently, man suffers.  

Lying.  Pornography.  Gossip.  Slander.  Cheating.   Cursing.   Infidelity.  Addiction.  Fits of Anger.   Compulsive Shopping.  Idolatry.  Sin is everywhere in my life, threatening my relationship with God and others.  The burden of trying to do right is heavy.  I'm tired.

Jesus understands the pressure I face as His follower.  He knows that I mean well and desire to please Him, but my flesh is weak.  I can't do the right thing in my own strength.  He encourages me to rely on Him, saying, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."  (Matthew 11:28) 

No longer am I expected to live up to His standard by trying hard to do my best.  Under grace, God relieves me of that burden as I walk in relationship with Him, depending upon Him to enable me to live in a way that pleases Him.  The burden is removed from my shoulders and placed squarely upon His shoulders.  I then can rest as Jesus fights my battles for me, freeing me to simply receive His love.

As I come to Jesus, I will find rest and my heart will be at peace.

Drink from the Waters

The rat race.  The treadmill.  Jumping through hoops.  Running like a mouse in a wheel.  Working overtime but never achieving fulfillment.  Giving my life to a cause yet feeling empty inside.  Or, as Solomon put it, "Utterly meaningless!  Everything is meaningless."  (Ecclesiastes 1:2)

It's pretty easy to go through life, checking off all the things I think I'm supposed to do, but still feeling utterly unfulfilled, empty and dissatisfied.  There must be more than this!  The world tells me I will find satisfaction in a successful career, riches, family, and romance, but my heart aches for more.  

To try to chase the emptiness away, I change careers, earn even more money, have more children and find a new man, but nothing helps.  There's still a hole in my heart.

There was a woman who understood this feeling of hopeless worthlessness.  She was ostracized by the townswomen.  No one wanted to be her friend and she was the butt of many jokes, the subject of much gossip, the object of ridicule.  She went through men as some change cars; a new one every few years.  Her isolation was so complete that she found herself going to get water in the hottest part of the day when she knew no one else would be at the well.

It was as she was performing this daily household task that she learned what was missing. She had been looking in the wrong places for her sense of fulfillment.  Jesus said to her, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst.  Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."  (John 4:13-14)

No longer will life seem pointless.  Instead, everything I do will take on new meaning as I live for God instead of for me. His love draws me to Him as I long for what is missing in my life.  I was created for relationship with my Creator, and as I accept the free gift of salvation God offers through faith in Jesus Christ, my life becomes complete as it was meant to be.  

An abundant life is mine for the taking if only I will follow Jesus and drink from His well. 

Seek and You Will Find

One of the fondest memories of my childhood is when the kids in the neighborhood got together to play reverse Hide and Go Seek.  Instead of everyone hiding, only one person hid and the rest of the players looked for him.  Once a player found him, she quietly and secretly hid with them until only one "seeker" was left.  That person then became the one who hid.    

When I got to be the one who hid, I would find the most out-of-the-way, tricky place to hide where no one could find me.  My objective was to avoid being found.  With God, however, it's different.  He wants to be found.  He doesn't make things difficult or tricky to get to Him.  Instead, He says, "You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." (Jeremiah 29:13)

Even though God is easily found, I am effortlessly thrown off-track.  I may be headed toward Him with every intention of giving Him the top priority in my life when tragedy strikes.  Suddenly, I'm focused on the problem and forget about the Solution. 

Unexpectedly, my health fails and I move away from the Cure.  

Out of the blue, my friends desert me, leaving me all alone.  In my loneliness, I turn away from my One True Friend.

Jesus is the only one I need Seek and I am guaranteed that when I look for Him, I'll find Him. . . and my life will never be the same again.

God is a pursuing God.  His love comes after me, courting me with it's vastness, power and beauty.  I try to resist, but He never gives up.  Out of His great love for me He calls me to come to Him and lay my burdens at His feet, to drink from His fulfilling waters, and that I'm assured of finding Him when I seek Him.  His enticing love brings rest, meaning and focus to my life.  "Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good.  His love endures forever." (Psalm 136:1)

As I begin this day, it is my prayer that I will drink from the waters Jesus is offering instead of trying to find fulfillment elsewhere.

How do forsake my God in the busyness of my life?

When do I stop looking for God?