What IS love?!

Yes folks.....I do have love on the brain as of late. :-) It might be due to the fact that the man I love is constantly on my mind. But....ahem....you probably don't want to hear about that. What YOU want to hear about is what I think love is.....hence my title.

But....I'm not going to define love as I see it. Since the Lord has brought this new love into my life I've been contemplating even more what it means to love. The world has its own definition. Often it involves feelings and emotions that change at every turn life brings. Amidst this disillusioned people who seem to think they have love figured out yet can't make a marriage last, how are we supposed to come to a true understanding of what love is and what it means to love?

Just like anything in life, we turn to the One who DOES have it all figured out. There's no need for us to question or wonder. We have all the answers at our fingertips. We just have to crack the Book open and let Its light shine in our hearts.

So what DOES God's Word say about love? I don't think we can go very far without looking at Christ's example of love. It is said that 1 Corinthians 13 is the Love Chapter. I think 1 John 4 is pretty competitive!

1 John 4:7-11

Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.

He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.

In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.

Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.

Wow.....What an incredible example of love we have in our Savior! So then what IS love? The chapter continues...

Vs. 16-21

And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.

Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.

There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.

We love him, because he first loved us.

If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?

And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.

Verse 16 says "God is love". How has God loved you? THAT is how you are to show love to others. Is it easy to love others? Not always. But then....as often as I fail the Lord it would be so easy for Him to choose not to love me. Yet, He doesn't! I'm so grateful for that.

How have YOU shown love today to those in your life?

Communing with God

I've just embarked on a challenge to read through God's Word in 90-days and thus far it's been so rewarding! To dive into the very wisdom of God will always be rewarding.

This week, one of the books I'm reading is Genesis (obviously, since I just started!). It still amazes me how the Almighty Creator would desire to have a relationship with a creature who consistently fails and falters. One of my favorite people to read about is Abraham, a man chosen by the Lord to bring up a great nation through his seed. Along Abraham's journey we can see times that he had a serious lack of faith. It's easy for me to sit here and think, "Abraham....haven't you been through this before? Why haven't you learned to just trust God?" But how many times have I done exactly that? I can say that God's Word is truly a mirror!

We come to Chapter 18 where Abraham is interceding on behalf of Lot and the city which he dwelt, Sodom. When God revealed to Abraham that he would be destroying Sodom, vs. 23 says, "And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked?" He didn't retreat and fret about how he could possibly save Lot himself. He drew closer to his Saviour. After Abraham's prayer and God's reply, vs. 33 says, "And the LORD went his way, as soon as he had left communing with Abraham: and Abraham returned unto his place."

Wow.....God communed with Abraham. According to Webster's 1828 dictionary, to commune means "To converse; to talk together familiarly; to impart sentiments mutually, in private or familiar discourse". To have that kind of familiarity with the Lord, where HE communes with US, is truly an amazing thing. Is HE your best friend? Is HE the first one you talk to as soon as a worry or a fear enters your mind? Is HE the one with whom you share all your joys and sorrows? I was certainly challenged by this as I considered my walk with the Lord.

Are you communing with God?

It's Tuesday!

What's so special about Tuesday? Well, not much.  This morning as I was evaluating the day at hand, I realized that I love Tuesdays! For several reasons: It's not Monday.  It's a short(er) day at school. I haven't been going to school all week so I'm not as exhausted.  I get to teach piano.

School tends to take up a good portion of my time and makes me quite weary even just thinking about it. It's so easy for me to fall into the trap of complaining and displaying a lack of joy. That shouldn't be! I have SO much to be joyful about. The greatest thing that I can rejoice about is my salvation.  Even if I had nothing else to be joyful about (which I DO), my salvation would be enough to cause me to rejoice every waking moment.

Psalm 27:6- And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me: therefore will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy; I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the LORD.


Today, Tuesday, is the 15th so before I ran to class this morning I sat in my car and read Proverbs 15 aloud to my friend. What a blessing!  Over and over again I read about joy in the believer's life and my heart was affected as I realized that I have not been displaying joy on purpose like I should be!

4a- A wholesome tongue is a tree of life:


13- A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance: but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken.


15- All the days of the afflicted are evil: but he that is of a merry heart hath a continual feast.


23- A man hath joy by the answer of his mouth: and a word spoken in due season, how good is it!


My day hasn't been without frustrations and disappointments, but purposing to have joy has made all the difference. How can I hand someone a tract and expect them to read it if I am so consumed with my own valleys and trials? How else will they see the joy of the Lord unless they see it from ME?!

At This Time of My Life

At this time of my life I am single.
At this time of my life I am a full time college student.
At this time of my life I should be training to do my "dream job", that of a wife and a mother.
At this time...how can I do that?!

There are times I feel so overwhelmed with my current occupation of college that I wonder how I can ever accomplish those other tasks, those other things in my life that are JUST as important!  My mind tells me, "Those things don't have due dates.  They can wait."  But can they? This is the time of my life when I should be taking advantage of my time at home to learn all that I can, yet I find time slipping away as I bury my nose in my books.  This can't be good!  The Lord has been making me aware of my situation.  Obviously, college is not my complete future.  This is only temporary.  Juggling my time can be a challenge, but I am reminded of Philippians 4:13, "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me."

Psalm 61:1-4  "Hear my cry, O God; attend unto my prayer.  From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I.  For thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy.  I will abide in thy tabernacle for ever: I will trust in the covert of thy wings.  Selah."

Looking around I see nothing but a long list of things that need to be done:  things to clean, things to study, things to practice.  The list goes on!  But I've come to realize that without my consistent relationship with the Lord, everything WILL crumble around me.  There is no doubt about that.

At this time of my life I am focusing on the Lord, trusting Him to guide me where I need to go, trusting Him to give me the strength to go there.

Studying the Bible

This week Bro. G is teaching the Bible Training Institute class, Bible Study Methods. It has already been an amazing eye opener, and we've only just finished night two! Last night, he shared a poem that I thought was absolutely fantastic! And rather convicting. I thought I would share it with you here:

I supposed I knew my Bible,

Reading piecemeal, hit and miss,

Now a bit of John or Matthew,

Now a snatch of Genesis,

Certain chapters of Isaiah,

Certain Psalms (the twenty-third),

Twelfth of Romans, First of Proverbs--

Yes, I thought I knew the Word!

But I found that thorough reading

Was a different thing to do,

And the way was unfamiliar

When I read the Bible through.

O the massive, mighty volume!

O the treasures manifold!

O the beauty and the wisdom

And the grace it proved to hold!

As the story of the Hebrews

Swept in majesty along,

As it leaped in waves prophetic,

As it burst to sacred song,

As it gleamed with Christly omens

The Old Testament was new,

Strong with cumulative power,

When I read the Bible through.

Ah, imperial Jeremiah,

With his keen coruscant mind!

And the blunt old Nehemiah,

And Ezekial refined!

Newly came the Minor Prophets

Each with his disctinctive robe;

Newly came the song idyllic

And the tragedy of Job;

Deuteronomy, the regal,

To a towering mountain grew,

With its comrade peaks around it--

When I read the Bible through.

What a radiant procession

As the pages rise and fall,

James the sturdy, John the tender--

O the myriad-minded Paul!

Vast apocalyptic glories

Wheel and thunder, flash and flame,

While the Church Triumphant raises

One incomparable Name.

Ah, the story of the Saviour

Never glows supremely true

Till you read it whole and swiftly,

Till you read the Bible through!

You who like to play at Bible,

Dip and dabble, here and there,

Just before you kneel, aweary,

And yawn through a hurried prayer,

You who treat the Crown of Writings,

As you treat no other book--

Just a paragraph disjointed,

Just a crude, impatient look--

Try a worthier procedure,

Try a broad and steady view;

You will kneel in very rapture,

When you read the Bible though!

-Amos R Wells