Dear Heavenly Father,
You tell us in 1John 4:8 that anyone who doesn’t love doesn’t know You, because You are love. You also tell us in 1John 4:16 that everyone that lives in love lives in You, and You live in them. This is beyond wonderful, Heavenly Father. Thank You for loving us the way You do. From Genesis to Revelation, You have demonstrated Your love through the Lord Jesus Christ, because he is the central subject throughout Your scriptures, from beginning to end. Sometimes, we think the ooey-gooey feelings we have for a person we’ve fallen for is on the same level as the love You have for us. It isn’t, and through his example, Your wonderful Son has shown us the difference.
Jesus Christ is the embodiment of Your love. He demonstrated Your greatest ambition for humanity, because Jesus Christ loved purely and completely. If we truly want to please You, we will learn to love like Christ. He had compassion and showed kindness to people, but he wasn’t a wimp, because he also demonstrated Your power. He showed us that Your love is like a magnet, drawing people closer and closer. This is the effect that Jesus Christ had on those living during his time on earth. They flocked to him wherever he went.
Today, we often see people who become fans of famous people and want to be around them simply because they are talented or well-known. These fans don’t know the heart of the person they’re flocking to, they just want to be a part of something they feel is larger than themselves. Well, Your Son was more charismatic, dynamic, and personable than anyone that has ever walked upon the earth, but he wasn’t interested in having fans. He was interested in taking care of Your business.
People were flocking to him for the wrong reasons, and he set the record straight in Luke 6:46(NLT). He said to them, “So why do you keep calling me ‘Lord, Lord!’ when you don’t do what I say?” They had the wrong motive and were not interested in developing a deeper relationship with God through Christ. They were drawn to the light but didn’t want to be exposed by it. They didn’t want to hear Jesus tell them about the things they were doing wrong so they could actually begin to live right.
In Luke 6:47, he told them the difference between someone who comes to him for the right reason and someone who doesn’t. Your Son tells us that a person who comes to him for the right reason is someone who listens to Your teachings and follows them. A person like this is interested in building their lives on a foundation of solid rock. A person with the wrong motive doesn’t care about the foundation they build on. This is like the people that come to You asking repeatedly for an overflow of big blessings, but they are unwilling to take care and appreciate the small blessings they already have. They are not trying to learn to be a good steward or manager of Your resources, they just want more for the sake of having more. They ask, “Lord, please bless me with a house” when they don’t even clean the apartment they already have.
Your Son told us in Luke 16:10(NLT), “If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones. But if you are dishonest in little things, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities.” This is such a powerful lesson, and sometimes we must lower the volume of our own desires to hear it. Please help us, Dear Father, to be patient and learn to be disciplined and wise stewards of Your blessings. Help us to be the sons and daughters You have called us to be. You tell us in Hebrews 11:6 that You are a Rewarder of diligent effort. Therefore, we must seek You and be obedient to Your Word, then our rewards will be set to automatic.
Thank You for being such a loving, generous, and merciful Father. Thank You for our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and for the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit. Please let Your Will be done on earth as it is in heaven. In the precious and powerful name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
“Rewards Set to Automatic”, written by K. Lizzie, edited by Reverend Fran Mack for Sundie Morning Sistas ©2019. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord! SMS is dedicated to inspiring and encouraging Christian Women through the Word of God.