Love

God’s Great Symphony

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Give thanks to the Lord for He is good. His faithful love endures forever! Psalm 136:1 NLT

If we look at Psalm 136 as if it were a grand symphony we could think of, these first verses like the trumpets blasting out an opening about the goodness of God. They alert us and fill our ears with the knowledge that our God is higher than any other power in the entire universe and above every other god. Then the composer plunges ahead with soaring strings that reach higher and higher ringing out with the beauty of creation and how God made the heavens, the earth and the sun, moon and stars. But with each new measure that is played we hear again a harmony note reminding us of God’s eternal love. Then the orchestra hushes as the score moves on to recount a specific list of each thing that God has done for His people Israel.

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Next a military drum roll marches out the victories God has led them through. First the deliverance from the empire of Egypt, then the crossing Red Sea and finally the defeat of the armies of the Amorites. Each verse sings out that God is faithful and with every note that is played we see His goodness. When thunderous rising notes of opposition challenge His children, God’s unfailing melody of love assures us to rest. No wail of lament or minor key of sorrow will last. They will all pale in comparison one day to the beauty and power of God’s love that echoes in every verse. They carry us from the beginning of creation, through every problem that we have faced and show us that only His love lasts forever. Then the crescendo of praise hushes to a silence at the final fading note of the symphony causes us to pause in awe remembering all that God has done and we give thanks In that glorious amazement we realize that both our blessings as well as our difficulties will pass away but the great symphony of the love of God will last forever and forever!

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A Legacy of Love

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For I have derived much joy and comfort from your love, my brother, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you. Philemon 7 ESV

When we think of great leaders, there are few who compare with Alexander the Great. He became King of the small nation of Macedon at the age of 20, after the assassination of his father. At first Alexander simply consolidated power in the region of modern-day Greece. But what happened next was truly amazing. In just 12 short years Alexander went on to conquer all of the middle east, including Turkey, Iran and Iraq, along with Israel, Syria and Egypt. When at the age of thirty-two Alexander died, he left an incredible legacy of military conquest though his kingdom was soon divided between his generals.

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Philemon on the other hand was a different kind of leader. Though Paul begins his letter mentioning that a church is meeting at Philemon’s house, the New Testament says very little about his position. In fact, when Paul writes to the Colossian church he does not even mention Philemon. What we do know about is Philemon’s love. Paul begins his letter by calling Philemon beloved, and then goes on to say he thanks God in his prayers because of the reports he has heard about Philemon’s love. Then we come to today’s verse and Paul tells his friend that he is comforted and joyful because of his love. While Alexander was great because of battles, Philemon was great because he refreshed the hearts of others when he shared the love of Christ. Philemon’s legacy is not the cities named after him or the statues carved in his honor, but his love for others. What greater legacy could anyone leave than that?

Will You Answer That?

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I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility, gentleness and patience, bearing with one another in love. Ephesians 4:1-2 ESV

When our cell phone rings, it is common for us to look at the number and decide whether to pick the call, reject it or just let it go to voice mail. But when I was a kid, a phone call was actually quite an event. Our only phone hung on the wall in the kitchen, and if it rang when mom had her hands in the dishwater, she would yell out, “Will somebody answer that please!” Then either my sister or I would run to pick it up. In those days, we couldn’t just say, “Hello!” Instead, we had to begin by saying, “This is the Jones residence; may I help you please?”

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The Bible tells us about the most important call of all: the one from God. Some of us may be letting God’s call go through to voice mail because we are afraid of what we think He is planning. We picture being sent off to some scary place overseas or emptying our bank account to help the poor. But we are missing what God’s call is about. Today’s verse tells us that He is far more interested in who we are than in what we do. So, go ahead. Be brave. Pick up the phone because you just may discover that God is calling for us to be humble in how we think of ourselves and gentle in how we treat others. We also may find out He is asking us to be patient when things don’t happen as quickly as we hoped (which is often) and loving forbearance when people fail us. And with all the callings and messages we are hearing it is most important of all to remember that everything God asks of us, He has already done when He picked up His phone and answered our call for mercy!