devotional
Loving God
I have been pondering lately the “why” behind loving God; my personal why.
The thought was triggered again while reading Psalm 116;
“I love the Lord, because He has heard my voice and my pleas for mercy. Because He inclined His ear to me, therefore I will call on Him as long as I live.” (Ps 116: 1-2, ESV)
When I was a girl, somewhere between the ages of 7-8, I experienced the first of what would be many episodes of domestic violence in my home. It was the first episode, however that proved to shape the foundation of my relationship with God. In the depth of my fear for my mother’s life I sensed that I was not alone; that God was with me, speaking to my child-heart to “not be afraid, because He was with me.
I love God because He allowed me to experience His presence at an early age. In a strange way, purpose was birthed during that one encounter. God had a plan for my life that would keep me and take me beyond the trouble and hardships of being raised in a home where outcomes were uncertain and survival living was the norm.
I love God because He allowed me to experience His power to heal, to carry on in life successfully in spite of its hardships, in order for me to know that;
“…With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” (Matthew 19:26 ESV)
I learned that we must know the power of God for ourselves in order to be a true light in this world, it is a vital part of God’s preparation towards us authentically fulfilling His call and purpose in our lives.
I love the Lord because when I was greatly afflicted;
“…He delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling; I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living.” (Psalm 116:8-9 ESV)
Doing The Work
Doing the work in the context of fulfilling your purpose in life is portrayed in the life of Jesus. When praying to God toward the end of his days on earth, he was able to say, “I glorified You on the earth, having accomplished the work which You have given Me to do.” (John 17:4, NASB)
Inevitably, we will all stand accountable to our Creator at the end of our days on this earth. We must balance the joy of living with the wisdom to know that we have been placed in this particular century for “…such a time as this.” (Esther 4:14b NASB)
God, in His wisdom, did not create us with the capability to know what our life span would be; but He has wisely instructed us to know that we have all been assigned a number of days. In his season of severe trials, Job declares the finality of our lifespan on earth:
“Since his days are determined, the number of his months is with You; And his limits You have set so that he cannot pass…” (Job 14:5 NASB)
If we take our cues from Jesus, He not only taught us how to live a godly and fruitful life, but that His work on this earth was to glorify God. We know that in His final days Jesus clarified God’s assignment by declaring in John 17:
- that all that God had given Him were given eternal life, that they may know God, the only true God and Jesus Christ (vs 2-3)
- the Words that were given Him from God, were given and received by His followers (vs 8)
- His followers understood that He came forth from God (vs. 8)
- That God would keep His followers (vs 12)
God has a good plan for our lives. When we choose to keep Him first, knowing Him and discovering His will for our lives becomes a delight through the highs and lows of life. When our hearts are solely devoted to fulfilling His will, His favor abounds.
“Delight yourself in the Lord; and He will give you the desires of your heart.” (Psalm 37:4, NASB)
Let’s live on purpose!
loretta j. willis, author 