When rule-driven ethics disappoint and feelings-driven relationships deceive, we are held secure by the truth of Christ’s love for us. Paul was in labor for the spiritual birth of those being called to Christ. As a new mom bonds to her newborn with hormonal oxytocin, Paul bonded to the new believers with agape love. Christ sent the Holy Spirit to empower Paul with unfailing love to reap a harvest from hardened soil. He experienced the suffering of Christ but he also was filled with the sweetness of knowing the Savior’s love personally.- Teresa #livingwater #thirsty

Philippians 1: 8-11 (ESV)

8For God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus. And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

When you watch something beautiful, it’s poetry in motion. When you read something beautiful, it’s an exercise of poetry. God has made certain that we understand the beauty of His intention toward us…not to leave us without His redemption. – Teresa #amazedatHisuffering #gratefulforHislove #Fathersswillmeansprosperingformankind

Isaiah 53:4-12 (ESV)

4 

Surely he has borne our griefs

and carried our sorrows;

yet we esteemed him stricken,

smitten by God, and afflicted.

5 

But he was pierced for our transgressions;

he was crushed for our iniquities;

upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,

and with his wounds we are healed.

6 

All we like sheep have gone astray;

we have turned—every one—to his own way;

and the Lord has laid on him

the iniquity of us all.

7 

He was oppressed, and he was afflicted,

yet he opened not his mouth;

like a lamb that is led to the slaughter,

and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent,

so he opened not his mouth.

8 

By oppression and judgment he was taken away;

and as for his generation, who considered

that he was cut off out of the land of the living,

stricken for the transgression of my people?

9 

And they made his grave with the wicked

and with a rich man in his death,

although he had done no violence,

and there was no deceit in his mouth.

10 

Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him;

he has put him to grief;[n]

when his soul makes[o] an offering for guilt,

he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days;

the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.

11 

Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see[p] and be satisfied;

by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant,

make many to be accounted righteous,

and he shall bear their iniquities.

12 

Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many,[q]

and he shall divide the spoil with the strong,[r]

because he poured out his soul to death

and was numbered with the transgressors;

yet he bore the sin of many,

and makes intercession for the transgressors.

There are times when the rainbow inspires us to seek a pot of gold. The riches at the end of the rainbow are what hope is made of. God, who is rich in mercy, will not allow us to wallow in the storms of life when we look to Him in faith. Being seated in heavenly places in Christ Jesus is truly an overwhelming inheritance! Walking in the good works created for us emphasizes His workmanship!- Teresa #Godspromise #immeasurableriches

Ephesians 2:10 (ESV)

1-2 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body[a] and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.[b] 4 But[c] God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

God’s gentle shepherding led me during the years of childbearing, upholding my strength. This past week, we were watching video footage from back in the 90’s when our children were babies. While we were shepherding the wee ones, the Lord was shepherding us. We saw images of faithful saints who are now in glory (U.Karl, A.Lee, Bapoo, my dad, etc). Their love for our family is still felt, decades later. God’s greatness is enhanced by His gentleness, helping us understand that the recompense preceding His arrival prepares us for the reward of His presence. -Teresa #goodnews #fearnot #hispresence #gentleshepherdcomeandleadus

Isaiah 40: 9-11 (ESV)

The Greatness of God

9 

Go on up to a high mountain,

O Zion, herald of good news;[e]

lift up your voice with strength,

O Jerusalem, herald of good news;[f]

lift it up, fear not;

say to the cities of Judah,

“Behold your God!”

10 

Behold, the Lord God comes with might,

and his arm rules for him;

behold, his reward is with him,

and his recompense before him.

11 

He will tend his flock like a shepherd;

he will gather the lambs in his arms;

he will carry them in his bosom,

and gently lead those that are with young.

Low or high we are all in need of a place of refuge. On our own, our significance is not weighty. God’s power is made known through the way He terrifies us. His knowledge, beauty and love are greater than anything we can attain or imagine. By the constraint of such power into human minds. we experience His provision. According to an individual man’s work, God renders His gifts of heavenly thought into our earthly existence. – Teresa #Godinfused #ministryismylfe #mylifeiscommon

Psalm 62: 8-12 (ESV)

8Trust in him at all times, O people;

pour out your heart before him;

God is a refuge for us. Selah

9 

Those of low estate are but a breath;

those of high estate are a delusion;

in the balances they go up;

they are together lighter than a breath.

10 

Put no trust in extortion;

set no vain hopes on robbery;

if riches increase, set not your heart on them.

11 

Once God has spoken;

twice have I heard this:

that power belongs to God,

12 

and that to you, O Lord, belongs steadfast love.

For you will render to a man

according to his work.

Our burdens, which may be toted around with us all day, at times seem manageable. What do we do when they become unmanageable? David, in the Psalm below, realized that the key to preventing bitterness and despair was to cast his load into the capable hands of God. When a person is suicidal, they are so overwhelmed by their burdens that there is only one light at the end of a telescoping tunnel. What their brain is not capable of seeing is the support and resources available around them at the moment of despair. God is able to sustain the universe in its delicate balance, He also has the ability to sustain our lives. Our job is to cast those things that weigh us down onto Him. This takes an active choice, releasing what is at times most precious to us. -Teresa #lightenup #presentoverperfect- book by Shauna Niequist

Psalm 55:22 (ESV)

Cast your burden on the Lord,

and he will sustain you;

he will never permit

the righteous to be moved.

There are a few things that make good movie themes: my latest fad is Jack Reacher. While on vacation, I’ve been reading a few of Lee Child’s novels and enjoying his ability to make clear sense out of nonsensical issues. There are times where we all need a no-nonsense, bigger than life hero like Reacher to help make the world seem right. In this passage, Solomon and his bride are speaking admiringly towards each other. The onlookers surmise that love is worth more than material possessions and life itself. Passionate love that burns bright can withstand the deluge of many waters. God proved His love for the people of Israel at Mt. Carmel. Elijah obeyed God and doused the altar and sacrifice with many waters. God showed up in a mighty way even in the face of his unfaithful people. He burned up the sacrifice on the altar calling it acceptable (see 1 Kings 18: 30-39). No matter how much we may feel that our lives will turn God away, He continually pursues us with goodness and lovingkindness encouraging us to receive the gift of His Son. – Teresa #John1:12 #Hemakestheworldrighteous #2Corinthians5:21

Song of Solomon 8: 6,7 (ESV)

6Set me as a seal upon your heart,

as a seal upon your arm,

for love is strong as death,

jealousy[m] is fierce as the grave.[n]

Its flashes are flashes of fire,

the very flame of the Lord.

7 

Many waters cannot quench love,

neither can floods drown it.

If a man offered for love

all the wealth of his house,

he[o] would be utterly despised

There are times when boundaries are a blessing. It may feel like there’s not much wiggle room but within the boundary lines there is security. One boundary that the scripture gives is to guard your heart for everything you do flows from it (Prov 4:3). This is in the context of receiving wisdom. I thought this verse from Solomon was apropos of what this boundary may have looked in that culture. – Teresa #letGodswordin #keepotherswordsout

Ecclesiastes 7:21 ( ESV)

21 Do not take to heart all the things that people say, lest you hear your servant cursing you. 22 Your heart knows that many times you yourself have cursed others.

Ecclesiastes 3:9-22 (ESV)

The God-Given Task

“9 What gain has the worker from his toil? 10 I have seen the business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with. 11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man’s heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end. 12 I perceived that there is nothing better for them than to be joyful and to do good as long as they live; 13 also that everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil—this is God’s gift to man.

14 I perceived that whatever God does endures forever; nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it. God has done it, so that people fear before him. 15 That which is, already has been; that which is to be, already has been; and God seeks what has been driven away.[m]

From Dust to Dust

16 Moreover, I saw under the sun that in the place of justice, even there was wickedness, and in the place of righteousness, even there was wickedness. 17 I said in my heart, God will judge the righteous and the wicked, for there is a time for every matter and for every work. 18 I said in my heart with regard to the children of man that God is testing them that they may see that they themselves are but beasts. 19 For what happens to the children of man and what happens to the beasts is the same; as one dies, so dies the other. They all have the same breath, and man has no advantage over the beasts, for all is vanity.[n] 20 All go to one place. All are from the dust, and to dust all return. 21 Who knows whether the spirit of man goes upward and the spirit of the beast goes down into the earth? 22 So I saw that there is nothing better than that a man should rejoice in his work, for that is his lot. Who can bring him to see what will be after him?”

The words of this passage remind us of how fleeting our time on earth is. In the midst of knowing our lives are short- lived, we also have a sense that eternity will endure forever. When Jesus prayed to the he Father in John 17, He describes eternal life as this: “…that they know you the only true God and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.” Knowing God means experiencing God’s fellowship. This is only possible through His provision to redeem mankind from the curse of sin (death, aka being eternally separated from God’s fellowship). – Teresa