Wednesday SHINE...

Today's Reading: 1 Kings 2

Happy Worship Wednesday, sweet SHINE girls!

So, our memory verse is about Love this week. "Love Never Fails." 1 Corinthians 13:8

Not our kind of flesh-fickle-finicky love....but the kind of Love that can only be given because it has first been given to us.

"This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins." John 4:10

As I try to wrap my little brain around this concept, I am struck by the magnitude of this kind of Love.

For example:

•  Love covers a multitude of sins.{1 Peter 4:8}
•  Love comes from God {1 John 4:7}
•  Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. {1 John 4:8}
•  Love does no harm to its neighbor{Romans 13:10}

Do I deserve this kind of Love?

No.

Do I want to receive this kind of Love?

Yes.

Do I always extend this kind of Love?

Yikes, not always.

Why is this?

I don't know.

I saw a sign at a church recently that said: The Loved Love. The Forgiven Forgive.

Wow. Now, that's powerful.

Many times, I have not shown love, and I have not shown forgiveness. In those times, I have a severe peace drought. Like major.

Stress, anxiety, restlessness, agitation, frustration, and much more. 

After much begging and pleading, and finally scripture reading....He showed me the problem.

It was my heart. A heart that was withholding love. A heart that was bottling up the Love that HE had poured into me, and hogging it all to myself.

Well, that got me nowhere. It just made me miserable, bitter, and all puffed up inside.

His Love is made to be poured out. To all around us.

Not just the ones that love us back. 

" If you love only those who love you, what good is that? 

Even scoundrels do that much. 

 If you are friendly only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else?

 Even the heathens do that.

  But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect."

 Matthew 5:46-48

If we are not pouring out His Love, we are stagnant. Unusable. Molding from the inside out. 

We were made to pour out, so that He can keep pouring in. 

You and I are colanders. When He pours the water in, it should sprinkle out to all around us.

When our holes get closed up from hurt, anger, bitterness, rejection.....nobody gets sprinkled. Not even us. We rot. We mildew. We expire. 

However, when we open those holes back up....oh, get your umbrellas! A sprinkling is taking place! 

Everyone around us will get watered. What an incredible sight.

Lord, help us to pour out Love. Help us to pour out forgiveness. This is Your design. This is Your plan for us. We long to sprinkle Your Love and Goodness to all in our path. Unclog any holes that have filled up, so we can pour Your Love straight through to others. Thank You for the gift of Your Love! We receive it, we accept it, and we pass it right on to others. 

unclogging,

jill