During the sermon this Sunday at our local assembly, the pastor used a phrase, “The hope behind the help.” He was, of course, referring to the hope that Jesus brings when we love others. I’m not sure if it was something original to him or if he borrowed it from someone else, but it struck me as profound.
Why do we love?
We love because he first loved us. John 4:1-19
By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another. John 13:35
Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” Mark 12:29-30
Love isn’t a warm, fuzzy feeling that comes and goes, at least not the type of the biblical ove Jesus speaks of here.
This biblical ove is a conscious decision to love even if it’s not reciprocated. We love and serve our neighbors not to get something out of it, nor as a project. We love them because God loved us even when we were incapable of loving Him.
He loved us when we were his blasphemous, rebellious enemies. He loves even those who will ultimately reject Him, although they will never be His children.
We love and help our neighbors because we have experienced unconditional love. We love because love brings hope, and everyone needs true hope.
His love isn’t something that will waiver and fade. It isn’t something that will lead to disappointment. He is the hope that motivates, loves, helps, and transforms.
Let’s proclaim him boldly.
Hallelu Yah (Praise God)
Be blessed,
Kevin
Gleanings From The Word – Experience an extraordinary God in ordinary life.
His nickname was Tiny, and he was anything but. I never knew his real name. We met during basic training for the Canadian military.
On Tiny’s right leg was a wide, eight-inch-long scar. When I asked about it, my friend told me that he had a fascination with caves and shared his one-time spelunking experience with me.
A “spelunk” is a cave or grotto, and “Spelunkers” are cave explorers. Sometimes they call themselves cavers.
Tiny and a friend, both aged fourteen or fifteen, decided to “check out” an old, abandoned mineshaft. It was not exactly a cave, but they knew where to find it and were unaware of any caves in the area. The shaft was bright as day for the first few feet.
The gradually lengthening shadows added to the excitement. Eventually, it was dark enough that the only light was from the narrow beam of their flashlight.
They had not gone very far into the shaft when Tiny found himself falling. He fell and landed flat on his back. The impact knocked the wind out of him, and he could not respond to his friend’s desperate cries of “Are you okay?” It took a few moments before Tiny was able to croak out, “I think so.”
Tiny’s flashlight had broken in the fall, and they had no ropes or rescue equipment. At the moment, surrounded by the oppressive darkness, he had no idea of how far he had fallen. Getting out took many attempts at climbing various parts of the rock wall and numerous falls back into the darkness, while his friend encouraged him from above. During one of the falls, he sliced his leg open on a sharp rock.
Eventually, Tiny was able to work his way out. He estimated that the fall was only fifteen or twenty feet, but it seemed like forever in the darkness. He has not been back in a “cave” since. He will carry the scar of the misadventure to his grave.
Now, there is nothing wrong with the sport of spelunking, although I have no deep personal urge to go crawling about in the dark earth. My friend was fortunate; he could have been seriously injured or even killed, instead of a few bumps and bruises, a cut leg, and some wounded pride.
Like the cave attracts the caver, sometimes the darkness appeals to us. It draws us closer. Even the shadows seem to add to the excitement and pleasure of “forbidden fruit”. Before long, though, we find ourselves deep in the darkness and at risk.
Using their beautiful songs, the sirens in Greek mythology and Homer’s epic adventure stories lured unwary sailors to their death on the rocks. Satan does the same from the darkness. He wants to lure us to our destruction.
The Psalmist understood the siren call of the wicked. He knew there was a great danger in the beckoning whispers from the dark abyss.
Truly God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart.
But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled, my steps had nearly slipped.
For I was envious of the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
For they have no pangs until death; their bodies are fat and sleek.
They are not in trouble as others are; they are not stricken like the rest of mankind.
Therefore pride is their necklace; violence covers them as a garment.
Their eyes swell out through fatness; their hearts overflow with follies.
They scoff and speak with malice; loftily they threaten oppression.
They set their mouths against the heavens, and their tongue struts through the earth.
Therefore his people turn back to them, and find no fault in them.
And they say, “How can God know? Is there knowledge in the Most High?”
Behold, these are the wicked; always at ease, they increase in riches.
All in vain have I kept my heart clean and washed my hands in innocence.
For all the day long I have been stricken and rebuked every morning.
If I had said, “I will speak thus,” I would have betrayed the generation of your children.
But when I thought how to understand this, it seemed to me a wearisome task,
until I went into the sanctuary of God; then I discerned their end.
Truly you set them in slippery places; you make them fall to ruin.
How they are destroyed in a moment, swept away utterly by terrors!
Like a dream when one awakes, O Lord, when you rouse yourself, you despise them as phantoms.
When my soul was embittered, when I was pricked in heart,
I was brutish and ignorant; I was like a beast toward you.
Nevertheless, I am continually with you; you hold my right hand.
You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will receive me to glory.
Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you.
My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
For behold, those who are far from you shall perish; you put an end to everyone who is unfaithful to you.
But for me it is good to be near God; I have made the Lord God my refuge, that I may tell of all your works.
God sees it all and He knows it all. He knows when we have ventured into dark and forbidden places. He is there to stand by and rescue us, but we may carry scars from our misadventures for the rest of our lives. He warns us to stay out of dark places.
Until next time, rejoice. We serve a God who truly cares about what we do.
