Day 223: Bearing One Another's Burden's: Bearing Love's Ultimate Burden
Read: John 3:16 - 17, 15:12 - 17; 1 Corinthians 13; 1 John 4:7 - 21
My beloved friends, there is one more place that I'm being called take you to. Beloved friends one and all, today I am called to stretch your limits once
more. Bear with me for a few more moments while your thoughts are
fixated on the mortal world around you, to bear witness to another reality that stretches from eternity past to our present and through eternity's far distant shores. I do not guess that this
will be easy for you to conceive, after all going from one eternity to
another eternity is a little 'out there'. I
believe though it will
be time well spent if you would take a few moments from your busyness,
to just dislodge yourself from your clocks, meditate for a period of time on the awesome burden born by
Love.
Come with me to a place where there is no time - where
eternity becomes a piece of the purest whitest canvas stretched
infinitely in all directions. Love marks the creation of the
universe and the beginning of our existence. Love is there waiting
patiently for the first dip into the paint well of creation, the first
brush strokes of the Master's hand that will give the finest expression to all that it is, all that it does, all that it is prepared to do for us and for all things that live. God is Love. Love bears all things, believes all
things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. Now, beloved friends, I am asking you to sit back in your chair to contemplate for yourselves the incomprehensible: Love's own burden born for us.
Beloved friends, which of us can say the same thing? Which one of us can say with all humility that we bear all things, believe all things, hopes all things, endures all things? Which of us can honestly say that we never fail? Yet, there it is for all of us to see and bear witness and testify to - Love's ultimate burden to always be there when we need it and even when we do not. Love's ultimate burden to anticipate those
moments far distant in our lives, unknown to us, to always be there, to
be forever unchangeable, to remain forever a constant, to hold all
things together when they would just as soon fly apart at the seams. Blest be the eternal ties that bind our hearts together in Love, the fellowship of kindred minds.
Love is patient. Love is kind. Love is not jealous. Love does not brag.
Love is not the least bit arrogant. Love does not act unbecomingly.
Love does not seek its own. Love is not provoked. Love does not count
the cost or keep score, keep an accounting of a wrong suffered. Love
does not rejoice in unrighteousness but rejoices with the truth. For
God, who is Love, so Loved the world, that He gave His only begotten
Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal
life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world,
but that the world might be saved through Him. Pray about this: No greater Love could Love ever give but to lay down Love's very own life for all of us.
Let Us Pray:
Love,
Because You are patient: Help me to be slow to judge, but quick to
listen, hesitant to criticize, but always eager to encourage,
remembering your endless patience with me. Because You are love: Help my
words to be spoken gently and my actions to be thoughtful. Remind me to
smile and to say "Please" and "Thank You" because those little things
still mean so much.
Because You do not envy or boast, and are
not proud: Help me have a heart that is humble and sees the good in
others. May I fully celebrate and appreciate all that I have and all
that I am through You, as well as doing the same for those around me.
Because You are not rude or self-seeking: Help me to speak words that
are easy on the ear and on the heart. When I am tempted to get wrapped
up in my own little world, remind me there's a great big world out there
full of needs and hurts.
Because You are not easily angered
and keep no record of wrongs: Help me so I might forgive others as you
have forgiven me. When I want to hold onto a grudge, gently help me
release it so I can reach out with a hand of love instead.
Because You do not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth: Help me
stand up for what is right and good. May I defend the defenseless, and
help the helpless. Show me how my love for Love can make even but the
smallest of difference somewhere.
Because You always protect
and always trust: Help my love to be a refuge for those around me. When
the world outside is harsh and cold, may the love that flows from my
heart, through the Love poured out for me, be a place of acceptance and
warmth.
Finally, Love, because You always persevere: Help my
heart continually beat with love for You and others. Thank you for the
burden that You gladly bear for us. AMEN.
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Read: John 3:16 - 17, 15:12 - 17; 1 Corinthians 13; 1 John 4:7 - 21
My beloved friends, there is one more place that I'm being called take you to. Beloved friends one and all, today I am called to stretch your limits once more. Bear with me for a few more moments while your thoughts are fixated on the mortal world around you, to bear witness to another reality that stretches from eternity past to our present and through eternity's far distant shores. I do not guess that this will be easy for you to conceive, after all going from one eternity to another eternity is a little 'out there'. I
believe though it will be time well spent if you would take a few moments from your busyness, to just dislodge yourself from your clocks, meditate for a period of time on the awesome burden born by Love.
Come with me to a place where there is no time - where eternity becomes a piece of the purest whitest canvas stretched infinitely in all directions. Love marks the creation of the universe and the beginning of our existence. Love is there waiting patiently for the first dip into the paint well of creation, the first brush strokes of the Master's hand that will give the finest expression to all that it is, all that it does, all that it is prepared to do for us and for all things that live. God is Love. Love bears all things, believes all
things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. Now, beloved friends, I am asking you to sit back in your chair to contemplate for yourselves the incomprehensible: Love's own burden born for us.
Beloved friends, which of us can say the same thing? Which one of us can say with all humility that we bear all things, believe all things, hopes all things, endures all things? Which of us can honestly say that we never fail? Yet, there it is for all of us to see and bear witness and testify to - Love's ultimate burden to always be there when we need it and even when we do not. Love's ultimate burden to anticipate those moments far distant in our lives, unknown to us, to always be there, to be forever unchangeable, to remain forever a constant, to hold all things together when they would just as soon fly apart at the seams. Blest be the eternal ties that bind our hearts together in Love, the fellowship of kindred minds.
Love is patient. Love is kind. Love is not jealous. Love does not brag. Love is not the least bit arrogant. Love does not act unbecomingly. Love does not seek its own. Love is not provoked. Love does not count the cost or keep score, keep an accounting of a wrong suffered. Love does not rejoice in unrighteousness but rejoices with the truth. For God, who is Love, so Loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. Pray about this: No greater Love could Love ever give but to lay down Love's very own life for all of us.
Let Us Pray:
Love,
Because You are patient: Help me to be slow to judge, but quick to listen, hesitant to criticize, but always eager to encourage, remembering your endless patience with me. Because You are love: Help my words to be spoken gently and my actions to be thoughtful. Remind me to smile and to say "Please" and "Thank You" because those little things still mean so much.
Because You do not envy or boast, and are not proud: Help me have a heart that is humble and sees the good in others. May I fully celebrate and appreciate all that I have and all that I am through You, as well as doing the same for those around me.
Because You are not rude or self-seeking: Help me to speak words that are easy on the ear and on the heart. When I am tempted to get wrapped up in my own little world, remind me there's a great big world out there full of needs and hurts.
Because You are not easily angered and keep no record of wrongs: Help me so I might forgive others as you have forgiven me. When I want to hold onto a grudge, gently help me release it so I can reach out with a hand of love instead.
Because You do not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth: Help me stand up for what is right and good. May I defend the defenseless, and help the helpless. Show me how my love for Love can make even but the smallest of difference somewhere.
Because You always protect and always trust: Help my love to be a refuge for those around me. When the world outside is harsh and cold, may the love that flows from my heart, through the Love poured out for me, be a place of acceptance and warmth.
Finally, Love, because You always persevere: Help my heart continually beat with love for You and others. Thank you for the burden that You gladly bear for us. AMEN.
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Tenth Avenue North - Love Is Here
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Music
video by Tenth Avenue North performing Love Is Here. YouTube view
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