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“I will study your commandments and reflect on your ways.” Psalm 119:5
"Sacrificial Love"
by Jodi Kozan
"As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." John 15:9-13
Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice for all mankind. John 15:13 describes this as the greatest act of love ever displayed. A once and for all "done deal" sacrifice for our sins. Why? Because He loves us. Sacrificial love that is, because we don't deserve it! We will never be able to repay God for what He did for us, but- we can learn from Christ's example.....What is God asking you, me, to lay down today? What are we being asked to"sacrifice" in order to lay our lives down for the sake of others? Is it time, money, a listening ear? We are called to love each other as Christ loves us. He wouldn't ask that of us if it weren’t possible! Busyness robs us of that ‘still quiet place’ of receiving. It takes discipline to put first things first. We are to experience that passionate love for healing and wholeness and share that love to others.
That's love without limits!
"This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins." 1 John 4;10
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"Unfailing Love"
by Jodi Kozan
".. the Lord’s delight is in those who fear Him, those who put their hope in His unfailing love." Psalm 147:11
It's hard to fathom that God can be delighted by us. We stumble and we fall short everyday of our original intent. Rather than running into the arms of our creator, our human nature tries to hide or deny our wayward ways. No wonder women struggle then with the proverb "the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom”. We often equate fear with punishment and isolation which is a tell tale "red flag" sign of our view of God and our relationship with Him. Throughout my journey, I have been on both sides of the spectrum: hiding from and seeking after God's unfailing love. No question in my mind now; He is a loving God. His ways are perfect and His love is perfect. I've learned that I cannot put my ultimate hope in human love because it will fail me. I cannot fear people and their opinions about me either, allowing others to rule and dictate my life. As a follower of Jesus, I need to fear Him alone and all else will fall into place. Fearing God means to be in awe of Him and to honour Him with our lives. Resting, hoping and living in that unfailing love drives all worldly fear away. "Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love." (1 John 4:18). As a parent's face beams with delight over their child, that love is still imperfect. Just imagine how incredibly radiant God's face is when He is beaming over His children when we choose to fear Him alone. Not the media frenzy, not the fear of the unknown, not the scale in our bathrooms, not failing, not the opinions of "so and so", and not the fear or evil, the devil and his schemes. Perfect love does expel all fear. When we get that- truly grasp that, we understand that He's got us covered for all that we endure on the journey; past, present and future. Unfailing love.....love without limits!
"Enter his gates with thanksgiving; go into His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him and praise His name. For the LORD is good. His unfailing love continues forever, and His faithfulness continues to each generation. " Psalm 100:4-5
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"Rooted in Love"
by Jodi Kozan
"And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high
and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God."
Ephesians 3:17-19 (NIV)
I'm most assuredly not a master gardener. But-what I do know is that in order to have a healthy plant, you need to have a healthy root system. I'm embarrased to say that I have killed many house plants, container plants, and perennials over the years by not caring about the root system. With my overzealous nature that craves beautiful things in my home and garden, I'd buy a gorgeous plant in full bloom wanting instant gratification, focusing primarily on the pretty flowers to enjoy. Without proper care and being deeply rooted in good soil and nutrients, they more often than not wither away. As most 'wanna be' gardners soon realize, it is key to spend the time in proper care of a plant assuring it is deeply rooted in good soil. As the snow melts away and we long for the beauty of nature, it's best to do our homework to assure the best outcome. Reflecting on the passage in Ephesians 3:17-19, the Apostle Paul may not have ever touched the whole gardening scene, but he did understand full well the concept of "where there is a root, there's a fruit". He reminds the believers in Ephesis that the root of their faith is the love of Christ. Being firmly rooted and established in that love is the journey he treasures above all things. . Out of that love (which surpasses human knowledge), we may find God's wisdom for our calling in life. Out of that love we may have the power to love others unconditionally. Out of that love, we may be filled with the measure of the fullness of God because God is love. This love is indeed without limits. Are you firmly rooted in His love?
"Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love. God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him."
1 John 4:7-9 (NIV)
