YOUR love

 Maundy Thursday, April 6, 2023 (5:19 a.m.)

Holy God,

Thank You! Very first song of the day. ♪Love Changes Everything♪ Thank You that YOUR love does change everything Lord.

(5:42 a.m.)

Mm… the last phrases of the song [by Aaron Lines] rings/sings so true. ♪It can change the world, it can change your mind It can change your tire in the middle of the night It can change your name, it can change your heart It can change your tune, it can change your life♪ It can! YOUR love that is.

Thank You that we have Your Word in which to turn. Thoughts of YOUR love flowing in and ultimately through us. Yes Dear Lord. Teach me more of what we are to do with Your overflowing love.

Thank You that it is not up to us to figure all this out. No. You sent Your Son to teach, suffer and die on our behalf. “There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (John 15:13). Oh Dearest God! Thank You for Jesus’ love for each and every single one of us.

Thank You that I have this privilege of sitting with You. Contemplating the love You provide to us.

YOUR love as described by the apostle Paul. Love that is patient and kind. Not envious or boastful. Not arrogant or rude. “Its does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things (1 Corinthians 13:4-7 English Standard Version).

And thank You especially for the presence of Your Holy Spirit. The very Spirit Jesus promised His disciples all those years ago in the Upper Room (John 14:16-17) at their last Passover meal together.

That same Spirit of whom Paul prayed for Spiritual guidance “to strengthen the believers in Ephesus in their relationship with God and with each other” (THE BOTTOM LINE PURPOSE:The Life Recovery Bible).

“Because of Christ’s faithfulness, we can now come boldly and confidently into God’s presence” (Ephesus 3:12). How incredibly blessed are we?!

“When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. I pray that from His glorious, unlimited resources He will empower you with inner strength through His Spirit. Then Christ will make His home in your hearts as you trust in Him. Your roots will grown down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep His love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. Now all glory to God, who is able, through His mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think” (Ephesians 3:14-20).

All of this because You so loved the world! And Jesus came not to judge it, but to save it through Him (John 3:16-17). Because of YOUR love, that changes everything!

Continue Your work in us this day Dearest Dad. Use us as You alone know is best. Loving You, others and ourselves (Mark 12:30-31) as we go. Thank You. Praise You. Amen!

(592 words ~ 7:35 a.m.)