FRIDAY, JANUARY 21, 2022 - LOVE WINS FRIDAY

 FRIDAY, JANUARY 21, 2022 - LOVE WINS FRIDAY

On Fridays, I write about spiritual things, and Love Wins.

THEME TODAY - God is always with us and loves us.

And God created man in His own image

From Psalm 139

You go before me and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head.

I can never escape from your Spirit!  I can never get away from your presence!

From Isaiah 43:

When you go through deep waters, I will be with you.

When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown.

When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you.

For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.

I gave Egypt as a ransom for your freedom; I gave Ethiopia and Seba in your place.

Others were given in exchange for you. I traded their lives for yours because you are precious to me.  You are honored, and I love you.

From Romans 8:

Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death?  (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake, we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.” No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.

And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

From Psalm 23

You prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies.

You honor me by anointing my head with oil. My cup overflows with blessings.

Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life,

and I will live in the house of the Lord forever.

From 1 Corinthians 13

Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out.  Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.

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As I have mentioned before, I am not a trained theologian.  God’s ways are not our ways.  The scriptures I use are from the Judeo-Christian tradition (which is my tradition).  

BUT … these (selected) quotations seem to say that God LOVES us - UNCONDITIONALLY

*****

I view the all-powerful God as loving ME (and YOU) so far beyond my (and your) comprehension.  

Why such an immense, infinite being should even know my name or have watched me from my mother’s womb.  To have created the universe and to KNOW all the billions of people in the world would be more than millions of the highest-powered computers available, with more storage than all of the current storage devices - INFINITE knowledge, INFINITE data-storage, coupled with an INFINITE love that is more intimate than any other love is mind-boggling.  

He/she/it/the Force/ has made a covenant with all of humankind.  It would seem as if He/She/It/The Force wants US (humans) to ratify that covenant - pledging totally loyalty and obeyance to Him/Her.  And, yet we puny humans go on our ways - with our free will, hardly even noticing His/Her creation.

*****

Others have compared us to ants - and that comparison seems appropriate - lost in our own world, gathering food and bringing it back to our nests (or homes).  In some places in scripture, people are described as lost sheep.  When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 

I understand that I can be lost and helpless.  I understand that in my limited viewpoint, I can only see physical things.  I can’t see God’s hand.  I can’t see God’s love.  I have to take things I can’t understand on “faith”.  The verses above suggest that I can’t run away from God - that He/She/It/The Force will allow “nothing in all creation to separate us from the love of God”.   

LOVE WINS!!

Karen White

Friday, January 21, 2022