LOVE WITHOUT LIMITS

Exodus 20:6 “But I lavish my love on those who love me and obey my commands, even for a thousand generations.”

The word “lavish” really got my attention in this passage. So, I looked it up. “to lavish” actually means “to expend or give in great amounts or without limit.” Knowing that, I see that “lavish” is a pretty cool word. I mean, I can think of lots of things that I would like to have lavished upon me. Money, compliments, promotions, and of course ice cream(maybe for you it’s cookies).

But when you look at the word in the context of God’s promise to his people, it is pretty powerful. He promises to “expend or give in great amounts or without limit” his love to us. Now, we know that God loves us. John 3:16 tells us that. We know that Christ’s work on the cross demonstrates powerful love towards us (Romans 5:8). But in this passage, lavish is a verb and it is an action that occurs, according to its definition, without limits. You could say it happens over and over and over again.

Now here’s the deal. He says, “I lavish my love on those who love me and obey my commandments.” Does that mean he only loves us when we do right? Of course not. Read Romans 5:8 again. But he continually pours his love upon those who love him.

God clearly defines in Exodus 20 that he is a jealous god. Jealousy is an emotion that many of us can probably understand. No one likes to be ignored or taken for granted. We too are more apt to express love and affection to those who love us. Remember, God wants, more than anything, our love and devotion.

I can relate this to my youngest son. He is three years old and is challenged in communicating. We work with him daily to help him express himself. A few weeks ago, for the first time, he said to me, “I love you”. It was the sweetest “I love you” ever. In that moment I would have given him anything he wanted over and over again. I wanted to kiss him and hug him. I wanted to freeze that moment forever. Why? Because I am made in God’s image. I too lavish love on those who love me. It has helped me to understand what God wants for me. That for each of us, it is his desire to pour his love into our lives because he wants our love also.

Part of our love is demonstrated in our desire to follow his word and honor his commands. Jesus said, “if you love me, keep my words…”

There is one other blessing in this promise. It is a promise of generational blessing. To those who love and obey him, he will lavish his love upon us for a thousand generations. What an amazing idea. My obedience and love will bring blessing to my children and grandchildren. God is so good that his love and mercy truly endures forever.

REAL LIFE

Hosea 14:9 “The paths of the Lord are true and right, and righteous people live by walking in them.”

In a world where political correctness is of the utmost importance, there has seemed to be increased conversation concerning the ways in which someone can connect with God. It seems that more and more people are offering the masses “options” on getting to Heaven. The media has perpetuated this ideology by making Christians out to be narrow-minded and judgmental. Recently, I had a conversation with a dear friend in which he challenged the concept in John 14:6 “Jesus said….no man comes to the Father but by me.” His idea was that living a good life in itself was pleasing to God and that by doing so one could get to Heaven. This, no doubt, is a very popular school of thought. But, as someone whose life has been transformed by the love of God, I just don’t get it.
Some will laugh at this, but when I was growing up they used to sing a song in my church that said… “once like a bird in prison I dwelt, no freedom from my sorrow I felt. But Jesus came and listened to me and glory to God, he set me free.” His love for me and his sacrifice for me is liberating. How can I not trust the one who set me free? I wonder why so many are looking for an alternative way to find God. Perhaps, it’s because of what God requires. In Matthew 22, when Christ was asked what the greatest commandment was, he said “love the Lord your God with all you heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.” He requires me. He wants me to love him, to trust him, to follow him with everything that I have. That means that I cannot live for myself and still live for Him.
This freedom is a freedom to really live. Not a freedom to live as if there is no God and that my choices do not matter, but a freedom to live with the peace of knowing that there is a God who loves me. A freedom to live for God and trust fully that His path for my life is the best way possible. It is the kind of freedom that allows me to lay my head on the pillow every night and know that God is leading me into a life of blessing.
Hosea proclaimed that the paths of God are right and that we live by walking in them. Note that it does not say “live while walking in them”. It says “live BY walking in them”. It is walking after God’s purpose and direction that brings true life. The trouble may be our inability sometimes to line up the two points side by side. Sometimes living isn’t what we think it is. Living is not just pleasure. It’s not just a moment or a season. But living is about a lifetime. It’s about the good and the bad, the joy and the sorrow, gain and loss. Following after our own desires really gets tricky when things go sour. But the ways of God are true. They are sure. They are the same in the good and the bad. And the end result of following after God’s ways is a lifetime of really living no matter what comes your way.

A STIRRED UP HEART

Ezra 1:5 “Then God stirred the hearts of the priests and Levites and the leaders…to rebuild the Temple of the Lord.”

For whatever reason, lately, I have been thinking back upon my young adulthood. At the age of twenty or twenty-one, I had limitless dreams and powerful ambition. I had a wish list that seemed a mile long. I had mapped out such huge portions of my life. I wanted to accomplish some things by the age of twenty-five and others by the age of thirty. Looking back now, I apparently thought my life would be over by thirty-five because I left myself nothing to accomplish after thirty. Now, I am getting VERY close to thirty-five and the list isn’t complete. In fact, some of it never got started.
I can attribute some of that to unrealistic goals set by a young man who was unmarried, had no children, and had very little responsibility. I wish that was the only reason. But, to be honest, much of it is the result of dulled ambition and lots of excuses. As the years have passed, the passion has waned. Life kinda got in the way of living. At twenty-one, just talking about what I wanted to accomplish would get me so excited. My heart rate would increase. I would start talking so fast. It meant so much to me. In my mid-thirties, I have found myself just having less energy on many issues. I suppose it is somewhat natural.
Lately though, something has happened. I find myself in the middle of a project that is what I’ve always wanted to do. It has consumed much of my time and energy. But it is more than that. God has stirred my heart and reminded me of my passions and ambitions. By stirring my heart, he has reminded me of who I am. It has been a long time, since I have felt this way about anything. I can’t stop pressing towards the goal.
In Ezra, we find an account of those who had become complacent in their current circumstance. God’s people had been in bondage, without a place to worship God. It must have been discouraging. It probably was also all too easy to get accustomed to the way things were. As time passed, thoughts of the Temple may have come along less and less. But God stirred hearts. First he stirred the heart of King Cyrus, then, he stirred the hearts of the leaders. Thus, the process of rebuilding God’s temple began with a stirred up heart.
Sometimes, we all need a little stirring of the heart. No matter the reason for complacency -- failure, discouragement, stress, or so many others, God will revive our passion. What have you dreamed of doing for God? What have you wished for yourself? If you have not fulfilled those dreams, stay hungry and remain faithful. Time will pass without fail. However, time does not have power to steal our dreams. Allow God to stir your heart and see those long lost dreams live again.