“Love never gives up. Love cares for others more than for self” (I Corinthians 13:1).
This story reminds me of how often we make judgements about situations or people without knowing the facts. How wrong we can be.
A bus stopped and one of the passengers noticed a father with several children getting on. The children were very unruly. They wouldn’t sit still and kept changing seats and fighting — all the annoying things that children do when they are out of control.
The father had sat down beside a man who became quite annoyed, thinking, “Why doesn’t he control his children?” Finally, he could take it no longer. He turned to the father and blurted, “Your children are out of control. Why don’t you do something?”
“Yes,” the father replied, “I suppose you are right. But you see, we have just come from the hospital. Their mother died this morning. They don’t know how to handle it and neither do I.”
Wow! Talk about blowing it.
So often our judgments are based on outward appearances. We base them on hearsay or our limited experience. God looks at people’s hearts. Isaiah 11:3 has this to say about Christ, “He will not judge by the way things look. He will not judge by what people say.”
The more we allow Christ to take control of our lives, the less likely we will be to make quick judgements about people or believe rumors. As we ask Him to put His love in our hearts, we will become more like Him.
Lord Jesus, Your love is perfect. Thank You for being so patient and kind with us. When You judge and discipline us, it is because You know all the facts and it is for our good. Love always rules everything You do. We, on the other hand, are so often harsh and self-righteous when analyzing the actions of others. Today, we confess our critical and unkind attitudes to You and ask Your Spirit to enable us to be patient and kind. Amen.
Our capacity to actually dwell in Christ’s presence is based upon knowing the true nature of God.
If we see Him as a loving Father, we will draw near; if He seems to be a harsh judge, we will withdraw. Indeed, everything that defines us is influenced by our perception of God.
If we do not believe God cares about us, we will be overly focused on caring for ourselves. If we feel insignificant or ignored by God, we will exhaust ourselves by seeking significance from men. However, once we realize that God truly loves us, that He desires we draw near to Him, a door opens before us into His presence. Here, in the shelter of the Most High, we can find rest and renewed power for our souls.
God’s love is not a reality distant from our needs. The Bible reveals that Lord is “touched with the feeling of our infirmities” (Hebrews 4:15 KJV). He feels the pain of what we experience on earth. He participates in the life we live, for “in Him we live, and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28 KJV). He is not removed from our need; we are His body. He is one with us.
The truth is, we are not alone in our battles. However, if we believe we are alone—if we accept the lie that God does not care—our darkened thinking will isolate us from the loving commitment of God.
Beloved, even in our times of rebellion, the heart of God is not far. Consider the Lord’s relationship with Israel. Though Israel had sinned and was suffering oppressive consequences, the Lord wasn’t far. We read that when the Lord “could bear the misery of Israel no longer” He raised up deliverers (Judges 10:16). God wasn’t distant; He was with them, actually bearing their very misery!
At Lazarus’ tomb, Jesus wept. Jesus knew He was going to raise Lazarus; He knew it six days before He called Lazarus back from death. He wept because they were weeping.
Do you know that the Spirit of God actually feels our heartache? He is with us in our conflicts and near us in our fears. At the tomb of Lazarus, some would suggest that Christ’s weeping was really over the unbelief of His disciples. I think not. When the Lord wept over Lazarus, those who saw Christ saw a man touched by the sorrows of others. They remarked, “Behold how He loved him!” (John 11:36).
Our healing comes when we behold how He loves us.
We are raised from the dead when He comes to our tomb and calls us by name out of death.
We must personalize God’s love.
He gave His Son for my sins, His word for my guidance and His Spirit for my strength. If the Almighty is for me, who can be against me?
Dear friend, with wide-eyed wonder, let us behold how He loves us, and be healed of our isolation.
