He Really Loves Us
“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God (2 Corinthians 1:3-4).”While gazing out of my window today I saw a very pregnant robin lurking around our back patio. Usually she’s flying around the top of the rails unafraid of my trusty owl who is there to keep her away (unfortunately, she is too smart for an inanimate owl). But seeing her made me think of several things as it relates to God and His keeping power.When Israel was in the land of Egypt, one of the last plagues God issued was the death of the first born of every household. However, God protected His people by instructing them to place the blood of a lamb over their doorpost and the death angel would pass over them. In the days of Noah, God protected humanity ensuring that it would not die off. He not only preserved humankind but He also preserved two of every kind of land animal in which was the breath of life. After the flood ended, He made a covenant with Noah; “I establish my covenant with you: Never again will all life be destroyed by the waters of a flood; never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth (Genesis 9:11).” A rainbow was set in the clouds to confirm the covenant made with Noah. As you continue reading through the bible you will find that time and time again humankind falls away from God’s will and time and time again, He rescues them. They are testaments to the will of God and moreover the love of God. No matter how difficult things seemed, God’s ability to deliver them overrode their fears.These are fearful times, but we serve a God who wants to override your fear to bring peace and that peace is derived from the indwelling presence of the spirit of the living God. God loves us and He demonstrated that love through the ultimate sacrifice of the blood of His Son. Today, the blood of the spotless lamb is not splattered over our doorposts but His blood, the blood of Christ was shed on the cross and it is His blood that will keep us from destruction.The image of that robin was a reminder that if God cares for the birds of the air surely He cares for us. I pray that you derive strength to override your fear from His indwelling presence in these extremely trying times:“For this reason, I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, 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 3:14-19).” Amen