Sharing God’s Love
BRD REFLECTIONS:
Deuteronomy 6 and Psalm 116; 117 (NIV)
(David Blakely, PTM Pastoral Care)
READ:
Deuteronomy 6 and Psalm 116; 117 (NIV)
Psalm 117:1-2 (NIV)
[1] Praise the Lord, all you nations; extol him, all you peoples. [2] For great is his love toward us, and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever. Praise the Lord.
Deuteronomy 6:5-7 (NIV)
[5] Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. [6] These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. [7] Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.
OBSERVE:
At times I remember to pause. It could be a moment where my wife points out beautiful clouds. Or as I hear the hymn Because He Lives. At those moments I feel deeply moved and find my heart welling up with gratitude, just like Psalm 117. A joy comes to my heart and I experience a sense of God fully loving me, and my own heart longing to love God back.
As the joy settles within my heart and I’m once again focused on my day, I experience an increased tug to more fully obey God. In the warmth of love received, my will and mind determine that I both want and owe God my obedience as written in Deuteronomy 6.
Part of this longing to obey includes speaking of God and His wonder to our two precious daughters. It is my hope for them to experience His love as I have, and experience the freedom found within trust and obedience.
APPLY:
Our children are growing within a society that has taught them to question all they have been taught, to have their own views, and to see good in stepping away from values they feel don’t fit their lives. There is good found in our children learning to have their own voices. At the same time, it means we as parents find ourselves uncertain about how to share our deep love of God in a manner that our children will receive.
For each of you reading this devotion my hope is to share with you one of the ways that I have bridged this gap, so that my own daughters know that God is wonderfully active in my life. It is a hope that I pray encourages you with your own children, grandchildren, neighbours, friends or relatives.
Our daughters live overseas. While video chatting with them I try to ask them once per month what I can keep in prayer for them. Sometimes they share challenges they face. While at other times they respond with “I can’t think of anything.” Either way I thank them, write it down, and then at least once a week in my time of prayer I lift to God what they shared. In doing this I’m telling them that I love both of them and God, and am grateful for moments I can bring them together through prayer.
DO:
If you aren’t already doing it, I would like to encourage everyone to start asking your children, friends, parents or colleagues what you can pray for them. Keep it simple and then follow through at least once per week in prayer.
PRAY:
Lord, You ask us to come boldly before You. I claim that now with all of my fellow followers. Give us the courage and determination to ask those we care about for prayer requests. May this be a pathway that they experience Your greatness and love. And may it be a pathway to wholeness and redemption for each person in our lives. I pray this in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.
