“Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.” Romans 12:9
Our love of our Heavenly Father must be sincere. Our love must not be faked or have an on/off switch that we can manipulate when situations seem to fit the need our timing. We must detest things that are evil. We must turn our back on them, walk away when tempted and pray for strength for our resolve and for those that desire the evil of this world. We must continue to seek and cling to what is good. Clinging to feeding children who live in Haiti and share in our love for our risen Savior Jesus Christ is certainly right and proper. Supporting the children in Haiti is God pleasing. Our love for them is sincere and we pray for them as they continue to do daily battle with the evil that vodou priest continues to bring into their lives.
A familiar song is sung at most funerals that I attend in Lutheran churches; ‘Beautiful Savior’, and those two words really say it all so simply when trying to describe how precious the gift is that we received from our Beautiful Savior, Jesus Christ. We strive to cling closely to our Beautiful Savior. While the author of this hymn is unknown, the perfecter of our faith is so well known. This hymn was translated in 1873 by Joseph Seiss.
“Beautiful Savior, King of Creation, Son of God and Son of Man! Truly I'd love Thee, truly I'd serve Thee, light of my soul, my Joy, my Crown. Fair are the meadows, fair are the woodlands, robed in flowers of blooming spring; Jesus is fairer, Jesus is purer; He makes our sorrowing spirit sing. Fair is the sunshine, fair is the moonlight, bright the sparkling stars on high; Jesus shines brighter, Jesus shines purer, than all the angels in the sky. Beautiful Savior, Lord of the nations, Son of God and Son of Man! Glory and honor, praise, adoration, now and forevermore be Thine!”
Dear Heavenly Father, you have called your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown. Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go but only that your hand is leading us and your love supporting us through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. Amen.
May God be with you…Jay