“Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.” 1 John 4:7-8 (KJV)
The words “God is love” that John wrote are very special to me because as a child I was given a small plastic sign that glowed in the dark after it had been held up to the lamp on my nightstand and then its message that glowed in the darkness was “God is love.”
The children in the attached photo are orphans from the Lutheran orphanage in Ouanaminthe and they are ambassadors for those words as they joyfully will tell you that “God is love.” Have you ever had somebody tell you that you look like a parent or maybe your children looked a lot like you? Maybe they had the same nose, the same color hair or eyes, or perhaps their smile reminded them of you when you were their age.
These children have been adopted by Pastor Daniel Paul and his wife Clynie and although they may not have any physical qualities of their new parents, they share in the joy of knowing that ‘God is love.’ For the Christian, we have a Heavenly Father and I doubt that all of us resemble Him physically but spiritually we do. His Holy Spirit lives within us and thus we resemble His Son Jesus Christ.
When you look into the morning mirror and see an image, does it reflect His image? Are your life’s activities about His work? We are all similar to a vessel that is filled with living water and at times we doubt our direction or use; where should we be and are we doing His work; how do we fit into His plan for our life? Your fit will happen when God has you where you need to be to flow. God is at work in your life and in the lives of these orphans. Thank you for helping to prepare their lives with physical nourishment from a Trinity HOPE program. I close with the words to the hymn ‘Children of the Heavenly Father’ which was written by Karolina Sandell-Berg in 1658.
“Children of the heav’nly Father safely in His bosom gather; nestling bird nor star in Heaven such a refuge e’er was given. God His own doth tend and nourish; in His holy courts they flourish; from all evil things He spares them; in His mighty arms He bears them. Neither life nor death shall ever from the Lord His children sever; unto them His grace He showeth, and their sorrows all He knoweth. Though He giveth or He taketh, God His children ne’er forsaketh; His the loving purpose solely to preserve them pure and holy. Lo, their very hairs He numbers, and no daily care encumbers them that share His ev’ry blessing and His help in woes distressing. Praise the Lord in joyful numbers: your Protector never slumbers. At the will of your Defender ev’ry foeman must surrender.”
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