Understanding the Love

Do we really understand the love of Christ displayed on Calvary??? This poem by Amy Carmichael is very challenging and thought provoking.

If I belittle those whom I am called to serve, talk of their weak points in contrast perhaps with what I think of as my strong points; if I adopt a superior attitude, forgetting "Who made thee to differ? And what hast thou that thou hast not received?" then I know nothing of Calvary love.

If I find myself taking lapses for granted, "Oh, that's what they always do," "Oh, of course she talks like that, he acts like that," then I know nothing of Calvary love.

If I can enjoy a joke at the expense of another; if I can in any way slight another in conversation, or even in thought, then I know nothing of Calvary love.

If I can write an unkind letter, speak an unkind word, think an unkind thought without grief and shame, then I know nothing of Calvary love.

If I do not feel far more for the grieved Savior than for my worried self when troublesome things occur, then I know nothing of Calvary love.

If I can rebuke without a pang, then I know nothing of Calvary love.
If my attitude be one of fear, not faith, about one who has disappointed me; if I say, "Just what I expected" if a fall occurs, then I know nothing of Calvary love.

If I am afraid to speak the truth, lest I lose affection, or lest the one concerned should say, "You do not understand," or because I fear to lose my reputation for kindness; if I put my own good name before the other's highest good, then I know nothing of Calvary love.

If I hold on to choices of any kind, just because they are my choice, then I know nothing of Calvary love.

If I am soft to myself and slide comfortably into self-pity and self-sympathy; If I do not by the grace of God practice fortitude, then I know nothing of Calvary love.

If I myself dominate myself, if my thoughts revolve round myself, if I am so occupied with myself I rarely have "a heart at leisure from itself," then I know nothing of Calvary love.

If, the moment I am conscious of the shadow of self crossing my threshold, I do not shut the door, and keep that door shut, then I know nothing of Calvary love.

If I cannot in honest happiness take the second place (or the twentieth); if I cannot take the first without making a fuss about my unworthiness, then I know nothing of Calvary love.

If I take offense easily, if I am content to continue in a cool unfriendliness, though friendship be possible, then I know nothing of Calvary love.

If I feel injured when another lays to my charge things that I know not, forgetting that my sinless Savior trod this path to the end, then I know nothing of Calvary love.

If I feel bitter toward those who condemn me, as it seems to me, unjustly, forgetting that if they knew me as I know myself they would condemn me much more, then I know nothing of Calvary love.

If souls can suffer alongside, and I hardly know it, because the spirit of discernment is not in me, then I know nothing of Calvary love.

If the praise of others elates me and their blame depresses me; if I cannot rest under misunderstanding without defending myself; if I love to be loved more than to love, to be served more than to serve, then I know nothing of Calvary love.

If I crave hungrily to be used to show the way of liberty to a soul in bondage, instead of caring only that it be delivered; if I nurse my disappointment when I fail, instead of asking that to another the word of release may be given, then I know nothing of Calvary love.

If I do not forget about such a trifle as personal success, so that it never crosses my mind, or if it does, is never given room there; if the cup of flattery tastes sweet to me, then I know nothing of Calvary love.

If in the fellowship of service I seek to attach a friend to myself, so that others are caused to feel unwanted; if my friendships do not draw others deeper in, but are ungenerous (to myself, for myself), then I know nothing of Calvary love.


If I refuse to allow one who is dear to me to suffer for the sake of Christ, if I do not see such suffering as the greatest honor that can be offered to any follower of the Crucified, then I know nothing of Calvary love.

If I slip into the place that can be filled by Christ alone, making myself the first necessity to a soul instead of leading it to fasten upon Him, then I know nothing of Calvary love.

If my interest in the work of others is cool; if I think in terms of my own special work; if the burdens of others are not my burdens too, and their joys mine, then I know nothing of Calvary love.

If I wonder why something trying is allowed, and press for prayer that it may be removed; if I cannot be trusted with any disappointment, and cannot go on in peace under any mystery, then I know nothing of Calvary love.

If the ultimate, the hardest, cannot be asked of me; if my fellows hesitate to ask it and turn to someone else, then I know nothing of Calvary love.

If I covet any place on earth but the dust at the foot of the Cross, then I know nothing of Calvary love.

That which I know not, teach Thou me, O Lord, my God.
-Amy Carmichael

The Savior's Love

I stand amazed in the presence of Jesus the Nazarene,
and wonder how He could love me,
a sinner, condemned, unclean.
How marvelous! How wonderful!
And my song shall ever be,
How marvelous! How wonderful is my Savior's love for me!

Revelling in such unfathomable love today, which gives me hope, joy and contentment!

Day 22: O Come all Ye Faithful

1. O come, all ye faithful, 

Joyful and triumphant,
O Come ye, O come ye, to Bethlehem.
Come and behold Him,
Born the King of Angels;

Refrain
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him, Christ the Lord.

2. God of God,
Light of Light,
Lo! he abhors not the Virgin’s womb;
Very God, Begotten not created. Chorus

3. See how the shepherds,
Summoned to His cradle,
Leaving their flocks, draw nigh with lowly fear;
We too will thither
Bend our joyful footsteps:  Chorus

4. Lo! star-led chieftains,
Magi, Christ adoring,
Offer Him frankincense, gold, and myrrh;
We to the Christ child,
Bring our hearts' oblations: Chorus

5. Child, for us sinners
Poor and in the manger,
Fain we embrace Thee,
With awe and love;
Who would not love Thee,
Loving us so dearly? Chorus

6. Sing, choirs of angels,
Sing in exultation;
Sing, all ye citizens of heaven above!
Glory to God,
In the highest; Chorus

At the entrance into the choir. Unison.

7. Yea, Lord, we greet Thee,
Born this happy morning;
Jesu , to Thee be glory given;
Word of the Father,
Now in flesh appearing. Chorus

This has always been one of my favorite carols!  It's one of those I just like, and have to think about why exactly I like it. It could be the thrill of singing it, the triumphant melody and harmony, and the call to adore my Savior. It could be the whole presentation of Christ as King, to Whom belongs all the glory.  

I don't think I had ever read stanzas 2, 3, 4, or 5 until today. I love the way they draw in the other characters of the Christmas story.  But this phrase in stanza five jumped out at me: Who would not love thee, loving us so dearly?

That reminds me so much of my thoughts when I submitted to Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior at age six.  "If He loves me so much, giving His life for me, how can I not give my life to Him?" Truly, this question is one of the groundworks of my faith: "we love Him because He first loved us."

I know that I would never have chosen Jesus. I would never have loved Him, had He not loved me first in such a sacrificial and unconditional way.  And that is (one of the many reasons!) why I love Him!

O come let us adore Him, all those to whom He has shown His great love! Let us give Him our love, our souls, our adoration, our praise, and our very lives! O come, let us adore Him, Christ OUR Lord!

Loving the Word

Do I really love the Word of God? Do I delight in it, take comfort in it, rejoice in it, hope in it, long for it, trust in it, observe it, run in the way of it, meditate on it, declare it, seek it, treasure it, fix my eyes on it, and not forget it? It's hard to respond truthfully to that question. Sometimes I do pursue the Word with my whole self, and other times...well, I consider a task, a duty. I'm studying Psalm 119, and in awe of my own lack of passion. Daily I read the words and then go back and read them again, because the depth of the psalmist's desire is worth at least a second read through. If I really lived this psalm, my every thought, desire, hope, awaking in the night, and song would be the Words of the Promise of God. I fall short of that mark. Don't we all? And yet, we are not to be oblivious to the world around us, humming our way through life. The Word is not just a book, it is alive and it has a purpose: that we may know God, both Who He Is and What He has Done, and be changed by a relationship with Him! When we read the Scriptures, the Holy Spirit prods us, illumines us, and convicts us. "This blessing has fallen to me, that I have kept Your precepts." (Psalm 119:56 ESV) I got out another version, because I couldn't quite understand what this verse was saying. "This has become mine, that I observe Your precepts." (Psalm 119:56 NASB) I want this to be my view of my relationship with the commandments of God. It is my blessing, my treasure to know what my God wants from me, and to do it. That is mine. But it is also available to everyone who reads this Word and is changed by it. "For I find my delight in Your commandments, which I love." (v. 47) And this is what I want to be able to say, wholeheartedly and sincerely! May we develop habits and patterns of delighting in the Word and living it out, genuinely reflecting our God and His words, which we love!

Eleven years ago...

....I was 6 years old, a stubborn little sinner who knew alot about Christ, but didn't really know Him.  I was one of those know-it-all little kids who memorized easily, loved facts, loved knowing more than other people (especially those older than me) and facts about Christ were just that: facts.

Then on April 2, 1999, Good Friday, my family and I went to an Easter drama at a local church.  I sat there stunned as I watched a gruesome (at least it seemed that way to me) reenactment of Christ's rejection, suffering, death, and burial.  I had known that Jesus died, but never did I understand what He went through because He loved me.   I was overcome with the realization: Christ died for me!  Romans 5:8 "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

I was definitely a sinner, there was no question about that!  I wasn't one of those little kids who make people question whether people are born sinners: I confirmed it!  I was rebellious, disobedient, stubborn, deceitful, angry, resentful, jealous...among many things.  I was on my way to a Christless eternity in hell.  Though I was young, I was old enough to understand. 

It was in that moment, that I understood.  Christ suffered so much because He loved me and wanted me to be His child, and yet, what was I going to do about it?  That night, I humbled myself and admitted that I was a sinner in need of salvation.  I thanked Christ for dying, and rising for me and asked Him to save me from my sin, from death.

I ran forward at the invitation, yes, at age six, without my parents, and joined a line of a hundred or so people  for counseling.  I had been in line for a while when my parents realized that I was gone, and I decided that I didn't want to wait in line, or go in a back room with a stranger by myself, and so I ran back down the middle aisle!

When my family and I got home, my parents took me back to their bedroom and talked about what salvation was, making sure I understood.  I prayed with them, and we called relatives and friends telling them the good news. 

Some may question the validity of a decision made at a young age.  Some may belittle the fact that I had not done many terrible things.  Some may think my story sounds normal and not "exciting." I am not ashamed of being saved at a young age: I am grateful.  As a missionary who came to our church said, "I was not saved out of a life of terrible sin, but I was saved from a life of sin." I am so grateful, for if that day, I had not become a child of God, who knows where I would be today?

Eph 2:4-10 "But God, ( I love those two words!) who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.  For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast." 

I have nothing to boast in, no righteousness of my own to hold up and exalt.  I was lost, but Jesus found me, and did everything possible and everything necessary that I might be justified (declared righteous) in His sight.

The next verse in Ephesians 2 goes on to say: "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them."

My response to what Christ did must be to be faithful in what He has prepared for me, and to live my life to glorify Him.  Luke 9:23 "Then He said to them all, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.  For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it.  For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and is himself destroyed or lost?"

This is the part I'm in now, denying myself, taking up my cross and following, wherever my Savior leads.  After all, He did so much for me, how can I but love Him and serve Him with all my life?

John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."

Far Too Small

One of the verses in the great hymn, "When I Survey" has been in my mind and heart lately...

Were the whole realm of nature mine,
That were a present far too small,
Love so amazing, so divine,
demands my soul, my life, my all.

Even the whole world is not enough...what he wants is my all! The song all in all comes to mind as well, can I really say "You are my all in all!" His love is so amazing and indescribably--it DEMANDS my all, my everything.  Every fiber of my being is His, ever thought, feeling, and action is His. 
And even when I give Him my all...it is not enough! I must continually surrender my all, every day, every moment to Him, not out of duty or obligation, but because of His Love!
And yet I am so unworthy! My righteousness is like filthy rags, how can it be acceptable to Him? I am but a jar of clay, how can I be worthy   to serve Him? I am but a blade of grass, how can I be pleasing to Him?
I am FAR TOO SMALL!
"Lord, You are greater of an adoration far great than my dull heart can give You."

Take my love, my Lord I pour, at Thy Feet its treasure store,
Take myself and I will be Always, Only, All for Thee!

If we really think about the words we are singing when we sing these great old hymns, wouldn't that cause such a stirring our hearts!
O God, may the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Thy Sight! 
Galations 2:20 "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me."

His Love demands our all...what are you giving Him?