“Love and faithfulness keep a king safe; through love his throne is made secure.” –Proverbs 20:28 (NIV)

History has proven that oppressive governments never last long. If a government allows corruption to run rampant in a nation and uses tyrannical means to keep its citizens in line, it is bound to fall when the frustrations of the people are unleashed. Living under the excesses of their government the people will reach a point where they will no longer be able to stand it and the ensuing unrest can spell the end for the ruling elite. It is no wonder then that the nations which are successful and relatively stable are the ones who have governments which see their primary responsibility as being directed to the care of their people. Having an ear for the concerns and needs of their people, and faithfully addressing them, these governments do not fear unrest because the people have faith in its ability to govern them with fairness and justice.

Likewise if love and faithfulness are absent from our interactions with others, it will prove to ultimately be detrimental not only to our relationships, but to our witness for Christ as well. God has given each of us the responsibility to display His love and righteousness wherever we are, so that others may find life and be drawn to Him. However, if we claim to know Christ yet our attitudes and actions towards others do not reflect His presence in our lives, not only will others not want to be in relationship with us, but they will not want to be in relationship with Christ Himself. As children of Christ we are called to proclaim His truth and who He is, in actions as much as in words. We can only do this when we constantly seek to abide with His Spirit within us. When we have allowed Christ to carry out His restorative work in our hearts and submit every aspect of our lives to Him, He will cause His love to pour from within us wherever we go. Like a sweet fragrance it will catch the attention of others and as Christ’s love touches the lives we encounter, people will be attracted and desire to know more about the Saviour we serve.

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

“Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.” –Luke 12:7b (NIV)

By their own merits sparrows are actually quite insignificant. They cannot boast of the size and strength of a mighty eagle for example because they are small and weak by comparison. Neither can the sparrow boast of being symbols of power and prestige because unlike the eagle, sparrows do not adorn the flags and emblems of nations. A sparrow can not even take pride in its own rarity because they are so numerous and common, and can be found in many parts of world.  Yet despite these qualities that the sparrow seemingly has going against it, God still loves and cares for them. Being His precious creations He sustains and provides for each and every one them; His eyes never leaving them for a moment in His unfailing love.

Sometimes we may feel like sparrows. Comparing ourselves to those who seem to have it all in terms of wealth and reputation, it is human tendency to become insecure. Seeing ourselves as begin merely ordinary and insignificant, we wonder if anyone cares about our joys and struggles. We long to be noticed and loved, and when we do not feel these things, loneliness and misery are the result. But the truth is no matter how small or inconsequential we feel, we are loved by the Creator of the Universe himself. We are not only God’s creations, but bearers of His image like how a child bears the imprints of his parents.  In the eyes of Christ we are worth far more than anything we can imagine and He wants to be in relationship with us so that He will fulfil the great plans He has in store for us. When we have allowed His Spirit to enter our hearts and redeem us from our sinful nature which separated us from Him, we will know what it means to rest in His love as we submit ourselves to Him. In doing this Christ will prove His love to us as He takes our lives and transforms them into testaments to His faithfulness; showing the world that no one is insignificant to Him and drawing others into the hope which only comes from knowing Him.

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

“Many a man claims to have unfailing love, but a faithful man who can find?”-Proverbs 20:6 (NIV)

Have you ever bought something that soon proved its faultiness? I know that I have on more than one occasion. Initially we are drawn to the advertisements for the product. Such endorsements attempt to convince us about how the product is perhaps the latest in cutting-edge technology, or has undergone tests which have proven its reliability when compared with other brands. However, when we have bought the product for ourselves and tried it out, it fails on us when we need it the most. We soon find that those assurances of its quality were nothing more than empty words and we lament over the fact that we have wasted our resources on something that would bound to shatter our expectations.  It is no wonder then that we are wary of advertising and take their messages with a grain of salt.

Humans, flawed through sin, prove to be untrustworthy more than they like to give themselves credit. They may advertise themselves as being faithful and claim to have that unfailing love which we seek. Thinking that we can place our trust in them, we now depend that they will put their words into action. Yet when we need them the most, we find that they have failed to deliver on their assurances in our critical hour. Like one who has found out the flaws in a product advertised to be flawless, we mourn over the fact that we have been deceived and wonder if there is anyone out there who is steadfast in his love. Before we give into despair, the truth is that there is such a person. Christ has shown His unfailing love for us through His death on the cross for our sins and assures us that He will always remain faithful when we call upon Him. He is God and thus He is perfect in His love and faithfulness. When we have allowed Christ’s Spirit to reign in our hearts and surrender every area of our lives to Him, we will experience His love and be strengthened in Him as He uses our lives to prove that His promise to be faithful to us are more than just words. Allowing His Spirit to perfect his restorative work in us, He will train us to act in perfect love and steadfastness. Through Him we will be refreshing to others and pour life into them; drawing those around us to the hope which is only available through Christ.

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

“I do not hide your righteousness in my heart; I speak of your faithfulness and your saving help. I do not conceal your love and your faithfulness from the great assembly.” –Psalm 40:10 (NIV)

Does a volcano ever hold back when it erupts? We would be hard-pressed to convince ourselves that it does. I have seen footage of major volcanic eruptions and I do not believe it to be a stretch to say that volcanoes are not of the self-conscious sort. On the contrary, a volcano is not afraid to allow the magma it has stored beneath its rocky surface to be expelled into the sky and into the surrounding area. It does not say to itself that perhaps it should hold back a little and practice some self-control. Rather, it allows its lava to overflow from within and to freely pour itself over the landscape. Granted a volcanic eruption is devastating and never pleasant. But there is much to learn from its boldness.

We as humans are so unlike volcanoes. Too often we keep things to ourselves and shy away from expressing what God has done and is doing in our lives. Perhaps we fear of becoming an eyesore to others if we show His love and tell of his righteousness, and thus we resign ourselves to going with the crowd; making sure that no one knows of the work which Christ is doing within us. But when we do this, we deprive ourselves of the chance to grow in our faith and see God at work in the lives of others. When we have allowed Christ to enter our hearts and seek to abide with Him, He will cause His love and righteousness to overflow from within us. As Paul wrote to Timothy in 2 Timothy 1:7 “…God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love…”  His Spirit will embolden us to show His love to others, tell them of His righteousness with our lives, and speak of His faithfulness to us. Unlike a volcano, the overflow that will come from within us when we allow Christ’s Spirit to carry out His work will not destroy. Instead, it will only bring healing and life to all as He is made manifest in our words and actions.

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

“For great is your love, reaching to the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the skies.” –Psalm 57:10 (NIV)

Summer is just around the corner. I felt a glimpse of what is to come as I was walking downtown today. With not a cloud in the sky, the sun shone bright and resplendent; bringing life and colour to the city’s streets. But as I walked under the sweltering heat with sweat pouring from my brow, I was reminded of how beautifully God created the sun and the skies. Every person living on this Earth sees the same sun, and under the same sky goes about their daily tasks. God has placed the sun far enough so that it encompasses the whole world. Yet it is close enough for us to feel the heat it provides and enjoy the warmth of its rays.

In the same way, God’s love is both wide and near. Each person born into this world has been created by His loving hands and He wants all of us to be in an intimate relationship with Him. However, our wilful choice to sin against Him has severed that relationship we once shared. But God is love and in His never-failing love He wants to restore that broken relationship. That is why He sent Christ for us, so that through His death we may be cleansed of our sin and by His resurrection enter into new life with Him characterized by His righteousness being worked out through His Spirit within us. Christ’s offer of salvation through His sacrifice is open to all regardless of who they are and where they have been. Thus, His love is as boundless as the sky for there is no one on Earth who is beyond His grace and forgiveness. But like the warmth of the sun, God wants to show His love to us in a real and personal way. When we have allowed Christ to enter our hearts and allow Him to carry out his redemptive work in our lives, we will be able to feel His love and faithfulness as we continue to abide in Him and entrust ourselves fully to Him.

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

“In your unfailing love you will lead the people you have redeemed. In your strength you will guide them to your holy dwelling.” –Exodus 15:13 (NIV)

Children are immensely carefree. I remember my childhood being full of wonderful memories where I would be running and playing without a care in the world. Worry is almost absent from a child in large part because of total dependence on their parents. This also makes them extremely trusting. A child does not question where his next meal comes from, nor does he have any doubts when he goes out with his parents. He knows that because his mother and father care for him deeply that they will watch over him and provide for his needs. With the assurance of knowing that the loving gaze of his parents will always be behind him, the child is able to walk confidently and without fear unquestioning in his parent’s love to guide and protect him without fail.

There is a reason as to why Jesus said that we much approach Him with the faith of a child. It means to completely surrender ourselves to Him and trust in His love. However, too often we are afraid to give ourselves entirely to Him. Perhaps we have been let down by man many times before and we equate God with that same fallibility. But if we allow our experiences with fallen man to cloud our perception of God’s love and faithfulness, we deprive ourselves from experiencing the blessings which come from abiding in Christ. We can trust God for He is perfect in His love and goodness. In Him there is no evil and He therefore can never break His word. When we have allowed Christ to enter our hearts and carry out His work in our lives, we will know how great His love is for us. Constantly choosing to entrust every area of our lives to Him, we will be able to walk with the carefree attitude of a child as we bask in the joy knowing that God in His never-failing love will always prove Himself faithful according to His perfect will and timing.

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

“Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved.” –Psalm 55:22 (ESV)

Being close to the Atlantic Ocean, Nova Scotia is a place with many boat owners. When I was working there one summer, it was a common sight to see many different boats sailing in and around the harbour. One day however, it was announced that the province would be experiencing a severe storm with very powerful winds. All of us had to get anything outdoors inside our homes and I heard of many boat owners scrambling to the docks to secure their vessels. The way they did this was remarkable. Using ropes and anchors they were able to ensure that their boats were not carried away by the storm. Granted the boats may have been rocked by the power of the winds, but they remained in one place; firmly moored to the docks.

How can we survive the storms of life? It is a question that often surfaces in our minds when we are in despair. We feel as if we are being tossed about by our circumstances, never knowing whether we will be able to endure it all. In our anguish we cry out for security and strength to live and we turn to all sorts of things in the hope of attaining what we seek. But what ends up happening is that when storms come, these cords which we have trusted in to keep us secure are prone to snap; leaving us at the mercy of the wind and the waves. Where then can we find that strength which will last us through the unendurable? It is only when we have rooted ourselves in Christ. When we have allowed Him to enter our hearts and submit ourselves to Him, He will lead us according to His perfect will. By living in obedience to Him and trusting in who He is, He will not allow us to be overtaken by the storms around us; empowering and sustaining us to preserve as He works through our situations for His great purposes.

Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.