Statements. We all make them. We make statements about God and we make statements about ourselves. When someone speaks about God, how can we know that what they are saying is true? When people say things about themselves, how can we know if they are speaking the truth.?
Translation:
Javier loves God and God loves Javier.
But God loves everyone.
But Javier loves everyone.
God created everyone.
I want to love God.
My son wrote these statements during last week's church service. This is one of the first times that Javi has attempted to compose his own thoughts on paper. I must say, this momma was a tad distracted from the sermon (just for a few moments ; ) when I looked over and saw my son writing what I consider to be very precious words. My heart was touched with this unexpected expression of love. Even the incorrect spelling added to it's charm.
As I read his "composition", there are some statements that I am confidently sure about. I know them to be true because I believe that God has spoken to us by his word, the Bible. God has also demonstrated his power as Creator of all things. And he demonstrated his love because he was willing to suffer and die for such hateful, sinful people. For every one of us.
In this the love of God was made manifest (shown)
among us, that God sent his only Son into the world,
so that we might live through him.
In this is love,
not that we have loved God but that he loved us
and sent his Son to be the propitiation (atonement)
for our sins.
Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love
one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love
one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected
in us...
We love because he first loved us.
1 John 4:7-12, 19
God has already shown us how much he loves us. His words are never empty or meaningless. But what about us? Do we say we love God but fail to act like it? The truth of our words should be demonstrated by our actions. Sadly, sometimes our actions and our words contradict each other.
I pray that my son will fully understand why God had to go to such great lengths to provide the precious gift of salvation for him. God reached out in love while we were yet sinners. The only way we can "live through him" as the verse above says, is if we receive Jesus, by faith believing he is the only way to be at peace with God. I also pray that a genuine love for God and others would be...not just spoken or written about...but demonstrated. For truly, "if God so loved us...we also ought to love one another." May God give us grace and strength to bring him honor.
Jesus said,
"I am the way, and the truth, and the life.
No one comes to the Father except through me."
John 14:6
Oh, this is so sweet! When our children were young -- as church planters, we didn't have the luxury of "nursery" or Jr. church -- so the kids were always with us in the service. We encouraged them even before they could write, to draw a picture of what Dad was preaching about. Then, as they could write -- they took "notes." I have many, many of these precious pictures and notes in my files -- some, I have given back to them now that they have their own children -- but little things like this are just priceless! Thanks for sharing!
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