Saturday, November 21, 2009

the challenge of love

It seems like an "ultimate" experience to personally be aware of the Lord's presence, abiding within our hearts.  Just to think that we can be aware of Him actually indwelling our fragile and fault-filled frames is almost more than we can comprehend.  But apparently that is exactly what He has intended!  You would think that some of the most important messages Jesus gave were the ones He left His disciples just before going to the Cross.  The night before that experience began to unfold He told them that He and the Father wanted to live with them in this way: [John 14:23 "Jesus answered and said to him, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him."]  In order to love Him, the disciples were to "abide and obey".  Their thoughts and hearts were to find their home in Jesus and they needed to follow His commands.  Jesus mapped out the command part in John 15:12 ["This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends."]
 
I love how the blessing of the Lord's immediate presence follows from putting others first.  It's as if the Lord is saying, "When you have learned to be centered on the needs of others, you have learned much about who I am".  I am glad that Jesus focused His command this way.  Loving others becomes a measure of our maturity and the key to knowing the Lord intimately.
 
blessings,
Rob Smith

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