“But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” – Romans 5:8 KJV
Study Questions:
In what ways does knowing God’s no-matter-what love change how you relate to Him? It changes everything! How could it not, Lord! It is mind blowing that You know everything about me… good and bad… better than I know myself… and STILL love me… NO MATTER WHAT!! Unconditional love is like no other love I have ever known! And I fall more and more in love with You every single second!! Thank You for loving me!! I absolutely love You the same way…. NO MATTER WHAT!! ❤
How does God’s love for you change your love for others? Lord, Your love does wonderful things for all of us, whether we know it or not! I am grateful that You have allowed me to come to know it, and thankful that the Holy Spirit allowed my heart to believe it! Before Your wonderful love, I was scared of people, weary of people, untrusting of people, and growing further and further away from them. My poetry used to reflect just how painful I thought love was… referring to jagged knives, shattering glass, deep daggers, graves for the innocent… romanticizing death… and writing love letters to suicide. You created in me a love for others through the love I had for You and Your word. It began out of duty to Your word, and a sense of obligation to someone I loved so much. And to know that Jesus loved them so much that He died for them. You loved them so much that You allowed Your Son to make that painful sacrifice. Eventually I loved them too. Now I have a world full of church family and friends. I even have family on WordPress that mean so much to me. It breaks my heart to know so many are suffering right through so many trials. I especially think of our dear Caz! Lord, please bring her healing! Bring her good doctors and nurses! Bring her needed supplies and funds. Bring her comforting friends that she can trust to be there with her and for her… at the hospital and at home. Bring all my friends healing, comfort, finances, wisdom, direction, peace, health, employment, family, and the many things You have laid on their heart. And thank You for when You bring them to mind, as You did this day on the Parkway to make a video for them to ride along with me in one of our favorite places that I am always mentioning to them. I don’t even mind that I felt like I talked too much. My friends want to spend that time with me, and I want to spend that time with them! I praise Your Holy name for the day we will all be together to praise You forever! I love You and them!!! NO MATTER WHAT! Thank You for the Friend we all have in Jesus! ❤
“Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.”
– Ephesians 5:19-21
Lord, how grateful I am to You for creating a church family! And for allowing me to be a part of one! And a part of the church family worldwide… also known as the family of God! Family in Christ! A part of YOUR family! ❤ I am so grateful to call You, Father! I am so humbled for Jesus to be my Brother! ❤
I am just as grateful that You allowed my son to grow up always knowing church family! To allow Him to grow up knowing hymns instead of rock music. Even though He heard it at home, He grew to love God’s music. Thank You for allowing Him to learn You, Your Word, and allowing me to glean from His learning. Thank You for His heart to teach His mom.
Thank You for allowing all of the fellowship, the unconditional love and support, the unexpected relationships, and a world of people who are also so in love with You too! Who never grow tired of loving You! Who delight just to think on You, Your Word, Your People, and Your hymns. Souls who do not waver from Your word because they know the value of discipline… an honest and tough love! For our good!
Thank You for all of the Vacation Bible Schools, the many memories, the children’s plays, the children I have been blessed to fellowship with in the nursery, to teach in school and the many forms of church classes, the bus rides, and the abundance of memories with children singing Your songs with such sweet sound and sweet smiles!
Thank You for the many times You have sent someone to minister to me and Anthoni, and the rest of my family. Thank You for those who have been there during loss, births, marriages, divorces, moves, tragedies, celebrations, showers, storms, and so much of life. Thank You for those You have allowed to think of me when I have had health issues. Thank You for the church body!
Thank You for the ladies bible studies, the ladies Sunday School, ladies events, ladies banquets, ladies retreats, and the countless ladies outings and friendships… sisters for life!
Thank You for men of God! Godly men! Men who genuinely love You, serve, You, Worship You, OBEY YOU, testify of You, sing of You, preach of You, and that have shared the wisdom, knowledge, and teaching with my son! Living out being a man of God for my son to learn by example.
Thank You for the missionaries and evangelists! Serving You wherever You send them. Trusting in You to provide! Thank You for the years You gave me to send cards, notes and encouragement to hundreds! I WAS THE ONE BEING BLESSED! Thank You for what they taught me about depression… the biblical truth! Thank You for their preparing me in knowing what my son would suffer and go through. Thank You for what that teaching did for ME in my own struggle with clinical depression… as a child of God.
There are not enough thank Yous when in comes to being a part of church family! But I give You the ones You have allowed to come to mind! I love You, Father God! I love Your church! And I absolutely pray church family!
I look forward to being a part of the biggest church family ever when I get to heaven! What a day that will be! ❤
“And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.” – Colossians 3:23 KJV
“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” – Ephesians 2:10 KJV
Good early morning, Lord. Today’s study notes hit right where we all are… dealing with community… and TRYING to love one another. How could I not think on this whole COVID-19 Pandemic? There are so many suffering, so many who have lost their lives, and many of them died fighting on the front lines to save those stricken with COVID. It makes me think on my dear friend Nitin of Daily Bible Bytes for You who is a doctor in India, and had his long time doctor friend and mentor come down with the virus. Then had another friend who lost his mother one day and then his father a few days later. Both parents in the same week! I read that the same day I saw a local news report of 2 teenage boys losing both of their parents. Just yesterday Nitin was sharing about another doctor from the front lines passing away from the virus. 😦
There are so many in my own community in my county, the city, and the state. If I were to try to name all of the friends and family who have lost someone or come down with it, this would be a very long post. And that would not even represent the ones who have passed, yet the families will not tell the public it was COVID. There is actually a stigma for some people, as if this disease was something to be ashamed of contracting. Hundreds of thousands around the world have died from this disease. Millions have contracted it. How does one attach shame to such a ruthless and invisible killer? We had a cousin in our family who died from it, but we did not know for a month because the family not only wanted to keep people from gathering for a funeral (understandably so), but they were actually ashamed to let anyone know it was COVID.
And then there is this whole mask debate, the unbelievable accusations of this being a hoax, the argument of a constitutional right, and quite frankly just a pent up world looking for an excuse to blame someone for the fact that they can’t do everything they want, when they want it, and the way they want it. A world who is upset that their world changed over night and will more than likely never be the same. A world where they could not even escape with sports, Hollywood, immorality, favorite snacks and comfort foods, no dining out, nor getaways for quite some time. So many special once in a lifetime events were postponed or cancelled altogether. This is what comes to mind when I think of community right now. But praise Your Holy name that is not all I think of.
WordPress Community! I thank You for allowing me to know, have, and be a part of this community You have blessed with encouraging one another. That includes being honest about our own experiences with COVID, along with the raw emotions everyone is feeling. I am especially grateful for those who are still trying to keep it all about You, even in their experiences, and bringing those raw emotions to You openly in their blogs, and being sure to look for those sought out and needed answers in Your scriptures.
Even the ones who wrote this little devotional book (Woman of God, Wonderfully Made) way back in 2012 (that I am noting from now in 2020) wrote on being made to love our community regardless of our disagreements or circumstances from a very beautiful Godly heart.
“You may not always love your neighbors, but God does. You may consider some people in your community to be unworthy of your time and effort, but God doesn’t. God loves each person in your community no matter his or her faults, weaknesses, or sins. The question isn’t ‘Who deserves my acts of service?’ but rather ‘Who needs my acts of service?’ In Christ Jesus, you can serve your community without considering its worthiness. In Christ Jesus, you can love your inconsiderate neighbor. In Christ Jesus, you can display God’s love to the hurting world. When you serve others, you serve God. When you love others, you live our your love for God. It all comes from Him, because of Him, for Him!”
Thank you for Christian Community… fellow believers who are determined to keep it all about You, to keep their faith in You, and to still be absolutely convinced even now that YOU ARE GOOD! We may not understand everything going on. We may be lost in a very dense fog. We may be angry, hurt, and devastated with loss and circumstances that no one could have imagined happening. In ALL things, You are STILL A GOOD AND LOVING FATHER AND GOD! Thank You for Community, God! We need You, and we need each other! ❤
“Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.” – Colossians 3:12-13 KJV
“But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” – Romans 5:8 KJV
Lord, boy did I mess up on this bible study. Even back when I was doing it and making notes, and did it know it. Or if I did, I completely forgot and messed up again. I think You finally let me see how. The titles in the book for each day were messed up. I mean I am sure the person prayed for guidance and You led her to write it just the way it was. I did see the playfulness in the wording and how it related, but I do believe it is what messed me up so much that I accidentally started doing the same thing in getting it on the blog.
This one came from a day called Remade To Love In My Family, but there was never a MADE to Love In My Family. So when the titles that did a RE-whatever the title was before HAD a title before, I guess I assumed this one did too. As I look the next several days had a RE to a title that was NOT before. So if You don’t mind I’ll just keep going with personally made titles as You had me doing to try to prevent the confusion.
I’m sorry, Lord, for not doing a better job of paying attention. I try. I really do, and I know You know that. When I did this study, I was telling a friend of mine who knew I was doing it that I had no notes to share because I had not been really noting enough to share any with them or on the blog. As I would later look in my little notebook, You pointed out that I had what You were giving me and that was enough. When I started to pick back up where I left off I did not notice 6 days worth of noting missing. Again when typing them up, I did not notice either. It was being done with a 5 week study in 2 weeks that was throwing the huge red flag. Maybe that is why it felt so short when doing them?? Anyway, I deleted the last 2 I had up, along with the 4 You allowed me to get scheduled, and just took the big TIME OUT You were blowing the whistle on.
It took me the whole week to get a chance to look over just what was going on. Now I see, I DID do the study, but got very confused over the titles, stopped noting, then thought I wasn’t really getting anything to share, and was just enjoying it between You and me. However, later on I realized I had more notes than I thought, it was the book that was confusing. It still is, but with Your help I can still try to get it back on track. That means this one and the 5 to follow will actually be blogged as I am reading them. Being as so many messages You have sent me this week have been clearly dealing with being lost, it seems quite appropriate. Even Sue Mulhare of New Hope Church in Toowoomba, Australia had a message this week…
that fit right in, and actually gave me a little bit of an answer to that nagging question You and I know I deal with. Wouldn’t You know it (and of course You would 😉 ) it’s the same answer You’ve always given me. I loved the song Sue mentioned she stumbled across.
Defender was another perfectly related piece to the puzzle.
Those favorite lyrics of Sue’s were powerful.
When I thought I lost me You knew where I left me You reintroduced me to Your love You picked up all my pieces Put me back together You are the defender of my heart
And how did all of this tie into today’s study and title of being Made to Love My Family? Because that is exactly what I did with my week. You led and I followed. The majority of the week was about Bobby (my 86 yr old stepdad) and his home health care team. All of our family worked together to get through this week when we also had a family crisis happen that we knew nothing about with my brother in law Tim cracking 4 ribs and having an infection. We ran the needed medical errands for Tim because Nathan (my brother who is Tim’s nurse) could not leave him because Tim was a fall risk. It’s what led to the ribs. Tim is a hospice patient dealing with a lot. My sister Sandra was doing these errands with me while wearing her bedroom slippers inside oversized shoes from the Goodwill in a search for shoes that she could get into. Her old shoes came apart. So many stores! For several days! Thank You for allowing the temporary ones You led her to. I pray the ones coming will be the shoes we have both been saying You have waiting for her! My son Anthoni stayed with Bobby one day so the home health care team could talk to him. He does a great job helping us look out for Bobby.
Bobby’s home health care team have been diligently looking out for him. They were sent by his doctor who has not seen him in several months and understands we’re trying to keep him home away from others, especially with both of his lungs already damaged, living with COPD, using a CPAP machine, and a nebulizer machine several times a day, and still struggles with his breathing. Bobby has to do needed bloodwork for the medicine he takes since he had his stroke in 2015, and to see how he is doing over all. Just day before yesterday, we were all in a circle (with masks and gloves) praying with his nurse because she had spent the whole day traveling around to different patients, was now seeing Bobby, all while her own husband and father both had been sick enough during the week that they were believed to have COVID. Praise the Lord they tested negative! But Stephanie had still came to work to look out for others!
So that is how family relates to this week. That time out was needed to focus. You still had me to post… by sending me awards! Anabel of Lebana’s Journey nominated me for The Ideal Inspiration Award, and Stu of Something to Stu Over nominated me for The Outstanding Blogger Award. My WordPress Family sent me so many encouraging messages. That’s how You work! You tell us to be still and know You are God… and You did just that. I took that break and You showered me with encouragement. And along the way allowed me to share that encouragement with the nominees! What do You do when voices of doubt whisper in my ear? You send Sue that message to encourage her! Sue shares it and encourages me! The song is a tender hug that assures You know my heart’s cry and are fighting for me where I don’t even know I have a war going on… a spiritual warfare. Your leading becomes my victory! Because YOU are my victory every single day!
Thank You for leading me through my wilderness. Thank You for leading our family! Thank You for protecting Stephanie’s family! Thank You for being the chain of encouragement for my WordPress family! Thank You for leading Sue all the way over in Australia, and then sharing a glimpse of that precious time You had with her. Thank You for the powerful message in that tender song. Thank You for helping me get this Bible study thing worked out. And thank You most of all for still being the God of Psalm 46:10.
“Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.”
I love You, Father God!
Thank You for making me a part of Your family! ❤
“Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; and walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.” – Ephesians 5:1-2 KJV
“We love him, because he first loved us.” – 1 John 4:19 KJV
You continue to pour out Your love as…
Lord, whether I fell asleep or got distracted I seemed to have lost what I was going to say this day when trying to spend time alone with You and Your word. There’s just no getting those thoughts back. But I know Your love is indeed unfailing and unconditional! ❤
“Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.” – 1 John 3:1 KJV
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. “ – John 3:16 KJV
“According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.” – Ephesians 1:4-6 KJV
Thank You, Father, for the tender reminder of Your love for us.
Thank You for being Faithful.
Thank You for being Genuine.
Thank You for being Present.
Thank You for being You.
“With unequaled skill, care, and artistry, your Creator-God knitted you together in your mother’s womb. It’s wonderful! He has also re-created you , bringing you to faith, making you His very own child, a member of His forever family. You are becoming more and more like your Brother, Jesus, day by day. How wonderful!” – Woman of God: Wonderfully Made
Lord, the devotional has no verse for today (which serves as two days because it writes the same devotion as Saturday or Sunday).
However we were asked 2 questions.
Which of God’s many creative works in nature do you consider most wonderful?
Oh, dear Lord. There are so many creative works in Your nature to consider most wonderful… birds, beautiful skies, flowers, waterfalls, lakes, oceans, rivers, creeks, fountains, mountains, beaches, a nice breeze on a beautiful day in a green pasture or beside still waters, rustling trees and fields, dancing leaves, colorful leaves, and so much more.
Where do you see His re-creative work in your life right now, working repentance and faith in you?
Some re-creative work I see in my life right now, working repentance and faith in me are… trying to look honestly at the things You bring to light. Instead of avoiding them, I trying to talk honestly with You about them, and letting that patience, prayer, and honesty work its perfect work that I may be entire and lacking nothing. What grows me closer to You is what I want. I want to see and accept things they way they are so that I can see You the way You truly are. I want You to know I want to know, love, and accept You for who You are! ❤ And I do!
“Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.” – 1 John 3:2 KJV
“As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness.” – Psalm 17:15 KJV
“For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another: But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost” – Titus 3:3-5 KJV
Father God, it makes me sad, disappointed, ashamed, and so much more to know I have ever hurt You, that I have ever sinned against You. You are God Almighty and deserve all obedience, honor, glory, and so much more.
Thank You for Your loving heart, Your kind forgiveness, and for the hope of heaven. Thank You for the hope of one day being free from our sin nature, for the new hope of a new body, a new mind, for being in Your presence, and focusing on nothing other than worshipping and praising You day and night. All things will be new! The old will be passed away!
NO MORE SIN!
THANK YOU!
PRAISE YOUR HOLY NAME!!
❤ I love You, Father God!
❤ I love You, Sweet Jesus Christ!
❤ I love You, Holy Spirit!
“For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” -2 Corinthians 5:21 KJV
The Great Exchange – is what You did for us, Jesus. You didn’t just ease our sins, You took them upon Yourself to pay our ransom, to take our punishment. In exchange You gave us something we did not deserve and never could… but You freely gave…
Your own righteousness.
The One who knew nosin, became sin itself… for us.
“For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.” – Psalm 139:13-14 KJV
“For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. “ – John 3:17-18 KJV
God, I love the DNA strand showing a pattern of being knit together as You say in Your word. I am Your pattern.
“When we are mindful, we resist the temptation to rush, to brush off. When we are mindful, we pause. We stop to admire the wonders that lie before us…. Long before this current accent of mindfulness as a cure for the stress and strain of everyday life, the psalmist issued this invitation.”
– Woman of God:Wonderfully Made
“Let all the earth fear the Lord: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him. For he spake, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast. “ – Psalm 33:8-9 KJV
“O Lord, how manifold are thy works! in wisdom hast thou made them all: the earth is full of thy riches.” – Psalm 104:24 KJV
This was all quoted out of the small 5 week devotional book I just finished recently.
It is title Woman of God: Wonderfully Made. (I’ll be noting it as WGWM Study Notes for the inspiration for the notes I will be sharing.) This passage alone was what God gave me to take through my day. No notes were needed. Just to sit in be awe of Him! ❤
“Fair weather cometh out of the north: with God is terrible majesty. Touching the Almighty, we cannot find him out: he is excellent in power, and in judgment, and in plenty of justice: he will not afflict.” – Job 37:22-23 KJV
“A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench: he shall bring forth judgment unto truth.” – Isaiah 42:3 KJV
“But now thus saith the Lord that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine.” Isaiah 43:1 KJV
The wonder of You, Lord. How incredibly striking You are to anyone who knows You. I am grateful to just be allowed to know You. I’m sorry I’m so tired, falling asleep. And that’s before morning meds. Give me the strength, and all I need to run the errands I need to do this morning. And help me to see the wonder of You all along the way.
In Jesus’ beautiful and wonderful name. Amen. Hymns You bring to my mind today:
Isn’t He Wonderful Wonderful Isn’t He? How Marvellous, How Wonderful Wonderful The Matchless Grace of Jesus
Inspiration:
WGWM Study Notes, Week 1 Day 1 Job 37:22-23, Isaiah 42:3, Isaiah 43:1
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