His Forgiving

"You are forgiving and good, O Lord, abounding in love to all who call to you." Psalm 86:5

Ever wonder what God thinks of you? Sometimes I have strong feelings about what I think He should think of me, especially when I mess up, but I have to be careful not to forget that God's essential feeling towards us is forgiving and good, abounding in love. Wow does that make me feel good to be reminded of that truth. I know that intellectually, but sometimes I don't feel very deserving of such love, goodness and forgiveness. I'm sure you know the feeling of when you see yourself pretty clearly and you begin to question just how much grace you should expect? His grace is always sufficient, fueled by this deep devoted love and merciful goodness that He has for us.

At a Church Council Meeting, Kim Caldwell shared a Time of Encouragement with us that is the perfect illustration of this amazing love and commitment Our Creator and Savior has made to us human beings individually. When she read this I was stirred to tears with appreciation for the wonderful relationship that my God has with me. Read this carefully please.

"What matters supremely, therefore, is not in the last analysis, the fact that I know God, but the larger fact that underlies it- The fact that HE KNOWS ME. I am graven on the palms of HIS hands. (I just love that) I am never out of His mind. All of my knowledge of Him depends on His sustained initiative in knowing me. I know Him because He first knew me and continues to know me. He knows me as a friend........ There is a tremendous relief in knowing that His love for me is utterly realistic based at every point on prior knowledge of the worst about me, so that no discovery can now disillusion Him about me....."

Wow! I hope that touches you as deeply and perfectly as it does me. It makes me want to love Him more. You see He loves you and me perfectly and completely, He literally couldn't love us more. But, I can love Him more, and knowing that He so loves me the way He does makes me want to grow in my love for Him. I have much to learn about loving Him. That begins by contemplating His love for me. My love for Him is my response to His love for me. Take time to think about this. It could very well work some miraculous transformations in your orientation to your personal relationship with God.

When we get accurately oriented to God according to His love relationship with us, it not only helps us in our response to love Him in return, but also in how we should love others. After all we can only love ourselves if we accept, understand and receive His love which then, in turn, empowers us to love others and receive their love. May the Holy Spirit reveal to each of you the profundity of this truth in such a way that it sets you free to a new level of relationships, all the way around.

With His love and mine, Pastor Fred

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