Response to His Love

Some ideas are given in today’s devotional of ways to respond to God’s love. Also, receive the positive affirmation from the song “Love Lifted Me” by Alan Jackson.

Mark Shields's avatarThis Day With God - A Spiritual Journey

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these. – Mark 12:30-31

The post “Everlasting Love” is about the song written by Moses to remind the people of all the blessings they receive when they praise the ONE true God but are cursed when they worship idols. God’s everlasting love nurtures, extends a hand, and keeps us going in a positive direction.

Some ideas for responding to God’s love are to take in the lessons of His Word, share them with others, and worship with songs like Love Lifted Me by Alan Jackson. Our mood is always lifted to new heights by the positive affirmation God gives us through His Son.

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Next Leg of the Relay Team

When you read the Bible, you discover what faith is and then it has an opportunity to grow. Then as you do something for the glory of God by faith, in the words of Billy Graham you start turning the world upside down because your heart is right side up.

Mark Shields's avatarStep Ahead

Our faith initiates
 Action toward
 Accomplishment 
 With help from the Lord 
 
 
 There is peace in the Lord
 Knowing we belong
 On the relay team
 And nothing can go wrong
 
 
 Freed from what entangles
 To run with endurance
 Our leg of the race
 To make a difference
 
 
 Working to build  
 Our faith stronger 
 And stronger to run 
 Longer and longer
 
 
 To be recorded
 Generations to come
 Running the good race
 Until it is won
  
  
 Poem by Mark Shields – © 02-25-2021
 Inspired by
 “Next Leg of the Relay Team“
   

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The Plan to Be Blessed Again

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. – Proverbs 3:5-6

The post “Remnant” explains that even during the judgment of Israel, God limited the power of other nations over them. They had been disobedient but He preserves a remnant because the ultimate plan was to bless Israel again so they could rise up to be the great nation it was intended to be.

It’s the same for each of us as individual. We all have days or even longer periods of time when things seem to destroy what we have worked so hard for. We feel as though bad things are happening and it’s not always our fault but because the world is a broken place.

We must constantly remember that it is in trusting God that we gain the wisdom to know how to handle these feelings and what to do next. We must continue to have faith in the Lord who has the power to do it, the strength to keep us going, the peace to help us remain calm, and the joy that pulls us toward our eternal destination.

Trusting in God’s plan for Us is an attribute of the Christian soul that is fed with good thoughts and affirmation from songs like “Who You Are To Me” by Chris Tomlin featuring Lady A. Who is God to you? Is He with you throughout your day? Is He in a piece of art, a sunset, in the eye of a child, or perhaps in a song!

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Remnant

For what reason does God limit the power of the foolish nation over Israel? For what reasons will God preserve a remnant of Israel? What is the basis of your hope of preservation? Why, do you think, does God emphasize the reason Moses cannot go into the Promised Land?

This day with God, let us take in His word found in Deuteronomy 32:26-52 which is the second part of a song written by Moses explaining that there are blessings when the people are obedient and praise the ONE true God but there are bad times when they worship idols and are disobedient.

Even during judgment of Israel, God limited the power of other nations over them. They had been disobedient but He preserves a remnant because the ultimate plan was to bless Israel again so they could rise up to be the great nation it was intended to be.

It’s the same for each of us. We all have days or even longer periods of time when we feel torn apart from God. We feel as though bad things are happening and it’s not always our fault but it’s because the world is a broken place.

The photo below was taken at Fort Phantom Hill located about 10 miles north of Abilene Texas. It was an active U. S. Army installation in the late 1800s but all that is still standing are the stone fire places and the stone jail house. Stone will last a lifetime and beyond. If we build our life with the solid principles of God’s Word, they are like rocks that will last this lifetime and beyond too!

Even in a broken world, we can always have hope because by accepting Jesus as Savior, we have the power inside that protects us from total destruction. We can grow again to flourish if we spend time with God reading His Word, if we set aside time for prayer, and are accountable to those around us. 

After Moses spoke the words of the song to the people, God told him to go up to Mount Nebo to view the Promised Land.  God emphasized that Moses would never set foot in the Land because he had broken faith with Him in the past. Then Moses died while up on the mountain.

In good times, we sometimes forget what got us there. It took some thought in how to follow God’s plan, hard work, and obedience. Trusting in the world is dangerous because we can be led to confusion, corruption, and failure.

For that reason, this song of Moses would be recited every seven years at the Festival of Tabernacles to refresh their minds in the Word of God and share with others so they would gain confidence and be encouraged to win the battles they faced. It would be a deterrent for the next generation so they would maintain their faith even under distress.

Today, this song is important to us as a reminder that it is in trusting God that we gain power, wisdom, strength, peace, and eternal joy. It is an attribute of the soul that is fed with good thoughts and affirmation from sermons and songs we hear in current times.

This day with You Lord, we hold on to the principles You teach in Your Word. We come to You for direction because in this broken world, we sometimes are misled. We make decisions based on bad information but we can trust in You. Things will fall into place because of grace. Because of our Savior, there is a change in behavior; following where You lead and doing good deeds; accepting the truth and teaching our youth; learning Your ways and giving praise. Amen.

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Response to His Love

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these. – Mark 12:30-31

The post “Everlasting Love” is about the song written by Moses to remind the people of all the blessings they receive when they praise the ONE true God but are cursed when they worship idols. God’s everlasting love nurtures, extends a hand, and keeps us going in a positive direction.

Some ideas for responding to God’s love are to take in the lessons of His Word, share them with others, and worship with songs like Love Lifted Me by Alan Jackson. Our mood is always lifted to new heights by the positive affirmation God gives us through His Son.

Index of devotionals

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