No Ordinary Love!!!!!

Tuesday, October 18th, 2011

Today's Passage> 1 John 4: 9-18
Memory Verses> Psalm 91: 5-7

At ALM, we get excited about the song "This Ain't No Ordinary Love" by Toby Mac. And it really isn't. The love we operate in is predicated upon how far out of our comfort zones we're willing to step. We're okay with doing things for others as long as we don't get stretched to the limit. But the minute the person we're trying to help hurts us, we're done. Our expectations of the one we're making the sacrifice for are extremely high with no room for error.

But our God is not like that. First of all, He KNOWS how sinful we are, and He gave up His only Son to pay the penalty for our sin. Second, He forgives us constantly, which shows He also has high expectations for us. But His expectations are that we will ultimately choose His way and not our own. So, with all that in mind, what causes a breakdown in our trust? It's the uncertainty of the day- to-day runnings of being on this earth. But here's the amazing thing God's love does to make our fear obsolete.

Of all the things that threaten to instill fear in us, nothing is more frightening than not knowing what eternity will bring. But because He loves us with all of Himself, He took care of that fear and took the sting out of death. The blood of Jesus provided relief from the only thing that the enemy could use to keep us awake at night. Without this provision, every fear would have a right to take hold of us. But because His love covers us, the Shepherd draws the line in the sand and dares the enemy to oppress us any more.

With eternity taken care of, what other care is there that we can waste our time worrying about? If God can remove a huge burden such as certain damnation, why wouldn't He find a way to deliver us from diverse dangers? Even in the presence of death itself, we should never have fear in our hearts, because God our Shepherd has taken care of it all. His extraordinary, perfect love keeps us steadfast and unmoveable, always abounding in the work of His kingdom. And that's the reason why God wouldn't leave any stone unturned concerning our peace. He wants us focused and kingdom-minded, not tormented with thoughts of whether we will live or die from one moment to the next. How can we go forward in our calling, doing what we were put on this earth to do, if we're constantly worrying about what will happen to us? God's love is too vast to leave us stranded. You can trust the Shepherd to take care of our going out and coming in, our past, present, and future. Fear has no place if you're walking under the shelter of the Shepherd's unconditional love.

Prayer: Father, I praise You for the way You've thought of everything. When I allow myself to be fearful about the future, I'm saying that You, Who flung the stars in the sky and cause the sun to stay in its place, are incapable of taking good care of me. I make a firm commitment now to walk even more closely with You, trusting You like never before. Thank You for Your unconditional love. I accept it and come under its shadow forevermore. In Jesus' Name, Amen.