Tag: God’s love

The Truth about Sleep

On By vickleaIn promises, Scripture4 Comments

I have found that as I am aging, I am becoming less likely to sleep. I awaken early in the morning, may or may not take a short nap and then stay up until around midnight. This has been my new schedule for months now. Prior to that, I was rising early (about six) and going to bed by nine or ten. That is a much better choice for me, I think, but insomnia has become an issue. Thus I have sought out scripture verses about sleep.

This verse tells me that sleep is a gift from God that I have to accept and be thankful for. So when I sleep more than a few hours, I am very grateful to God for His love and His gift of sleep.

I have never been one who has a lot of bad dreams that keep me awake. Rather, it is my mind that won’t shout off, thinking of all I need to do to prepare for whatever is coming into my life soon. This verse tells me not to be so concerned about tomorrow and its problems, but just to lie down and get some sweet sleep.

I am grateful every morning that I awaken to a new day with new possibilities. There are few nights that I don’t get up at least once during the night to head to the bathroom, but even when that happens, this week, I have been able to go right back to sleep instead of the usual tossing and turning. God sustains me all night long, and He gives me songs in my mind to comfort me and scripture verses like this one to remind me of His constant presence in my life.

We all have very busy lives and need to rest as much as we can. A normal night’s sleep for me is 5-6 hours. If I sleep less than that, I need a nap sometime during the day and usually rest for about an hour, depending on how tired I am and how cooperative my cat is. I am envious sometimes of my husband who sleeps 8-10 hours every night. He goes to bed late but he doesn’t get up until noon or after. That works well for me because it gives me the quiet time I need every morning with the Lord.

If you are having difficulty sleeping, I don’t have a solution but I have the answer. Pray, recite verses, sing quietly to yourself or just say the words to a favorite song to yourself. Counting sheep doesn’t work for me, but counting blessings and reminding myself that sleep is a gift from God does.

Love Is More than a Feeling

On By vickleaIn Christmas, Holidays, Scripture, YouVersion App2 Comments

From the YouVersion Bible App Devotional, “Advent, Day 19”

What Is Love?

What do you think of when you read the word “love”? Is your mind overflowing with people and your heart filled with gratitude for the life around you? Or perhaps it’s a bit more difficult to wrap your head around such a complex idea.

How would you describe love to someone else? How would they know you were being loving through your words and actions? Keep these questions in mind as you approach our readings over the next few days.

One of the many incredible things about God’s love is that it’s more than a feeling. We can see God’s love in action throughout the Bible, but we see it most clearly in the New Testament in the way Jesus lived.

As we enter our final week of Advent, we’ll take a closer look at love, which is following Jesus’ example by treating everyone as valuable and worthy of sacrificial care.

We can start by looking at one of the most clear examples of Jesus’ love. In the Gospel of John, we read one of the most popular and well-known verses in the Bible:

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16 NIV (emphasis added)

From the beginning of time, God has loved the world. And in this world He loves, there are billions of people, yet He knows each of one uniquely and individually. Despite any decisions or choices each person has made, God has chosen to love us unconditionally.

As believers, we celebrate this love throughout the year and choose to focus on it specifically during the Advent season.

But how do we respond if love feels difficult this year? When we’re experiencing grief, disappointment, or the feeling of being forgotten, we can choose to lean into what we know is true of God—that He islove.

And God tangibly showed His ultimate act of love by becoming a human. He didn’t shout His love from heaven, but came to earth to demonstrate His love for us through Jesus.

No matter how you’re feeling this season, there are opportunities to see God’s love at work in your life in every moment of your day. You might start small, thanking God for a new morning when you wake up. Or you might reflect on the ways He provided for you throughout the day before you go to sleep.

Pause and Pray:

Heavenly Father, thank You for loving and caring for me. No matter what my life looks like right now, I trust that You have a good plan that You’re working together for my good. Help me to see the endless ways You show Your love. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Also, check out this article on love that was included at the end of the devotional:

https://finds.life.church/examples-of-gods-love/

I really like to add the verses after verse 16, the one that everyone seems to know. We cannot forget that believing is a central part of becoming a part of God’s family.
Jesus had only thirty three short years on this earth and He made such an impact in that short time. How did He do that? By loving everyone, every day that He lived and everywhere that He went. Then He went to the cross to show us what humility, sacrifice and real love is all about.
I don’t know about you but I am coming to know God more every day. I am constantly amazed at the different ways He shows His love for me. I want to live in His love every day so that when I am around others, they will see a difference in me and want to know the One who loves them, just as He loves me.

God Is Faithful

On By vickleaIn Scripture, YouVersion App3 Comments

One of the things that I lacked as I was growing up was a constant love. My mom loved me, as long as I did what pleased her and made her look good to her friends. My dad loved me as long as I didn’t cost him too much. When I became a Christian in my early 20’s, for the first time I knew a love that was consistent and constant, without any conditions except that I accept His love and gift of salvation. God is always faithful, even when I have turned away or I am not as on fire as I once was. God never changes and His love has always reminded, like a lighthouse that I can see clearly or a loving hug from someone dear to me. He is always there, always loves me and I am blessed to know that His love will never fail.

From Promises to Fulfilled Covenants

God made promises to Abraham in Genesis about his lineage, and He gave the Ten Commandments to Moses in Exodus. He made a covenant to David in 2 Samuel, and declared a New Covenant to come in the book of Jeremiah (Jeremiah 31:31-34).

All of those stories point to the arrival of Jesus Christ—where all God’s covenant promises are fulfilled (2 Corinthians 1:20).

These stories remind us of God’s faithfulness (Romans 15:4). We don’t have to look very far to see:

“That the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments.”
Deuteronomy 7:9

God’s love is faithful; it is constant. It endures through the generations. In a world where love is often conditional and transactional, given and withdrawn based on our actions, God’s love stands apart. It’s not tethered to the ups and downs of our circumstances. It doesn’t waver with our feelings. And it certainly doesn’t hinge on our performance.

God’s love is firmly rooted in His unchanging character.

So even if you’re on the highest mountaintop of success or in the deepest valley of despair—His love remains constant, an ever-present source of strength for those who love Him.

Today, let the words of Deuteronomy 7:9 sink deep into your soul and remember: Our God is not distant or indifferent. He is near, and His love is faithful, enduring through a thousand generations.

God’s Love

On By vickleaIn ScriptureLeave a comment

This is a busy time for almost everyone, especially those of us who have gifts to buy, a house to decorate and other seasonal errands to accomplish. As I read my Scriptures this morning, I confess that my mind was wandering to the next thing I had to get done and how long it would take me before I could move on to yet another task. God got my attention when I came to this verse and He stopped my mind from wandering away from focusing on Him.

Nothing., not one thing, can separate us from God’s love and that is all that is important, in this season and in all seasons. We can busily rush around checking off items on our “to do” list, but loving us is God’s to do list. It’s the only thing on His list. We matter to God, not the chores or the gifts or the baking, cleaning or even beautiful tree we plan to decorate in His honor. He wants our time, our love and devotion, just as wholeheartedly as He gives these precious gifts to us.

Worship the King

On By vickleaIn Scripture, Song3 Comments

When I woke up this morning, I had a prayer on my lips and a bad attitude in my heart. Once again, I had slept badly and was tired, but I knew that I had to get up to begin my morning routine so that we can go to church. I know I grumbled to myself and sighed deeply more than a few times, but I made it through the preparations to start the day. Then, I sat down with my devotional and all I could think is how grateful I am to be alive, to be able to go to church and to worship the King, my Savior and my Creator. Once my focus changed from me to Him, so did my attitude.

Proclaiming God’s love to others is what we are called to do, but this morning, I just needed to speak about God’s love into my own heart. Sometimes we have to be ready to receive before we can give out to others and this morning was a time when I needed to receive. If you are having a tough time with circumstances in your life, just sit back, focus on God and His love for you. It puts things into a new perspective, one that is manageable and not so overwhelming. God is there, all the time, ready to hear and answer, but He really loves it when we come without a list of requests, just ready to worship.

Mighty to Save-Hillsong

Here I Am to Worship-Hillsong

May your day be blessed as you worship the Only One who is worthy!

Trust In God’s Love

On By vickleaIn Scripture2 Comments

Notice what comes after the action verbs. Trust in your unfailing love. Rejoice in your salvation. Sing the Lord’s praise. Why do we trust, rejoice and sing? Because the Lord has been good to us. Every day that we live is a gift. Every breath that we take is from Him. Instead of bemoaning circumstances that we cannot change, let’s choose to trust, rejoice and sing!

Have a blessed and awesome day as you look to the Lord for His salvation and His love and as you praise His name throughout the day.

Totally Loved

On By vickleaIn Scripture9 Comments

From my devotional this morning, I got this promise. Isn’t it wonderful to know that no matter where you are or what is happening in your life, the Lord God is with you? He is the same Lord who died for you on the cross, the same Lord who loves you with an eternal love, a love that no one can change or take away. He saves! Hallelujah!

As I read, I related to being a small child and waiting anxiously for my father to come home from work. No matter what had happened that day, daddy always knew what to say and how to calm my fears. Now, broaden the scope and imagine that our Heavenly Father is waiting for us to call on Him. We don’t have to anxiously sit and wait for His arrival; He is always right there beside us. In my mind, I recall my daddy picking me up and holding me and telling me that he loved me. Those moments with my father were worth all that had happened that day: the hurt of being different from the other children because I couldn’t run and play due to my health conditions, the anguish of being rejected by my mother, and the multitudes of other pains that small children go through and think we just can’t live through them. I survived because I knew my daddy loved me and would be home soon to cuddle me. And when I began to go to church, the comforting arms of my earthly father were replaced by the everlasting comfort of my Heavenly Father. By that time, I was living alone and needed to know His love since my daddy was hours away and I could not share my daily frustrations with him. But God was there! He was there for me all along, just waiting for me to ask Him to come alongside me and be that One that I can always count on.

God quiets us with His love. He loves us totally, completely and unconditionally. I can choose to leave Him, but He will not leave me. He sees me as worthy, as beautiful and as a necessary part of His creation. The God of the Universe looked down on earth and thought it needed one of me. Awesome thought, right? Of course, it is also an awesome responsibility to fulfill His purposes for me during the years He has established for me here. Nevertheless, while I am here, He rejoices over me. Just as my daddy used to sing songs (“The Church in the Wild Wood” was a favorite of his) that showed me his love for me, imagine the Heavenly Father singing songs over you, not just when you need comfort, but just because He loves you. What song is in your heart today? Imagine the Father singing that to you. That thought makes my whole being quiver with anticipation for what the new day will bring and what the Father will do for me and through me in it!

I like the mental images that come to my mind when I meditate on these two verses. I added them to my promise journal so that I can look back and remember. That’s what life is all about sometimes, a series of memories that mean something important to us. When I am remembering the afternoon minutes that I spent with my daddy, I also recall the many times that God has shown me grace and mercy and love…lots of love. Can I do any less for others who are hurting and need a Mighty Warrior to save them and a loving God to calm and rejoice over them with songs? We are sent to tell others because we have a great truth that should never be hidden. The world is hurting, and we have just the right remedy…a relationship with the Lord!

Be blessed today so that you can be a blessing.