Category Archives: Love

Belief, Bible, Exalting, Joy, Love, Praise, Scripture, Worship

THE LORD BE EXALTED

MALACHI 1:5

“And your eyes will see this, and you will say, ‘The LORD be exalted beyond the border of Israel!’”

The Lord never ceases to amaze me. He has done such incredible things in my life these past almost 63 years (hint, hint! I’ve got a birthday this month). I shouldn’t be amazed. I know His character, but it seems every time the Lord “shows out” in my life, I stand amazed.

Judah is being addressed here by Malachi. In today’s verse, he tells them to stand back and look at what the Lord has done for them. And goes on to say that they should be praising and celebrating Jehovah God “beyond the border of Israel.” Guess what? That is being done. The Lord is being praised all over the world.

APPLICATION

How are you exalting the Lord today? I don’t know, Carl. I save all my exalting for Sunday at church. No, no, no! We are to exalt and praise the Lord every day. Psalm 104:1 says, “Bless the LORD, my soul! LORD my God, You are very great; You are clothed with splendor and majesty,” How about Psalm 33:2? “Give thanks to the LORD with the lyre; Sing praises to Him with a harp of ten strings.”

Nowhere in those two verses do you see any mention of only praising the Lord on Sundays. Every morning in my Quiet Time, I have a time of Worship as part of my prayers. I praise Him in words, in song and in silence. When we lift praises to the King of kings, He is pleased. Don’t you want to please Him?

Read Psalm 100 today. Meditate on each phrase. Take the time to dig in a little deeper. Then you can praise Him. He wants to reveal Himself to you. He often does that as we are lifting Him in praise. I am reminded of the hymn that says:

Praise Him! Praise Him, Jesus, my blessed Redeemer. For our sins He suffered and bled and died

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Access, Battles, Bible, Deliverance, Evil, Fear, God's Will, Hate, Love, Scripture

JACKALS EVERYWHERE

MALACHI 1:3

“‘but I have hated Esau, and I have made his mountains a desolation and given his inheritance to the jackals of the wilderness.’”

I was leaving my home the other night, when out of nowhere this coyote ran across the street. Mind you, I don’t live out in the rural area of town. I live in a very urban area, surrounded by interstates and houses. Where did this little bugger come from? Better yet, where did he go?

In verse 3 of chapter 1 of Malachi, the Lord is pronouncing a judgment on Esau. Remember him, the twin brother of Jacob? The word “hate” is a strong word which we take in a very negative way. The fact is God had chosen Jacob in the womb to be the father of Israel. Esau could have done nothing to change that. His region and people would be destroyed five years after the Babylonians defeated Jerusalem.

APPLICATION

We make choices in life. Esau chose to go in another way. But after the story of him reconciling with Jacob, there isn’t much mentioned of him. It’s almost as if he just wandered into the wilderness where those jackals lived. The Hebrew word for “jackal” comes from the Hebrew tan, which means hideous monster or land creature. Are you living among the monsters? You don’t have to.

1 John 4:18 tells us, “There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love.” The Lord wants to bring you in from the wilderness. There is no reason to fear. There is no reason to live among the jackals. He has made you a home, a safe home, a refuge.

I love Psalm 18. Verse 2 says, “The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my savior, My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.” So, come in from the wilderness of sin and strife. Put your full trust in Jesus, Who came to give you peace.

Father, You are my rescuer. You have delivered me from the wilderness and the jackals.

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Bible, Chosen, Covenant, Emotions, God's Will, Heart, Love, Relationships, Scripture

I LOVE YOU

MALACHI 1:2

“‘I have loved you,’” says the LORD. ‘But you say, “How have You loved us?” Was Esau not Jacob’s brother?’ declares the LORD. ‘Yet I have loved Jacob;’” 

I honestly don’t remember the first time I told my wife, “I love you.” Before you start sending me emails (lol), it was a quick courtship. She knew she was going to marry me after our first date. I knew after the second, and I asked her to marry me on the third. God told us both to commit to each other. Our love blossomed quickly. I tell her daily that I love her because she needs to hear it and I need to say it.

I just love how the Lord starts his message to Israel by saying, “I have loved you.” In the Hebrew that is only two words, but two finer words could not have been written. The Hebrew word for “love” used here is the same word used in Deuteronomy 6:5. “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.” Just as He loves, we are to love.

APPLICATION

1 John 4:19 tells us, “We love, because He first loved us.” Of course, we love Him. Look what He has done for us. He created us in His image. He gave us the Law to point us toward loving Him and loving others. He sent His only Son to die for us to show His love. What else do people need to see in order to see His love.

You have probably heard people say, “How could a loving God send anyone to hell?” The bottom line is – God does not do that. He is loving them and offering them a way of escape. Only their unrepentant hearts lead them to hell. God is love, we are told in 1 John 4:16. “We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.”

Do you know His love today? I pray you do. If you have not experienced the depths of His love, come to Him. Perhaps there is someone in your life who needs His love. Show them His love by the way you love them. God still uses people to perform His works. Love well.

God, You are love, and I want to dwell in it.

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Abiding, Attitude, Bible, Choices, Commands, Evil, Goodness, Kindness, Love, Promises, Scripture

DETERMINED FOR GOOD

ZECHARIAH 8:15

“‘“so I have again determined in these days to do good to Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. Do not fear!”’”

I have to admit that my heart has not always been determined for good. In my B.C. (Before Christ) days, I was rebellious and only wanted my own way. I would use people to get what I wanted. My heart was prone towards evil. I put on a good outward expression, but my heart was evil. I only did good if it would help me in my own pursuits. That’s a horrible way to live.

I love this little phrase in today’s verse. God says, “I have…determined…to do good.” He purposed. He decided. He planned. His goodness was not an accident. This same verb is used to describe the woman in Proverbs 31:16. “She considers a field and buys it; from her earnings she plants a vineyard.” The word “considers” is the same word used here in Zechariah 8:15. God desires good for us. He is even planning and considering it for us now. That’s awesome.

APPLICATION

Guess what? You can “determine to do good” as well. Through Christ, you can do good for others, even those whom you don’t particularly like to be around. Just follow Christ’s example. He did good to all. He showed now preference. He reached out to the Samaritans, the publicans, the rich, the poor. He showed no prejudice. Paul tells us in Galatians 6:9, “Let’s not become discouraged in doing good, for in due time we will reap, if we do not become weary.”

Over in 2 Thessalonians 3:13 we see Paul use the same exhortation to the Thessaloniki church. “But as for you, brothers and sisters, do not grow weary of doing good.” All through Scripture we are told to do good. We even quote the Golden Rule, don’t we? You know that. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Those words aren’t exactly in Scripture but do refer to the words of Jesus in Matthew 7:12 and Luke 6:31.

The bottom line is do good to others. Be like God. Let others see Jesus in you. Share the love of Jesus. Let it permeate you so much that it just “leaks out” on others. If you have someone in your life who does not like you or even hates you, pray for them. Lift them to Jesus. He can handle them a lot better that you can. And when He gives you the opportunity to bless them, do it. Do good, not evil. Be Jesus to someone today.

Give me the chance to do good today, O Lord. I want to be like You.

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Bible, Child Raising, Children, Love, Playing, Salvation, Scripture, Witnessing

SLOW! CHILDREN AT PLAY!

ZECHARIAH 8:5

“‘“And the public squares of the city will be filled with boys `and girls playing in its squares.”’”

Throughout the streets of neighborhoods in the U.S., you will often see a street sign that reads, “Slow Children at play.” It is intended to make the driver slow down and watch for children playing near or even in the street. The last thing you want to see happen is a child hit by a car as they were playing. I want to encourage you to pray each time you see that sign and thank God for playing children.

God continues His promises to Jerusalem in verse 5. Now, He is telling them that their children will also prosper. They will once again play in the streets. The sound of children playing will fill the public squares of Jerusalem. Can’t you just see all the children running and playing in and out of the markets and playing all sorts of tag games or hide and seek? I am sure they had their own games during their time which occupied their imaginations. What a sight!

APPLICATION

One of my favorite paintings is by Mark Keathley entitled “Dance of Grace.” You can view it here: http://www.infinityfineart.com/danceofgracebymarkkeathley.php

I love this painting because it shows children playing, but more importantly, it shows our Savior playing with them. I can imagine Him doing that. He said in Matthew 19:14, “But Jesus said, ‘Leave the children alone, and do not forbid them to come to Me; for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.’” This same story is told in both Mark and Luke. Three different authors recorded this, so children must have been important to Jesus.

How important are they to you? Does the sound of children playing thrill your heart? It does mine. I have a five-year-old granddaughter, and I love to hear her laugh and play when she visits us. She is such a rascal. I pray for her salvation every day. I want her to one day “play” with Jesus in eternity. That’s my ultimate prayer for her.

Do you have children or grandchildren whom have not come to a saving knowledge of Jesus? As much as you may enjoy the sound of them playing, how much better would it be to hear them praying. Notice that – just one letter changed – “l” to “r.” But what a difference that one letter makes. Pray for the children. Maybe we need a sign that says, “Slow, Children Praying.”

O Lord, my God, would You save the children. Use us to share the good news of Jesus to them.

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Abiding, Bible, Dominion, Fighting, God's Will, Indwelling, Love, Protection, Scripture

DOMINATION

ZECHARIAH 6:7

“When the strong ones went out, they were eager to go to patrol the earth. And He said, ‘Go, patrol the earth.’ So they patrolled the earth.”

When I was in high school, I played football. We were a small school and normally only had 25-30 players. I usually played both offense and defense, only getting off the field at half-time or the end of the game. We played one school from Alabama that was probably three times our size. Needless to say, we were completely dominated by this team. Their size, strength numbers just overwhelmed us.

The same is true for the “strong ones” mentioned here in verse 7. These “strong ones” represented the Roman Empire, which we know dominated the known world. They were a force that most nations had no chance against. Their numbers and the force of their fighting were too much. So, the mention of them patrolling the earth is a reference to this domination.

APPLICATION

Before you get worried about being dominated, let me put your mind at ease. As a child of the King, we know He has complete domination. The difference between His domination and Rome’s is God dominates with love. You can’t discuss God’s love without referring to 1 Corinthians 13. “4 Love is patient, love is kind, it is not jealous; love does not brag, it is not arrogant. 5 It does not act disgracefully, it does not seek its own benefit; it is not provoked, does not keep an account of a wrong suffered, 6 it does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; 7 it keeps every confidence, it believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8 Love never fails;…”

When we give our hearts to Jesus, God sends His Holy Spirit to fill us. That Spirit reminds us over and over about God’s amazing love. On those days when you are feeling low, remember just how much He loves you. Listen to the Word of God again in Romans 8:38-39. “38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

God’s dominating love! It gives us hope. It conquers fears. It brings us peace. I pray you know His love today. If you don’t, ask Him to come into your life today as you confess your sins and accept Jesus as your Savior. You will never be the same.

Love lifted me, love lifted me. When nothing else could help, love lifted me.

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Accountability, Bible, Commands, Following, Love, Obedience, Salvation, Scripture

STEALING AND SWEARING

ZECHARIAH 5:3

“Then he said to me, ‘This is the curse that is going forth over the face of the entire land; everyone who steals certainly will be purged away according to the writing on one side, and everyone who swears falsely will be purged away according to the writing on the other side.’”

My dad would not tolerate stealing. Nor would he put up with foul language. My dad wasn’t perfect and didn’t come to Christ until later in life, but he was intent on raising us right. I never had the desire to steal (except for that one piece of candy at the grocery store), but I was prone to cuss and swear. Of course, I knew better but still did it.

Do you wonder why this flying scroll singled out these two sins? The commandment against stealing was on one side of the tablet of the ten commandments and swearing (against God) was on the other. They were the eighth and third commandments, respectively. One had to do with sins against others and the other against God. These were representative of the sins of the people.

APPLICATION

It is not hard to see how to apply this to our lives today. What are your sins against others? What are your sins against God? You know them, but have you confessed them to the Lord and asked His forgiveness? I understand that as a child of the Lord and a believer in Jesus as our Savior, we are under grace, not the Law. But we still need to obey His commandments. We are to still strive to be holy.

Leviticus 22:31 tells us, “‘So you shall keep My commandments, and do them; I am the LORD.’” Jesus said in John 14:15, “‘If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.’” Commandment keeping is still important. Let me repeat – we are under grace, not the Law. However, we are expected to follow God’s commands.

You may not steal or swear, but I am willing to bet that you have committed sins against others and God. Take a moment right now and search your heart. Ask the Lord to reveal those transgressions to you and then confess them as sin. Confession is saying the same thing about your sin that God says. Agree with Him. He will forgive. Follow Him.

Oh Father, keep me from transgressing against You and my neighbor. I want to please You.

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Bible, Eyes, Fellowship, Looking, Love, Radiance, Reflection, Scripture

THE APPLE OF HIS EYE

ZECHARIAH 2:8

“For the LORD of armies says this: ‘After glory He has sent me against the nations that plunder you, for the one who touches you, touches the apple of His eye.’”

You have heard, I am sure, lots of moms or dads say that their child was the apple of their eye. What does that mean? Well, I googled it. Here’s what I found. “The phrase comes from a Hebrew expression that literally means ‘little man of the eye. ‘ It refers to the tiny reflection of yourself that you can see in other people’s pupils. To be the apple of someone’s eye clearly means that you are being focused on and watched closely by that person.”

That certainly applies to today’s verse. Israel was the apple of God’s eye. He was focused on theme. He was watching them closely. So, if anyone touched them, they were touching God as well. We know what that means. If the enemies of Israel touched her, they were going to receive the full wrath of God. What a promise Zechariah was delivering to an exile weary people.

APPLICATION

I decided to see where else that phrase “apple of my eye” was used in Scripture. I found three other locations. The first is in   Psalm 17:8. “Keep me as the apple of the eye; Hide me in the shadow of Your wings.” Another was in Deuteronomy 32:10. “He found him in a desert land, and in the howling wasteland of a wilderness; He encircled him, He cared for him, He guarded him as the apple of His eye.” And the third is in Proverbs 7:2. “Keep my commandments and live, And my teaching as the apple of your eye.”

Those first two are how God sees us – as the apple of His eye. If you are a child of the King, that is a given. But the third is referring to how we see God’s Word. We should have it as the apple of our eyes. We should watch it closely. We should focus on it. And Who is the Word? Jesus. Jesus should be able to see Himself in our eyes.

How close are you to the Lord today? We know He sees us as the apple of His eye, but are you seeing Jesus that way? Is He the apple of your eye. Come closer. Let Him look intently into your eyes. He wants to see Himself in you. Come closer. Come closer still. Now then – there’s that reflection He is looking for. And now you can see yourself in His eyes. You are the apple of His eye.

I shall look closely at You, O Lord. I want to see Jesus as the apple of my eye.

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Battles, Bible, Defense, Husbands, Jealousy, Love, Rescue, Scripture

A JEALOUS GOD

ZECHARIAH 1:14

“So the angel who was speaking with me said to me, ‘Proclaim, saying, This is what the LORD of armies says: “I am exceedingly jealous for Jerusalem and Zion.”’” 

Jealousy is often portrayed as a bad thing. Sure, jealousy can make us do stupid things. It can lead us to lash out at others. But I want you to know that I am jealous – for my wife. Just let some other man look at her the wrong way. My jealousy erupts to protect and defend her. My love for her will allow nothing else. Proverbs 6:34 warns me though against any extreme reaction. “For the woman’s jealous husband will be furious, and he will show no mercy when he takes revenge.”

God is saying to the people through the angel and then through Zechariah that He is a jealous God. Matthew Poole says this about verse 14. “I have been jealous against, but now am jealous for Jerusalem; my love is now heightened to a very high degree of compassion for my people, and of indignation against her enemies and oppressors.”

APPLICATION

That’s how God feels about you now. He is a jealous God. He loves you with an everlasting love. He will rise up against your enemies to defend you. He will guard and protect you. You belong to Him, and nothing can change that. Once you have given your life to Jesus, that covenant is sealed. You may be attacked. You may suffer at times. But God is there to bring you through.

What are you jealous about? You have no right to be. Acts 7:9 shows us a negative result of jealousy. “‘The patriarchs became jealous of Joseph and sold him into Egypt. Yet God was with him,’” You know the story of Joseph. He was sold as a slave, falsely accused by his master’s wife, sent to prison, forgotten about for a couple of years and then finally put into power by Pharoah.

You are probably thinking you are quite sure about that kind of rescue. Well, honestly, I would prefer a different route to freedom also. But I trust my God, who loves me jealously, to have my back. I may not approve of His methods, but I trust His purpose. Do you? Will you come all this jealous God to love you for eternity? He is waiting for your response.

Lord, Your jealousy over me is not sinful. It is pure and holy.

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Bible, Comfort, Compassion, Faithfulness, Grace, Love, Scripture

COMFORTING WORDS

ZECHARIAH 1:13

“And the LORD responded to the angel who was speaking with me with gracious words, comforting words.”

You have heard it said that it is not so much what you say as how you say it. That is true. I have experienced that many times in ministry. Comforting words are not hard. They can do so much for the person listening. When people are hurting or worried, words of comfort can soothe the wounds. Comforting words are also deliberate and thoughtful. As we look at today’s verse, think about that.

I love this verse. Just look at the words again. The Lord spoke gracious and comforting words to the angel who was asking Him the question we saw in verse 12. The word used for “gracious” is towb, which is the basic word for good, kindly, joyful or beautiful. It is used over 560 times in the Old Testament. In contrast is the word for “comfort,” which is only used 3 times (here, Isaiah 57:18, Hosea 1:8). It means comfort, compassion or repenting. The Lord is showing His comfort and compassion as He speaks.

APPLICATION

Oh, listen to this verse today. The Lord is the same Lord who spoke those words. Psalm 103:8 says, “The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in love.” Do you believe that? Have you experienced His comfort and grace? Boy, I have time and time again.

I also love Lamentations 3:22-23. “22 Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.

23 They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” How comforting is that? That’s our Lord. That’s our God. He hasn’t changed. And now we have that same responsibility – to share comfort.

Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 1:3-5 some of the most comforting words. “3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. 5 For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ.” Will you be the source of comfort for others?

Thank You, Father, for Your comforting words. Give me those same words as I comfort others.

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