Heart of God - 1 John 3:1

1 John 3:1        See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know Him. (NIV)

            Like most of us, there are times and days when I rely on God’s love more than anything else. When I become weary or anxious, I need God’s assurance to pull me through those moments. When I feel depressed or confused, I lean on God’s understanding to help me find His light. And when I’m angry with myself or out of sorts with the rest of the world, I greatly require God’s peace to abide in my heart and mind.

            In today’s Bible verse, the apostle John tells us that we are God’s children. What a wonderful blessing! God calls us His children not because we’re perfect or saintly, but because Jesus has claimed that title for us. He has taken away the consequences of our sin and restored us to God’s delight and pleasure. Christ has become our elder Brother, who is willing to guide and bless us as His younger siblings, especially in our times of loss and grief, loneliness and isolation.

            I don’t know about you, but today I need God to be very close to me, to embrace and encourage me, and to hold and help me. Without God, life at times would be both unmanageable and unbearable. With Him beside me, I can stumble through the darkness and eventually come into Christ’s light.

            Wherever you are today and whatever you are going through, please know this: You are a child of God’s grace and love. You are not alone. His Spirit is with you and you are dear to God’s heart.

Questions for personal reflection

What am I feeling today? How can God help me?

Prayer:            Loving God, we thank You for Your Presence in our lives, especially when our minds are troubled and our feelings are unsettled. Allow us the gift of Your peace in our hearts and souls. Help us to know that we are loved by You, so that our spirits may be uplifted. In Christ’s Name, we make this heartfelt prayer. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment or ask questions about today’s message, please send him an email to Traqair@aol.com.

Today’s image is one of John’s psalms drawings. It’s based on a verse from Psalm 51. If you would like to view a larger version, please click this link: Psalm 51.

Short devotion: Listening to Jesus - Luke 9:35

Luke 9:35      A voice came from the cloud, saying, "This is My Son, Whom I have chosen; listen to Him." (NIV)

            Sometimes, instead of listening to Jesus, I listen to my own thoughts and ideas. I end up making foolish choices and stupid mistakes which Christ could have helped me to avoid. I thought that the older I got, the wiser I would become. That just doesn't happen. If I don’t listen to Jesus, I am not going to learn.

            I hear other people quoting Jesus, but not really listening or applying what He has said. It’s almost as if they have created their own fortune cookie Jesus who sagely expresses words of wisdom to justify their actions, choices, and decisions. I keep hearing things like “Judge not, or you’ll be judged,” or “Love one another,” or “Do unto others,” or even the apocryphal “We are all God’s children,” (which He never said). People misquote His words because they don’t read the Bible or truly listen to the Gospel. And what they don’t hear, they make up to suit themselves.

            When God candidly speaks to the three disciples on the Mount of Transfiguration (Luke 9:28-36), he does two things. Firstly, He reveals to them that Jesus is actually His Holy Son. Secondly, God commands them to listen to Him. We may not understand this at first, but what we have here is the true process of becoming and being a Christian. To be a Christian means that we have to believe that Jesus is God’s Holy Son. To remain a Christian, we have to keep listening to what He says, which we can only do if we consistently, studiously, and prayerfully keep reading the Gospels.

            So the challenge for all of us, including me, is this: Do I believe that Jesus is God’s Holy Son, and am I willing to listen to Him?

Prayer:          Lord Jesus, You are God’s Only and Holy Son. Open our hearts and minds so that we may truly listen to You. Enable us to consistently make the time to continually read the Gospels. Help us to serve You in all of our decisions and deeds. In Your Holy Name, we humbly pray. Amen.

John Stuart is currently the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to ask questions or make comments about today’s message, please send him an email to Traqair@aol.com.

The attached image is one of John’s latest Celtic type drawings called “Celtic Communion.” If you would like to view a larger version, please click on this link: Communion.