"There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear." I John 4:18 NIV

"God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him," John explains. Love--God's pure and perfect love--sets us free. Where we might have been intimidated by someone smarter or prettier, God sets us free to love. Where we might have been resentful toward someone who has hurt or betrayed us, God sets us free to love. Where we might have been fearful to let down our walls, God gives us freedom to risk loving anyway.

God's love for us is deep, sure, and unwavering. John states that the reason there is no fear in love is "because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love." When we accept Jesus as our savior, our sins are wiped away forever by the sacrifice of blood that he made on the cross. Jesus already took our punishment. We are now sheltered in the arms of love forever. We may know consequences or correction, but the final punishment has been spared us.

If we have experienced this powerful love of God, it should set us free to love others in the same way that we are loved. With loving comes risk. Not everyone deserves our love; not everyone will reciprocate our love; not everyone will appreciate our love. We are free to love anyway, and to love without fear--with wisdom and discernment, certainly, but not with fear.

"Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love."

"For great is your love, reaching to the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the skies." Psalm 57:10 NIV

When David wrote these words, there were no high-powered telescopes or satellites to send back pictures from space. There was simply a vast canopy covering the earth, a mysterious open space that made the ceiling of the world. The sky wore many faces: blue on a sunny day, with puffy white clouds flitting past; gray and dismal when rain threatened; dark at night, sometimes with a sprinkling of stars or the pale illumination of a silver moon. Even more vast and unknown than the sea, the sky was the greatest concept the psalmist could fathom.

He used this metaphor to illustrate the incredible, immeasurable depth of God's love for us. And not only his love, but his faithfulness. When God makes a promise, we can count on him to keep it. When he promises that his love never fails, that his forgiveness has no limits, and that he will never leave us, we can rest in the assurance of these truths. He blesses us beyond what we deserve, is faithful to us even when we fail and deny him.

How often do we take the time to meditate on the marvelous scope of God's faithfulness and love? How often do we stop long enough to sing his praises, to thank him with hearts full of gratitude? When the demands of our schedule consume our energy, or when the stresses of uncertain times burden us, we need to remember God's faithfulness and be comforted and strengthened.

"Jesus replied, 'If anyone loves me, he will obey my teachings. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.'" John 14:23 NIV

Last week I wrote rather glibly about living every day as an act of worship. But the idea stayed with me. I began to ponder what it means to live a life of worship, and if I'm successfully living it. It's one of those concepts that sound so churchy we have difficulty connecting with it.

Jesus made it clear that if we say we love him, our lives should reflect it through obedience to his teachings. Our songs on Sunday morning are nice. Our prayers at Bible Study are nice, too. But God wants to see our love expressed to him in the everyday moments of obedience. There are many teachings of Christ that are difficult to emulate consistently: love your neighbor as yourself; love your enemies and pray for them; don't worry.

As I examine my own life, I am convicted of my selfishness, impatience, and anxious thoughts. Do I honor God with my life when I lay awake at night worrying? When I spend great amounts of time in prayer for my own life and loved ones and neglect the concerns and cares of the people around me? When my attitude does not reflect a calm and peaceful heart? The answer is obvious.

Lord, forgive me for how I fail you each day. Fill me with your Spirit and help my love for you to overflow into every area of my life. Help me to daily express love, patience, and trust, and to bring glory to you with my life.

"For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." Ephesians 2:10 NIV

Despite the misery of fall allergies, I can't help but be enthralled by the beauty of the season. The flawless blue sky constrasted against the golden and russet leaves bathed in the glow of warm sunshine; the rustling sound as the wind moves through the leaves and then casts them swirling to the ground; they seem to me as unique expressions of God's creative handiwork. Each season has its own peculiar beauty, but none captures my imagination like autumn.

As I gaze out at the vivid colors and brilliant sunshine, I think of the love that God has invested into his creation. He could have made the planet merely functional, given it only the requirements necessary to sustain life. But he took it beyond that and made it full of mystery, majesty and beauty.

Then he placed humankind on it and instructed us to care for and enjoy this work of God's own hands. We were the crowning achievement of his creation. What a humbling realization that God himself invested the same lavish love and thought into you and me.

We are his workmanship, created not just to fill space and mark time, but to accomplish God's purposes through the gift of this life he has given us. We were placed on this planet, not to amass wealth and material success, but to live meaningful lives that reflect the love of God. Each day we spend breathing should be an act of worship, giving glory to the Creator who gave us breath.

"Let all that I am praise the Lord; may I never forget the good things he does for me." Psalm 103:2 NLT

"Count your blessings, name them one by one.
Count your blessings, see what God has done.
Count your blessings, name them one by one.
And it will surprise you what the Lord has done."

When the burdens and struggles of life pile up in front of us and block our vision, it's easy to lose sight of the lessons of the past. When we add up the blessings God has given us and remember the times he has shown himself faithful, suddenly we have a new vista in front of us.

The challenges we face sometimes seem insurmountable. But we do not face them alone. When we put our faith in Jesus Christ, he sends his Spirit to live inside us. Whatever we face, he faces with us. Sometimes he is called The Counselor, and other times The Comfortor.

These times of uncertainty test our faith and have the potential to build our character. If only our emotions didn't tangle us up and short-circuit our memories. When we feel overwhelmed by the mountain of troubles staring us in the face, we need to drop to our knees in prayer. And when we see God's work in our lives, we need to make record of it and retrieve it like a weapon to face the next onslaught of trials.

Is there something in your life that looms like Mt. Everest in your path? Praise the Lord for his past faithfulness, and ask him for the strength and wisdom to navigate the rocky terrain.

If you would like someone to pray for you, please reply to rebekahsjubilee@yahoo.com and I will come alongside you in pryaer. If you do not wish to share details, simply request prayer and God will know what your needs are. You are not alone.

"So don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows." Matthew 10:31 NIV

Have you ever had that sinking feeling as the terrible awareness hit that you weren't good enough? That you were unwanted? Or unloved? That you failed again at something important. You feel sick and want to curl up in a ball and cry yourself to sleep. We've all had them. And the memory remains even after we think we've moved on.

Somewhere in the human psyche lingers the question of worth. Maybe we failed because we don't deserve to succeed. Maybe no one loves us because we aren't worthy to be loved. We just aren't good enough. Perhaps no other issue has the ability to incapacitate us as effectively. Given full reign, the demon of worthlessness can deprive us of every joy we desire.

How do we combat these debilitating feelings? First of all, we need to confront the truth. The things that have been done to us by others, or the things that just happened in life, sent us an untrue message. We interpreted these negative experiences as reflections of our value. But our worth is not defined by the external events that shape our lives. Our worth is given to us by the Creator of Life, and nothing can take it away from us.

Jesus warned his disciples that they would face persecution, betrayal, and want. But he also told them that there was no need for fear. They were loved.

God sees the little sparrow when it falls; and you are worth more to him than many sparrows.

"The disciples went and woke him, saying, 'Lord, save us! We're going to drown!'

He replied, 'You of little faith, why are you so afraid?' Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.

The men were amazed and asked, 'What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!'" Matthew 8:25-27 NIV

The disciples witnessed first-hand as Jesus healed a wide assortment of illnesses and cast out demons. Were they dense? Did they have short-term memory loss? Why didn't they know who he was and believe that he could rescue them from this storm?

But before we criticize the disciples too harshly, let's pause and look in the mirror. How many times have I witnessed God working in my own life? How many storms has he safely carried me through? And yet I feel afraid. The winds and the waves in my life look so strong and I feel so weak. I forget who he is. I forget what he can do.

When the disciples begin to panic, Jesus looks at them and ask, "You of little faith, why are you so afraid?" Our fear reveals that at the core level, we're failing to trust God. Fear cannot live in the presence of trust. The only remedy to our fear is to place our trust completely in God.

Of course, he won't always command the winds and waves to calm down. Sometimes God lets the storm rage and guides our little boat safely to shore. Either way, we can find calm in our hearts if we would only remember who he is and trust him with our lives.