Daily Prayer

Good morning! How are we faithing? I've been in some conversations as of late and that the subject matter should be talked about. People seem to get in a state where they think they have to prove their love to each other and to God. Falling in love with your mate for example can begin with performance but the actual love for that person doesn't rest on performance. If it did, no one would stay married because we all goof up. My kids were not perfect growing up. One started a camp fire in the basement and said,"I was cold". One stole with a buddy at K-mart for no reason other than to do it. Did I want to slap the snot out of them? Oh yeah but the love didn't change. They had to be punished for those deeds but I still loved them just as much and they knew it. If they thought I loved them based on performance, how screwed up would their relationships with their mates become? How would they understand unconditional love? How could they fathom a God who loves them no matter what? Could they even understand that Jesus died for them out of love and they can't earn that love or lose it? It is a gift of God and we don't deserve it because of our deeds but because it is freely given out of that same kind of love. The only performance criteria is the belief and acceptance of Jesus as messiah.

Romans 10:9
That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved
KJV

1 John 1:9
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
KJV

1 John 4:15
Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.
KJV

Psalms 32:55
I acknowledged my sin to You, And my iniquity I have not hidden. I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the LORD," And You forgave the iniquity of my sin.
NKJV

Those are but a few verses that bear out this principle. Did you see any performance based ways to earn the love and salvation of God? Nope, and you won't find any. The only thing we must do is believe and accept. Things that we do after a saving knowledge of Jesus are manifestations of the realization of that love and the Holy Spirit living in us, not the other way around. We ain't perfect, he is. Our kids ain't perfect and yet we love them so much we would die for them without a second thought. Think about this concept and see that you are loved regardless so if you are putting yourself down, stop. If you are depressed thinking you are doomed because you goofed up majorly, cut it out. We are his kids and we may be disciplined but we are always loved!
Remember Gloria Sylvester...Bob and Brenda...Robbie's opportunity...Phillip and his family...

Heavenly Father,
Thank you for showing your love for us. Help us see that you care for us even when we slip and fall. Lord we lift those mentioned, open doors, heal them and show your face! Lord we ask you shower your people with so much love we can't even begin to deny your presence. Lord keep us healthy and open to the teachings you provide. Keep us so in tune with the straight and narrow that the goof ups lesson and we spot them coming a mile away. Lord we worship and praise your holy name! In Jesus name we pray, Amen!