Streams in the Desert

 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! (Philippians 4:4).

It is a good thing to "rejoice in the Lord." Perhaps you have tried it but seemed to fail at first. Don't give it a second thought, and forge ahead. Even when you cannot feel any joy, there is no spring in your step, nor any comfort or encouragement in your life, continue to rejoice and "consider it pure joy" (James 1:2). "Whenever you face trials of many kinds" (James 1:2), regard it as joy, delight in it, and God will reward your faith. Do you believe that your heavenly Father will let you carry the banner of His victory and joy to the very front of the battle, only to calmly withdraw to see you captured or beaten back by the enemy? NEVER! His Holy Spirit will sustain you in your bold advance and fill your heart with gladness and praise. You will find that your heart is exhilarated and refreshed by the fullness within.

Lord, teach me to rejoice in You - to "be joyful always" (1 Thess. 5:16).
--selected

The weakest saint may Satan rout,
Who meets him with a praiseful shout.

Be filled with the Spirit... Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord.
--Ephesians 5:18-19

God is So Much More than Love..... By Mike Nappa

 God is So Much More than Love

By Mike Nappa

“God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.” ( 1 John 4:16)

I’ve been having trouble sleeping lately (big surprise). When that happens, I usually pass the night trying to pray through questions I have about faith and life, and lately I’ve been praying about love. You see, I have known great love, intimately, purposely, lavished on me with unwavering determination for 30 years, three months, and three days. Then, too soon, came the day when cancer took my wife’s body, set her spirit free, and left me behind sleepless and alone. Now, more than a year after hearing the hum of Amy’s last breath, I keep wondering why the pain of losing this love (at least here on this earth) has kept such a stranglehold on me for so long after she has died.

I’ve thought about it a lot, and read about love and the meanings of love. I’ve also studied the Greek terms for love, especially the Greek word agapē which is supposed to be the highest expression of love—a pure, selfless, unconditional thing. But as I meditate on the love I’ve experienced, examining how it shaped and reshaped me, even agapē seems not enough to explain it.

I know that Amy’s love for me was rooted in the truth that “God is love”—something the Apostle John taught us both ( 1 John 4:16). If that’s really true, then love encompasses more than just the highest expression of selflessness. Inherent in Christ’s personhood is every shade and texture and breath and aspect and heartbeat and death knell and meaning of whatever love is. This is probably why  1 Corinthians 13 describes love (and by extension God) with a laundry list of concepts: “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres…” This is also why, within each of us, the presence of God (who is love) naturally expresses itself in “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” ( Galatians 5:22-23).

So if God is love, and God is all these things, then love is all these things, which makes it more than simply agapē. His love is not just the highest form of love, it is ALL of love—love that laughs, that rests, that waits and forgives and so much more.

Even love defined as all of love is not adequate to explain the kind of love I’ve experienced, both from Amy and from our Christ. And here’s why:

Language at its core is a collection of symbols that society agrees will represent reality. Our words for love are, at best then, tokens of meaning, not exact expressions of substance. We cram letters together and say “this is what those letters mean” but symbols alone can never fully communicate the truth of what they represent.

L-o-v-e is not just what we’ve all agreed that those letters should define. It is unfathomably, immeasurably, inexpressibly more. We know it instinctively, deep within the soul, but we can never adequately define or even understand it.

And so tonight, while I can’t sleep, I look at   1 John 4:16 (“God is love”) and no longer see just a definition of God or love or agapē to catalog and quote with casual indifference. Those three words, those simple alphabetical symbols have now become for me a moment of awe… a reason to worship… an unbreakable promise that the best is yet to come.

The Month of Love..... by Shawn McEvoy

 The Month of Love

by Shawn McEvoy

Husbands, go all out in your love for your wives, exactly as Christ did for the church - a love marked by giving, not getting. - Ephesians 5:25, The Message

For once in my marriage, I really did something right.

My wife's name is Valerie - Val for short - so she's always held Valentine's Day in even higher esteem than most women. Not only that, but her birthday is March 15, so she's always believed (with a smile, of course) that February 14 through March 15 equals "The Month of Love" equals "it's all about her" for one-twelfth of the year.

One year, I decided to agree. Each morning for 31 days when she woke up, there was a small hand-made red envelope (amazing what useful skills one can learn watching children's programming) stuck on some wall of our house. Written in sparkly marker (chicks dig the sparklies) on the outside of the envelope was one of her top character qualities. Inside the envelope was a Bible memory verse related to that quality. Embedded in the memory verse was a clue to where a small hidden gift could be found in or around our home.

I just thought this could be a nice little way to tell her I love her. Boy was I short-sighted. I could have bought her the Taj Mahal and she wouldn't have appreciated it more, been more thoroughly impressed. "He went to Jared"? No way. He went to PBS and Hobby Lobby with a detour to Wal-Mart. But already Val is considering how to pass this story down to our grandchildren. She says I will never top myself. And she was saying these things before she even knew about the surprise at the end, where all the envelopes could be arranged so that the first letter of each character quality would spell out the grand prize: that she had her choice of a new wardrobe, upgraded wedding ring, or vacation, any of which would be shopped for together, 'cause she's big on that. Even so, she never took me up on the grand prize. I can't say I wasn't a little bit disappointed, but she was definitely exercising the wisdom of foresight. And anyway, to her, the biggest gift had already been received.

Valerie thinks this took me ages to dream up and hours to prepare, but it took me about 10 minutes per day, plus a weekly trip to the store to stock up on a few minor gifts. But the outcome net me - if not crowns in Heaven - at least major returns in this life. Anytime a group of gals gathers together and asks each other, "What the best gift you've ever received?" that ends up being a fun day. Several times during the Month of Love itself I was told to take an evening to myself and go see a movie. And I learned something I thought I already knew - diamonds aren't a girl's best friend. Her husband is, if he even shows a rhinestone's-worth of interest in her.

Not every wife speaks the same "Love Language." I know some who truly would have preferred a simple one-time big purchase, while others would be thrilled to see him voluntarily wash dishes and dust shelves. But this I can be fairly sure in saying about wives: what all of them really want is a husband that makes an effort to understand them and speak their language, whatever it is, without being told. Yeah, I know, and all one has to do to make millions in the majors is hit a curveball. But unlike the major leagues, in marriage, most of the time, simply making the effort is appreciated.

Intersecting Faith & Life: If you haven't already, read The Five Love Languages with your spouse. Once you learn what says, "I love you" to him or her, come up with a special way of saying so.

Further Reading

Hebrews 13:4

A Prayer to Know How to Help..... By: Kristine Brown

 A Prayer to Know How to Help

By: Kristine Brown

“Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will repay him for his deed.” -Proverbs 19:17 ESV

Catastrophic events. They happen halfway across the world and also close to home. Something like a hurricane or wildfire can affect thousands. When we hear about these types of events, our inclination is to reach out and be “the hands and feet of Jesus” by doing what we can to help those in need.

But there are also those devastating personal circumstances that may only affect a few. Every day, people we know could be blindsided by a catastrophic event of their own. Our family, church friends, coworkers, and neighbors. In their world, the magnitude measures that of a tornado or tsunami, yet no one will see it on the news. We long to do something to help. But what? How do we help someone going through the worst experience of their life?

When Jesus walked on this earth, He made clear our commission to help the poor. Our church model today follows His example with outreach programs that give food, clothing, and shelter to those in need.

“Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will repay him for his deed.” Proverbs 19:17 ESV

But Jesus also shared a valuable truth about who we are called to help. Because some catastrophic events leave us poor in basic necessities like a home or food to eat, but others will leave us poor in spirit.

Matthew 5:3 records Jesus’ words, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” When God tugs at our hearts and we feel compelled to help, we need to first decide how. Is there a physical need or an emotional one? Can I help by giving of my finances, my time, or just being there? God will guide us as we offer support to those suffering around us.

Maybe you know someone in a difficult situation today. Someone who needs help, but you aren’t sure where to start. Let’s reach out to the Lord through this prayer as we determine how to help someone in need. Then, we will be ready to reach out to others.

Dear Heavenly Father,

I understand that we will all experience those times in life that leave us devastated. Thank you for teaching us through your son Jesus how to help others going through tough times. Give me a heart to serve and a willingness to obey. Show me Your ways, Lord.

Sometimes I get overwhelmed looking at the needs around me. I want to help but don’t know where to start. I pray for wisdom and discernment as I reach out to others. Whether poor in provision or poor in spirit, You have provided ways I can help. Lead me as I use what you’ve given me to be the hands and feet of Jesus in my community.

With all the tragedies in the world, it’s easy to overlook the needs right around me. Direct me to those people in my own family, church, and neighborhood who need the love of Jesus right now. Show me how to be a friend to someone who needs that today. And when I’m in need, thank you for sending someone into my life to offer support and care.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.