The Love of a Father
My father grew up in the Depression era in a leaky and cold house. He said, in winter months, he could sometimes have snow in his bedroom. The house was not well insulated, so the wind could bring a chill. Though the conditions were difficult, he never questioned the loved of his father.
One frigid night, my father woke up and was thirsty. He called out to his dad and asked him for some water. They did not have running water in the house, so my grandfather had to go outside in the cold to get a cup of water. My dad could hear the floor creaking as my grandfather stepped through the dark house. He heard the door open and the ice breaking as my grandfather got the water from a bucket that had frozen over.
As my grandfather brought the cup of water to my dad's bedside, my dad said he had never felt so loved as he did in that moment. His father had sacrificed his own comfort to satisfy my dad's thirst. What a great example of a father's love.
Our heavenly Father has done this for us. He knows what we need and He provides for us even better than our earthly fathers can.
But the greatest lesson is this. He has loved us to the point of His own personal sacrifice. Jesus left the comforts of heaven to come down to this dark world to satisfy our deepest thirst. He came so that we would never thirst again.
Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water. ... whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life" (John 4:11, 14, NIV).
Loving the Source
Recently a young man called to ask me if I could remember a certain sermon I had preached. More specifically he wanted to use an illustration about church history that I had used. It had been years since I preached at his church and I was amazed he had remembered the sermon and the illustration. I knew where the story had come from and began digging through some old books to find it.
I found the book I was looking for that had been stacked away. I had not opened it in 20 years. I opened the old yellowing pages and began flipping through the marked up pages like I had just been reunited with some old friend.
There was a marker in the book. It was an old envelope now faded. My heart jumped when I noticed the handwriting. Could it be? Yes it was! A letter from my grandmother when I was in college. The date was still there on the post mark. I couldn't wait to read the letter.
Emotion gripped me as I carefully removed the stationary from the envelope. What a treasure! My dear little grandmother who had loved me and believed in me. What did she have to say to me? The note was so encouraging then, but even more so now.
I love that note. Why? Because I love the sender.
So how is it that we get to the point that we love the scriptures? Simple really. Fall in love with the sender, the source. When we realize the scriptures are a love note to us and we consider the source, and love God more, we develop a pure love for the text.
"Oh, how I love your law! I meditate on it all day long" (Psalm 119:97, NIV).
"I delight in your decrees; I will not neglect your word" (Psalm 119:16).
'Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them" (John 14:21, NIV).
"Your words were found, and I ate them, and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart, for I am called by your name, O Lord, God of hosts" (Jeremiah 15:16, ESV).
Who's Your Bouncer? Perfect Love Bounces Fear to the Curb
At exclusive events, there's a head of security, affectionately known as a "bouncer." He gets to decide who's in and who's out, who gets to stay and who has to leave.
It's reasonable to expect that even the best of bouncers will sometimes let bad characters past the gate. But it's just as reasonable to expect that anything or anyone creating trouble or disruption will promptly be booted to the curb.
The patrons and participants are then able to enjoy the event, free from the fear.
Likewise, our spiritual lives need a gate keeper, a bouncer ready to kick to the curb anything which might cause us to fear.
Since God has no one or nothing to fear, He loves completely and perfectly! In making that love known and available to us, He equips us with all the pieces we need to love one another. This is possible no matter how scary it may seem to exercise that love. How great of God to make this possible!
John tells us that "perfect love casts out fear" (1 John 4:18). This is the principle upon which we have the confidence/boldness to stand before God on judgment (4:17). Since God's love for us is so thorough, and He has made it known to us (4:7-15), we are able to live it out with Him living among and within us (4:16). Because we're living out God's character (love) today, we have confidence before him at that final day (4:17).
Therefore, anytime fear threatens to keep us from loving — and love is difficult, so fear will attempt it often! — we boot it out, bounce it to the curb! When we allow God's truth to be our "bouncer" (see 4:1), then we invite his love more and more into our lives. When fears sneak in, even when we don't want them to, and they cause a scene, we cast them out. And we do it through the practice of love.
To choose our own desires or act in self-preservation is to give more and more power to fear. Choosing to act in love is an exercise of supreme trust in God. There can be no trust where fear abides.
Bounce it to the curb!