1 John 4:19 We love because [God] first loved us.
1 John 5:3 For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.
2 Timothy 2:21 So if anyone cleanses himself of what is unfit, he will be a vessel for honor: sanctified, useful to the Master, and prepared for every good work.
Isaiah 30:18 …the Lord longs to be gracious to you; therefore he will rise up to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him!
Luke 6:35 But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil.
Numbers 14:19 Pardon…the iniquity of this people according to the greatness of Thy lovingkindness, just as Thou also hast forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now.
May you leave behind the traditions and practices you have been taught which do not glorify the Lord and which keep you from quickly and readily obeying God so that He may be free to bless you with the choicest of blessings He has searched out for you. Ezekiel 20
May you follow the ways of the Lord you have been shown and walk in the truths He has given you during your times alone, shut in with Him, away from distractions; do not rebel against the Lord or reject His authority so that He may make of you a testimony of His goodness and power to those around you. Ezekiel 20
May you walk in gratitude and thanksgiving to the Lord for His multitude of blessings and His keeping power in your life, honoring His name for His goodness to you, and worshiping God for the inheritance He has given you, lest you turn to your own desires and consume His blessings for your own satisfactions, striving to be like those around you who serve wood and stone rather than knowing the true and living God, Who has led you and kept you in all of your ways, for He is your shield and defense. Ezekiel 20
May you pass under the rod of the Lord, as of a shepherd who cares for his flock, coming into the bond of His covenant, so that He may purge you of influences which revolt and rebel against God, making you ready to listen to Him and serve Him. He will accept you as fragrant incense as He shows Himself holy before you so that you will know that He is the Lord. Ezekiel 20
May you glorify the Lord for His work as your High Priest, Who entered the heavenly Most Holy Place, which was not made with hands, and offered up, through the eternal Spirit, the sacrifice of His own blood, His life, and obtained eternal redemption for you, cleansing your conscience from acts that lead to death so that you may serve the living God. Hebrews 9
My child, can you welcome Me with open arms and glad heart? Does your spirit leap within you for joy when you consider joining Me in eternity? Or do you shrink back, dreading the light, longing for more time in this world? Where is the joy of your life? To what treasure does your heart yearn?
Set your mind on things above rather than on earthly things, My love. Do not feed your old nature, but allow it to wither and die, for you have been raised into new life with Me, and I am seated in the heavenlies at the right hand of the Father. I am your life, My precious one, and when I appear, you also will appear with Me in glory.
Care for those I have given you to love, My cherished one, and show to them the compassion and mercy that I have given you. But do not cling to them, as though you were their source for all they need. Do you sustain them? Do you keep them breathing through the night as they sleep? Do you maintain the balance of the many marvelously wrought systems in their bodies that bring health and well-being each day? Love them in My love, but release them to Me, for I am their life, just as I am yours.
Do you thrill to the beauty of the earth, and the marvel of all creation? Do you soak in the majesty of the mountains, the power of the oceans, the incomprehensible complexity of the web of life from the soil underfoot to the tops of the trees and all the diversity in between? Do you feel astonishment at the way the tiniest particles of matter and energy obey the rules governing their behavior just as readily as the most enormous objects in the skies follow the laws I have set forth?
All of creation bears the mark of My nature, just as the clay of a pot bears the fingerprints of the potter. Rejoice in the aspects of My awesomeness that it reveals to you, but do not worship it in place of Me. Wear the world loosely, My little one, so that it can point and lead you to Me rather than be a stumbling block that diverts you from the worship of the true God.
All that you see, everything that can be measured or weighed, will pass away. Only I will remain. Seek to know Me, for it may be today that all you see will be taken from you. Will you rejoice to be in My presence? Will I be able to welcome you into My arms and say, “Well done! Enter into the joy of My kingdom.” I will make it so, if you turn to Me with all your heart while it is today.
May you give thanks to the Lord, Who has redeemed you from the hand of His foe, for He is good and His love endures forever. Psalm 107
May you cry to the Lord when you are in trouble, for He will deliver you from your distress and lead you by a straight way to where you can be settled and calm. Psalm 107
May you give thanks to the Lord for His unfailing love and His wonderful deeds for men, for He satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things. Psalm 107
May you cry to the Lord when you sit in darkness and deepest gloom, imprisoned in iron chains, for He will save you from your distress, bringing you out of the darkness and gloom and releasing you from your chains, breaking down gates of bronze and cutting through bars of iron because of His unfailing love. Psalm 107
May you turn to the Lord when you suffer affliction because of your iniquities, for as you draw near the gates of death, He will send forth His word and heal you, rescuing you from the grave, because of His unfailing love. Psalm 107
In the midst of the storm, may you cry out to the Lord, for He will bring you out of your distress and calm the winds to a whisper, hushing the waves of the sea, guiding you to your trusted haven, where you can exalt Him in the gathering of the people and praise Him in the council of the elders. Psalm 107
