MEDITATION:
Written by Shilo Taylor, a contemporary youth pastor and Christian author. This is an excerpt from her book “A 40-Day Guide to Life in Christ.”
All around us we see love fail. We see relationships end in breakups. We see marriages end in divorce. We see friendships end. Some love us based on our performance. They love us as long as we look good, keep it together, and do what they want. We love people who don’t love us back or maybe they love us but do a lousy job showing it. We let people down and miss opportunities to love well. We think we love, but we doubt our love when our feelings go away and the relationship has challenges. God’s love is nothing like those “loves.” His love endures forever. God’s love is not based on what we do or don’t do. Our choices bring consequences, and they must be faced, but they won’t change God’s love for us. God pursues us no matter how much we reject him. His love for us is unconditional and permanent.
Jesus’ death and resurrection are the grandest acts of love anyone will ever do for you. Jesus left his throne in heaven to come to earth as a humble person who was beaten and killed, a Savior who offered himself on a cross as your sacrifice. Clearly Jesus’ love for you is not empty, mushy, or wimpy. It is strong and unfailing. His death and resurrection took away your sin and gives you true life with him. He can back up his promises to care for you and meet your needs. The love of God changes who we are and how we relate to other people. His love is unfailingly patient, kind, protecting, merciful, and hopeful. His love seeps into us, and then it pours back out of us onto the people around us. His love gives us strength to do things that seem impossible.
PRAYER:
Written by Catherine of Siena (1347-1380), a laywoman, scholastic philosopher, and theologian associated with the Dominican Order.
Holy Spirit, come into my heart; draw it to You by Your power, O my God, and grant me charity with filial fear. Preserve me, O ineffable Love, from every evil thought; warm me, inflame me with Your dear love, and every pain will seem light to me. My Father, my sweet Lord, help me in all my actions. Jesus, love, Jesus, love. Amen.
Pathways Press.com 