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Written by C.S. Lewis (1898-1963), a British writer, scholar, and Anglican lay theologian. This is an excerpt from his book “The Problem of Pain.”

When Christianity says that God loves man, it means that God loves man: not that He has some ‘disinterested’ … concern for our welfare, but that, in awful and surprising truth, we are the objects of His love. You asked for a loving God: you have one. The great spirit you so lightly invoked, the ‘lord of terrible aspect’, is present: not a senile benevolence that drowsily wishes you to be happy in your own way, not the cold philanthropy of a conscientious magistrate, nor the care of a host who feels responsible for the comfort of his guests, but the consuming fire Himself, the Love that made the worlds, persistent as the artist’s love for his work and despotic as a man’s love for a dog, provident and venerable as a father’s love for a child, jealous, inexorable, exacting as love between the sexes. How this should be, I do not know: it passes reason to explain why any creatures, not to say creatures such as we, should have a value so prodigious in their Creator’s eyes. It is certainly a burden of glory not only beyond our deserts but also, except in rare moments of grace, beyond our desiring…Man does not exist for his own sake. ‘Thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.’ We were made not primarily that we may love God (though we were made for that too) but that God may love us, that we may become objects in which the Divine love may rest ‘well pleased’. To ask that God’s love should be content with us as we are is to ask that God should cease to be God: because He is what He is, His love must, in the nature of things, be impeded and repelled by certain stains in our present character, and because He already loves us He must labor to make us lovable… What we would here and now call our ‘happiness’ is not the end God chiefly has in view, but when we are such as He can love without impediment, we shall in fact be happy.

So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. [1 John 4:16]

Written by Hugh Latimer (1487-1555), an English bishop, reformer, and martyr.

Christ makes love His cognizance, His badge, His livery. Like as every lord commonly gives a certain livery to his servants, whereby they may be known that they pertain unto him; and so we say, yonder is this lord’s servants, because they wear his livery: so our Savior, who is the Lord above all lords, would have His servants known by their liveries and badge, which badge is love alone. Whosoever now is endued with love and charity is His servant; him we may call Christ’s servant; for love is the token whereby you may know that such a servant pertaineth to Christ; so that charity may be called the very livery of Christ. He that hath charity is Christ’s servant; he that hath not charity is the servant of the devil. For as Christ’s livery is love and charity, so the devil’s livery is hatred, malice, and discord.

This is my commandment, that ye love one another, as I have loved you. [John 15:12]

Written by Kristi Gaultiere, a contemporary psychotherapist, spiritual director and founder of Soul Shepherding.

Your chest tightens. Your heart races. You feel small and unsafe. You don’t know why but you’re spiraling. Maybe a harsh tone that makes you feel deathly afraid. Perhaps getting ignored throws you into feelings of shame and self-hatred.  You know your emotions are bigger than your current experience, but you can’t shut them off. Friends, this is what trauma does. It triggers the pain of old memories in the present moment. It floods us emotionally and overwhelms our capacity to cope in a healthy way. Trauma often “shuts us down” to God’s presence and love. It also keeps us from embracing his grace through his ambassadors… Trauma might sound dramatic. After all, I never went to war or got abused. Likewise, you might be thinking, I didn’t experience trauma as a child. I grew up in a stable family and all my physical needs were met. But you may have missed the tender care you needed…Painful experiences are often stored in our bodies without our conscious awareness. Implicit memories—along with attached fear, shame, or anger—surface under stress through emotional reactions and bodily sensations…Many of us have trauma stuffed down that makes us feel young and vulnerable when someone or something “pushes your buttons.” … You may find help as I did by inviting Jesus into your memories through healing prayer. This practice can help you experience his compassionate presence and restorative love in the places where you’ve been wounded.

He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings, you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday. [Psalm 91:4-6]

Written by Tim Bias, a contemporary pastor.

We often talk about love as if it’s just a warm feeling or a kind word. But for Jesus followers, love is far deeper. It’s not based on what feels good or what benefits us, it’s based on agape, God’s selfless, unconditional love. Agape love doesn’t wait for convenience. It doesn’t filter people by worthiness or political position. It’s the love that sees someone hurting and responds with grace and action, without expecting anything in return. That’s what we’re called to embody. To love as Jesus loves is to align your actions with God’s heart, for all people, in all places. It might mean offering warmth on a cold day, giving without recognition, or showing up for someone who has nothing to give back. It might mean setting aside opinions to see another person’s humanity. When love costs something, that’s often when it matters most… God’s love puts the well-being of others first, working for the good of others. It is rooted in the actions of grace, kindness, and commitment. When you seek to follow Jesus, you seek to align yourself with God. When you align yourself with God, you learn to love what God loves…Whatever action needs to be taken to heal our world, our communities, our relationships is in harmony with God’s love. 

A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another. [John 13:34-35]

This reflection is from the Pray.com app.

Life is made up of seasons—some joyful, some painful…God ordains the rhythm of our lives. There’s a time to gain and a time to let go. Sometimes, we cling too tightly to what God asks us to release. Trusting His timing means accepting that loss can lead to growth and letting go can open space for something new. When we walk with God, no season is wasted. Each one serves His purpose. Peace comes not from controlling time, but from trusting the One who holds all seasons in His hands.

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away.  [Ecclesiastes 3:1, 6]

Written by Dallas Willard (1935-2013), an American philosopher, speaker  and writer on spiritual formation. This is an excerpt from his book “The Scandal of the Kingdom.”

Difficulty in the early stages of anything that is truly worth doing is a natural part of human life. This is true not only as we master new skills and talents, but also as we grow in areas of personality and human interaction where many things can be learned only through experience. This is the case as we learn to walk in the Spirit. Persistence is the prerequisite for a fruitful life in the kingdom of God. We are taught, and rightly so, that the grace of God brings salvation. We do not earn it and could never deserve it, and it is not something we can attain on our own. But that isn’t an indication that there’s nothing left for us to do…On the one hand, we are saved by the grace of God, but on the other hand, responding to the grace of God necessitates rigorous effort… Our persistent efforts to forgive freely, serve wholeheartedly, pray unceasingly, and humbly regard others as better than ourselves with childlike abandon will most certainly increase our faith in, confidence in, and dependence on God. We need to seriously consider how we experience this way of life and receive the grace of God for a fruitful life in his kingdom.

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. [1 Corinthians 9:24]

Written by Max Lucado, a contemporary pastor and author. This is an excerpt from his book “Start With Prayer.”

Father, You are slow to anger, gracious in mercy, and abounding in love. You are worthy of all praise and honor. I humbly ask for Your peace in my life. The stressors in my life cause many sleepless nights and worries and concerns. Fill me with Your peace, and reassure me that You are there and in control. Comfort and bless my loved ones. They, too, have to endure many challenges. Calm their spirits, and focus their hearts on You. Thank You for caring about every part of our lives and every member of our families. Thank You for the Holy Spirit, who is our great Comforter. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.  [John 14:27]

Written by Louie Giglio, a contemporary pastor.

Whether we’re “worst-case scenario” or people-pleasing worriers, we often worry about things that likely will never come to pass—things that simply enter our thoughts as a distraction to what is true. In fact, one study suggests that 91% of things we worry about will never happen; they’re simply “false alarms.” Worry is a liar fueled by fear and our need for control. So when those “false alarms” ring in our minds, we need something that’s true. And the truth is that Jesus both wants to and is able to carry what worries you. He can handle even the smallest worries to the largest, most extravagant situations that your mind may create…As we invite God into our worry-worn minds, I pray that Scripture would remind you of how deeply loved you are. If you’re interceding for the worries of a loved one, I pray that through you, they can release their worries to an Almighty God who has already gone before them—who has already gone before all of us—and promises victory.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. [Philippians 4:6]

Written by Bob Kauflin, a contemporary pastor.

Transcendent is the theological word that means God is above, completely other than, and independent of his creation. God is infinite in all aspects of his being and never changes. Only he has no source, no beginning, and no end. God needs nothing, depends on nothing, and owes nothing. He is “holy, holy, holy” — perfect in every way. Simply put, God is God and we are not. “At times, God feels too distant to be loved. At other times, God feels too near to be feared.” Except that God is also immanent. God sustains, is involved with, and is present within his creation. He keeps our bodies from exploding apart, grows the grass that livestock eat, and is personally invested in his world. Despite how small and sinful we are, he is loving, kind, gentle, compassionate, and good. In our corporate worship gatherings, as well as our personal interactions with God, we tend to swing between God’s transcendence and immanence like a pendulum. At times, God feels too distant, dissimilar, and above us to be loved. At other times, God feels too near, present, and like us to be feared. It’s an ongoing challenge to hold these two thoughts about God together, but it is massively important that we do.

He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.  [Colossians 1:17]

Written by Roslyn Hernandez, a contemporary editor, project manager, and podcast producer.  This is an excerpt from “A Beautiful Year in the Bible.”

In seasons of waiting, we might liken our lives to freshly planted seeds. On the surface, the ground appears dormant. Yet, under the soil, seeds are preparing to sprout. To try and rush the growth process can have detrimental results; we may disrupt the young roots or overwater the seeds in our haste for the harvest. In truth, all we can do is give the seeds what they need and let their process take its course. We wait in patient expectation for the seedlings to burst forth. This natural cycle of waiting and growth teaches us about patience and trust in God’s timing, even when progress isn’t visible on the surface…Like seeds planted in a garden, we are tended and cared for by divine hands for a vibrant unfolding. Embracing this season with hope not only offers us peace now but also prepares us for the joyful revelation of what is to come…Hope is not just an expectation; it’s a way of life.

Since ancient times no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who acts on behalf of those who wait for him.  [Isaiah 64:4]