Why does God freely give His love?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ^©

Praise be to God,
who has not rejected my prayer
or withheld his love from me!
(Psalms 66:20 (NIV))

Is there a special requirement for God to bestow His love on someone?

Does He only give His love to those who are perfect? No one is perfect. Does He give His love only to those who love Him?

We love because he first loved us.
(1 John 4:19 (NIV))

Surprisingly, God does not withhold His love from anyone. He loves each of us the same. It is we who do not love Him. We do not seek Him. We do not listen for Him. We do not talk to Him. He waits for us to come to Him, even if we originally turn to Him out of selfish reasons. God can use however we turn to Him to draw us closer to Him.

Why don’t people turn to Him? I suppose that the biggest reason is fear. We fear what God will do to us if we acknowledge His authority. Fear can cause us to over look His grace and His love.

There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.
(1 John 4:18 (NIV))

When we talk to God, He listens. He waits for the prime opportunity to plant a seed that will grow and mature us into what He calls us to be. It is said that God answers all prayers. Sometimes the answer is “No.” Think back on your childhood. Did everything that you asked of your parents result in a “Yes?” Do you fear your parents? Did you stop talking to them simply because they told you “No?”

Keep praying. Keep talking to God. Start listening to that still small voice and learn what He has in store for you. I am positive that it will be far greater than what you are afraid to ask of Him.

Copyright 1998 – 2013 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
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God, help me. I don’t know what to do.

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ^©

The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.
(James 5:16b (NIV))

I don’t know about you, but there are many times that I just don’t feel effective. I simply feel overwhelmed, overpowered and overshadowed by the things in my life. These are the things that have a tendency to make us grown in agony because we simply have no other response that we can bring forth. I simply utter a few simple words and they always help me through whatever I am facing.

“God, help me. I don’t know what to do.”

Have you ever uttered these or similar words? I often wonder just how many people do say things likes this on a daily basis. I believe that everyone utters words like this at some point in their lives, whether they believe in God or not. I firmly believe that those who are strong enough in their faith to admit that we need God each and every day are the ones who will usher up simple prayers like this on a daily basis. We might even find ourselves saying them all throughout the day.

Perhaps this is what makes someone righteous in the eyes of God. We turn to Him daily because we cannot make it without Him. Contrary to what the world may say, I do not see this as a weakness. I see this as a strength that is firmly rooted in a hope and a faith that this world does not understand. When you see acts of terrorism, do you rejoice in what the world is doing or do you offer up a prayer to God? When you see wars and rumors of wars, do you find comfort in the circumstances or do you go to God and ask for peace? When you see injustice, do you think that this is how it should be or do you ask God for the strength to help you change it? When you see the lost, do you turn up your nose and think that they deserve what they get, or do you pray that God will touch them through you?

These types of prayers do not take long, but they show your heart. It shows a desire for the things that God calls righteous. If you seek the things that God calls righteous, then it stands to reason that God will call you righteous. It is when you pray for God’s Will that you find your prayers become powerful and effective, even when you do not feel powerful and effective.

Do you feel effective? Keep praying those short prayers asking for God’s help. He will show you His Will and then you will be effective.

Copyright 1998 – 2012 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
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