“Old truths are always new to us if they come to us with the smell of heaven upon them.”  (John Bunyan 1628–1688)

If you are a grandparent or have young children, your freezer door will have its share of children’s art.  Each time there is a new artistic offering the gallery must be reorganized to make space for it.  I heard of two stories that caused me to view these very amateurish creations in a new light.

The first occurred in a Sunday school where the children were asked, as a project, to create an artistic offering and present it to an older person in the church.  They were to be simple drawings, usually with a heart, complete with crayon scribbles, finger marks and corrections.  There were to be only three words “I LOVE YOU”  Many older people in the congregation were moved by this simple yet heartfelt artistic offering from the children.

God’s love is beyond measure, it is His heartfelt offering to us.  In his letter to the church at Rome Paul said: “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  (Romans 8:38,39 NIV).  This passage reaffirms God’s profound love for his people. No matter what happens to us, no matter where we are, we can never be lost to his love.

The second story concerned a school class who were asked to draw someone.  The teacher passed along the row and stopped at one child,  Asking who was being drawn the child replied  “God”,  But the teacher said “How can you draw God as no one knows what God looks like or has ever seen him?”  To which the child replied: “We will, one day, so I’ll keep drawing.”

Not only children but adults grow up with all sorts of ideas of what God is like….or perhaps they do not see God at all and only hear his silence. Because of Jesus, however, we no longer have to wonder how God feels or what he is like. When in doubt, we can look to Jesus to see God.  Christ is not one of many ways to approach God, nor is he the best of several ways; he is the only way.

God’s love is inexhaustible. Repeated throughout Psalm 136 is the phrase, “His love endures forever.” This psalm may have been a responsive reading, with the congregation saying these words in unison after each sentence. The repetition made this important lesson sink in. God’s love includes aspects of love, kindness, mercy, and faithfulness. 

God’s love is sacrificial. The entire gospel comes to a focus in John 3:16.  God’s love is not static or self-centered; it reaches out and draws others in.  When we share the gospel with others, our love must be like Jesus. We must be willing to give up our own comfort and security so that others might join us in receiving God’s love.

Have a good week .  There will be better times ahead, God’s love for us is real and proclaimed with each sunrise.
Pastor Ron Clarke.

Optional Bible readings: Psalm 136; John 3:1-21.

This is one of a series of weekly messages of encouragement, now in its twenty-fifth year, originating from Gympie, Fraser Coast, Queensland, Australia. A companion Bible study page is available each week. To subscribe via email send to w4w2@bigpond.com with the words ‘Subscribe Word (or) Subscribe Word & Study’. Our ministry is free and emailing lists are confidential. Tell a friend or why not put a note in your church newsletter or pew sheet about this ministry – we welcome new subscriptions.

Pastor Ron Clarke OAM
Word for the Week
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