I didn’t intend to blog much tonight, but I checked my blog site and read a blog I follow called Daily (w)rite. She wrote about the children that were killed in Pakistan. As a girl growing up in India, she learned to hate the Pakistanis. She eloquently decries murdering innocent children and she feels deeply for the grieving families. I wrote a comment giving what I feel the Bible says about Jesus’ love for all of mankind and how He must cry when He sees us hurting one another.
Instead of building each other up and sacrificing our selves for others’ sake, we often live for ourselves first and foremost. I am as guilty as anyone. Our Wednesday night Bible study is covering 1 John 4 and other books in the Bible we chose, like Matthew 5:38-48, and 1 Corinthians 13. We decided they highlighted how to love God more and how to love others more, which is our focus for this study. We are talking about really loving others, especially those that are not as lovable to us as others might be. What does that look like in actuality? How do we live it?
We are also bringing in ingredients to make soup each week, and I’m finding the breaking of bread and working together in the kitchen beforehand is creating an unexpected bond.
One of our participants accepted the Lord Jesus as his Lord and Savior in October and the Word of God is coming alive for him now. He is so eager to learn what the Bible has to say and he tells us he’s been delivered from addictions and sins that he’s lived with for many years. Not everyone has that experience. They may find some relief and then God helps them be set free of other burdens over time. Each person is unique. So this new believer asks questions that brings depth to our studies as we tell of our experiences over the years with God and His word, or we begin a search and learn along with him. His face radiates with the joy of a new life in Christ.
I intended to write a short ditty about receiving two copies of “Live Magazine” in the mail today. My article is featured on the cover of the January 11, 2015 issue. What a delightful surprise. Somehow it seems insignificant in the face of the heart-wrenching loss of precious children. I’m content with the byline, but hoping to comfort hurting people in Jesus’ name seems a much more appropriate use of blogging space and blogging time; Thanks for reading, if you made it this far. May God enrich your heart today.
