God Speaking

“No one has ever seen God if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us”

(1 John 4: 12)

Our family learnt a wonderful lesson in expressing love and understanding in a family celebration on Mother’s Day and we all witnessed this through the actions of a small boy, our five-year, old grandson. While my daughter, his mother, was busy preparing to celebrate Mother’s Day, and getting cards and gifts and a cake ready, suddenly my little grandson said.  “But what about Aunty, what are we giving her?” This daughter was unable to have children of her own and as soon as he said these words, my younger daughter realised that these words from a little boy had a great depth of meaning so, out they went for him to buy something special for someone who needed an expression of love and understanding.

When we all gathered for lunch, my little grandson hugged me gave me his card, then hugging his Aunt with a beautiful smile gave her a huge chocolate flower, decorated with sugary flowers and wrapped in plastic with bright bow. She cried, we all cried, a little boy had grasped who needed love.

The letters of John have a beautiful theme running through them all about how important love is to all.

“…God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him.” (1 John 4: 16)

Once we belong to Jesus Christ, the Lord can use us as his messengers to distribute his love to others. The writer of Hebrew concludes his letter with a powerful prayer for his readers in which he asks the Lord to bless them and equip them with everything good they need to do God’s will.

“…our Lord Jesus, that Great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.” (Hebrews 13: 20 – 21)

Often it is hard if we haven’t experienced what another has been through to understand their pain.  Sometimes it is hard to relate, especially to those suffering any mental illness. If we have a large group of friends, it is hard to understand extreme shyness that can turn into isolation for some.

The book of Proverbs has many verses encouraging God’s children to seek understanding and to seek it through the One who has the supreme understanding of all mankind. Psalm 119 is a wonderful prayer, acknowledging the writer’s constant need to understand God’s precepts and he asks God to help him understand so he can do God’s will. We too can do the same, so we can express his love and understanding to others.

“Give me understanding, and I will keep your law and obey it with all my heart. Direct me in the path of your commands, for there I find delight.” (Psalm 119: 34 – 35)