"Love, As Defined By God"

"Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbor, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; that ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for He maketh His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust" (Matthew 5:43-45).


The first mention of love in the New Testament concerns our enemies, and thus reveals our complete dependence on help from Above if we are to fulfill the will of God.


Loving our enemies is a human impossibility. We are not composed of such holy substance in and of ourselves, a self evident truth prove by the history of the human race and our own personal experience. Despite our frequent consideration of the concept of love, the personal and corporate experience of humanity conflict reveals that love, as defined by God, is our great weakness.


"For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:7-8).


We may find motivation to bless and do good for family and friends (although we are weak even in this pursuit). However, human beings do not love enemies unless empowered by the One who died for those whose sins were the very cause of His suffering. There is such an empowering through the Lord Jesus: "the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit which is given unto us" (Romans 5:5). Through Him, we can love, bless, do good, and pray for who hate, curse, do evil, and seek our harm. We must, because love that exempts enemies from its bestowal is not love as God defines it.


The great commands of Scripture, repeated in both Old and New Testaments, are to "love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbor as thyself" (Luke 10:27). This is the proper goal of human existence, established and commanded by the Creator of human existence. If any lesser pursuit rules our hearts, we can be sure that we are being controlled by our native human weakness. On the other hand, if the altar of love has been built in our hearts through faith in the Lord Jesus and submission to His will, we must continually seek His enabling. He will gladly respond, and we will find ourselves loving, as God defines love. He will be the origin, the motivation, the reason and the power of such self sacrifice, and He alone will be glorified. We will be the glad recipients of that love not only bestowed upon us, but abundantly made resident within us.


"Walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given Himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savor."
(Ephesians 5:2)

"In the Details"

The old saying, "the devil is in the details" may bear some truth. However, far more to the point is the blessed reality that God is in the details.

The former axiom refers to some mysterious fact existing within the details of a condition, situation, or circumstance. Doubtless our spiritual enemy does nefariously work behind the scenes to seek our harm, and more importantly, the enshrouding of God's glory revealed in our lives. Again, however, the Lord who "worketh all things after the counsel of His own will" is infinitely more active in specific and presently hidden ways that will one day shine forth in the beauty of His perfect working in our lives (Ephesians 1:11).

"Surely the Lord is in this place, and I knew it not!" (Genesis 28:16). Jacob's admission is surely shared by all believers who are the subjects of our Heavenly Father's continual involvement and care, but who see so very little of what He is doing. Life often seems so human and ordinary for even the most godly among us, and the unseen Heart and Hand that work "all things together for good" are normally so inauspicious that we see only the tiniest glimmer of their dynamic activity on our behalf (Romans 8:28). Our presently limited vision also contributes to the "I knew it not" reality of our earthly sojourn. "We see through a glass darkly" wrote the Apostle Paul who was caught up to Heaven for the vision of inutterable glories, but who nevertheless included himself - "we see... darkly" - in the admission of how little God's children actually know of His presence in the moments of our lives (II Corinthians 12:2-4; I Corinthians 13:12).

I often thank God for the things He has done and is doing that I know nothing about. Provisions for needs I never knew existed because the supply was so quickly and abundantly provided. Protections from jeopardy of which I was unaware. Intricate working in circumstances and conditions - and my heart - that will remain unknown until I get to Heaven. Perfect coordination of the details of life that will one day reveal our Father's infinite wisdom and boundless love to such degree that we will fall to our faces in wonder. All declare that God is in the details, and that despite the fact that we so often know it not, we can still believe as a matter of conviction that nothing will be wasted in our Father's ongoing purpose of conforming us to the image of the Lord Jesus Christ. This moment in our lives teems with the vibrant activity of God. May it teem also with offerings of praise and thanksgiving from our hearts to the One whose involvement in the details reveals the loving devotion of His heart.

"Many, O LORD my God, are Thy wonderful works which Thou hast done, and Thy thoughts which are to us-ward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto Thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered."

(Psalm 40:5)

"I Think Of Them"

President Obama's speech last night noting the end of direct American combat operations in Iraq causes me to think of many of our people who sacrificed so much for the freedom of another people, and for the preservation and security of order in the world.


I think of all who served, including our son, Staff Sgt. Noah I. Davis (USMC), and the pains and challenges they endured to fulfill their difficult mission. I thank them, and I thank God for them.


I think of those who were wounded, and of those who will live the rest of their lives with the scars. Some lost limbs, eyesight, and hearing, and some will live the rest of their lives in excruciating pain or paralysis because of their injuries. I thank them, and I thank God for them.


I think of those who died, the many thousands of those who died, including our son's comrade and friend, Sgt. Foster Harrington (USMC). I think of those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for liberty, and of the hallowed American heritage of the "the last full measure of devotion" paid by so many throughout our history. I cannot thank them. And so even more, I thank God for them.


I think of families who waited for the return of their loved ones from harm's way, and of those who still wait. I think of the many hours of pain and uncertainty faced by spouses, parents, children, siblings, grandparents, uncles and aunts. I think of family members who will be lifelong caregivers for severely wounded veterans, and of sacrifices that will continue long after the Iraq conflict fades from the memories of most. I think of families who lost loved ones in Iraq. I think of them often, especially because God so graciously brought our son home from his service. I thank them. With great sympathy and much sorrow for them, I thank them, and I thank God for them.


I think also of those who served, and still serve, in Afghanistan, and of their families. And I think of those Americans who defend liberty around the world, and of their families. I thank them, and I thank God for them.


I had a dream last night that I had been summoned by my country to leave my family in order to go to some faraway land to fight for our freedom. It was only a dream, and I've never had such an experience. I nevertheless woke up deeply disturbed, and immediately the thought occurred to me how how many of my fellow countrymen and their families have literally experienced the agony of such separation and loss (and of some who are experiencing it right now, in this very moment). I then thought of the Lord Jesus Christ leaving Heaven to come to earth in order to fight the war of the ages for our eternal salvation and liberty. He lived, died, and rose again to become "the Captain of our salvation," and He forever bears the wounds of His sacrifice and victory. I think of Him, and I think of all those throughout the history of our nation whose lives and sacrifices for others reflect the truth of God's redeeming love for us. I think of Him and them, and I thank God for them. It doesn't seem enough, and it is not enough. But I think of them. And I thank God for them.


"Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends."
(John 15:13)
"God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."
(Romans 5:8)