I’m sitting in one of my favorite places, my porch-turned-sunroom. This is where I usually start my days with a cup of tea and Jesus. And today, it is snowing in Georgia! So beautiful… so peaceful. I love snow… from the inside of a picture window!
Today, I am just thinking about how snow makes everything beautiful. Trees, fences, even weeds. I’m reminded of how God makes the rain fall on both the righteous and the unrighteous. Matthew 5:45 says …for He gives His sunlight to both the evil and the good, and He sends rain on the just and the unjust alike. (NLT)
So, is Jesus only talking about sunlight and rain? I think He’s talking about His love and grace – at the very least! He doesn’t just love those who know Him and hate everyone else.
John 3:16 says He loved the whole world. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him may have eternal life. (KJV)
“Whosoever” is a pretty inclusive word. It includes you, me, anyone who chooses to believe.
So also, the snow is falling on everything around here… my grill, the birdfeeders, the fence, even the “little presents” that my Shih Tzu Sarah leaves in the grass. (Chuckles) Everything.
The first part of Matthew 5:45 says In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. God loves the whole world. When we treat people as “loved by God,” we are acting just like our Daddy God. Some will accept all that Jesus did for them, some won’t. But God loves and calls all.
I heard this analogy years ago. The sun shines on all. Clay gets hard; wax melts. Same sun. Different results. God’s love shines on all. Some get hard. Some soften. Is your heart getting harder, or softer in the light of God’s love? Some people believe you don’t have a choice. If God made you clay, you are doomed to having a hard heart. If God made you butter, you melt in His love. I believe the choice is ours. John 3:16 says “whosoever believes”, not “whosoever He chooses.”
So, today, melt in His love. Turn your heart towards Him. How do you do that? That is a great question.
Here are some ideas.
- Think about how blessed you are. Can you really take all the credit for that? Yes, you may work hard, but many work hard… or harder… for much less. And Who gave you those abilities? Count your blessings… the things you are thankful for. Thank Him for the blessings you don’t even know about.
- Picture your Heavenly Father (or Jesus, whichever works for you) sitting next to you. Picture yourself leaning into His chest, under His arm. Lean slightly, as if you are drawing close to Him. Our imaginations are a wonderful gift from God
- Talk to God. Tell Him how you feel, the questions you have, the fears you have. Imagine you are handing Him all those fears and questions. Then imagine He is receiving all that stuff and giving you a present. Quiet yourself on the inside. Breathe slowly. What do you think that gift is?
- Think about how big and powerful God is. Everything you see, from the universe that we don’t even know where it ends, to the tiny cells in your body, to the order and intricate design in creation. Be awed that the All-Powerful, All-Loving, Creator-of-all God loves you… and knows you, inside and out… and wants a relationship with you! Teeny, tiny you!