thoughts by Helen Grace Lescheid Archives - Page 4 of 9

Published February 12, 2022

God is Holy and Merciful

“Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance? You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy.” Micah 7:18

There’s an innate knowledge within persons of all cultures that a holy God has to be appeased with good works, fasting, praying, doing penance, and religious activities of all kinds. But how much is enough?

During my stay in Senegal, West Africa, my daughter and I visited a dear friend. Fatima had just returned from a holy pilgrimage to Mecca. She could hardly wait to tell us about it. Her eyes glowed as she said, “I was in the procession of millions of believers; I performed all the ceremonies; I circled the Ka’aba (the cube-shaped stone building); I said all the prayers.” Then her eyes clouded as she lowered her voice, “Still, if Allah should call me tonight, I don’t know if he would receive me into his heaven,” she said, “That’s really his choice, isn’t it?” Despite her deep sincerity and all that she had done, her heart questioned, “Have I done enough?”

“Fatima, we can know for sure,” my daughter replied. “Should God call me tonight, I know I will go to heaven, not because of the good things I have done, but because of what Jesus has done for me.” She took Fatima’s hand and said softly, “Jesus died for your sins also.”

There is only one way to be made right with God and that is through Jesus Christ.

“For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ” (2 Corinthians 5:21 New Living Translation).

The death of Christ on the cross paid for our sin-debt in full. He satisfied the demands of justice by taking our judgment upon Himself. He is our connection to God. That’s why Jesus said,

“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6).

We cannot earn God’s forgiveness and favor. But there is something we must do before God can help us. We must repent of our stubborn independence and surrender ourselves to Jesus.

“But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God” (John 1:12,13 NLT)

When we invite Jesus Christ to come into our lives, He removes the sin barrier between us and God. The personal relationship with Triune God, which Adam and Eve enjoyed, is restored. A new birth has taken place leading to a new life with a totally different orientation.

Come into my heart, Lord Jesus, and take control of my life.

by Helen Lescheid
Used by Permission

To read more of Helen’s writings go to http://www.helenlescheid.com

I Can Trust Him Always

Is God still good? Is He still in charge? Is He still working out a good plan for me?

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me and I will listen to you” Jeremiah, 29:11,12 (NIV).

On this broken planet we all experience unfairness. You don’t get the raise someone else did. You’re fired from your job for no reason. You’ve studied and worked very hard and, in the end, someone less qualified gets the position you want. You think, ‘I thought God was in this. And now? Nothing’s working out like I thought it would’.

Oswald Chambers says, “I don’t ask what is God doing? Rather, I ask “Who is God?” That’s the important issue: Is God still good? Is He still in charge? Is He still working out a good plan for me?

Yes. We must look beyond the human element to the divine. It makes a great difference when we put God in the equation, like Joseph and Paul did when life was turning ugly. Paul, imprisoned by Roman authorities for preaching the gospel, identified himself as a prisoner of the Lord, not a prisoner of Rome (Ephesians 3:1).

Joseph who had been sold into slavery by his brothers, said to them many years later when they came to Egypt to buy grain, “You sold me…but God sent me ahead (Genesis 45:4-8) You intended to harm me but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives” (Genesis 50:19,20).

“I hold onto the promises of God no matter what I see on the outside,” writes Nick Vujicic “I know that God is good. If He allows something bad to happen, I may not understand, but I can hold on to His goodness.”

Don’t miss out on a blessing because it isn’t packaged the way you want.

Father, I thank you that you are working all things together for good in my life.

By Helen Lescheid
Used by Permission

An Angel at Christmas

Whose Christmas angel can you be?

“Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.“ (Matthew 5:16).

“While Joseph and Mary were in Bethlehem (far from home) the time came for the baby Jesus to be born, and Mary gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.” Luke 2: 6, 7

Have you ever been far from home at Christmas?

Our third child was born in Nairobi, Kenya, on December 14. We named her Elizabeth Anne. I liked the name Elizabeth meaning consecrated to God. My husband added Anne saying, “Her initials will stand for East Africa.”

Nairobi hospital was a very modern hospital and we received excellent care. A week later, my husband picked me up and took me to our home on the mountains. It was strangely quiet. All the missionaries had gone away to celebrate Christmas with their friends. We were on our own.

Christmas day arrived and our little family gathered in the living room. While our two small children played with their new toys, I was nursing my baby. I glanced at the sparsely decorated tree. Because we had no electricity, there were no glowing lights. No Christmas carols on the radio. No Christmas program to attend. No noisy turkey dinner with family gathered around a festive table. Suddenly loneliness overwhelmed me. How I missed my family in Canada!

Then I thought of Mary. How must she have felt so far from home with a brand new baby? But then, Mary had angels and shepherds to make Christmas special, I thought. We have nobody.

I think God has a sense of humour, don’t you? For at that very moment there was a sharp knock on the door. There stood Pastor Benson from a near-by church. He must have sensed that we were lonely for he stayed a long time.

I’ve often thought about that Christmas in Kenya. It didn’t have any of the trimmings that we think belong to a perfect Christmas. Yet, it was the most authentic Christmas I’ve ever had. It taught me that God is present wherever we are and he meets our needs in very practical ways.

Maybe your Christmas will be full of loneliness instead of family gatherings. Perhaps some of you will be celebrating Christmas for the first time without a loved one. Maybe your children are far away and cannot come home for Christmas.

Whose Christmas angel can you be?

“Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16).

by Helen Lescheid
used by Permission

What’s in a Name?

Are you experiencing God’s presence? Are you aware that God is with you? That God is in your corner?

“A virgin will be with child and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel—which means “God with us” (Isaiah 7:14) Later an angel reaffirmed the message to Joseph. (Matthew 1:20-23)

A little boy’s father had gone on a long business trip. He missed his father terribly, especially at bedtime when his daddy always read him a bedtime story. His mother, wanting to comfort him, gave him a photo of his dad to take to bed with him. The boy would clutch it under the blanket and fall asleep with it. One evening as he studied the photo he said, “I wish daddy would just step out of the picture and be here with me now.”

That’s what God did one Christmas. He stepped out of his heavenly frame and came down to earth in the person of Jesus Christ so he could be near us. He came into the world in bodily form. He is with us now, not just in name or in thought, but in reality. He is with us in person. He is a God who gets involved in our lives. He is a God who lives among us, Isaiah tells us: “for great is the Holy One among you” (Isaiah 12:6).

Are you experiencing His presence? Are you aware that God is with you? That God is in your corner? We don’t always feel his presence, but then, feelings are not reliable. They change with the weather or a night’s sleep.

God says he is present. “Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand” (Isaiah 41:10).

Speak the words out loud, “Thank you God that you are with me right now. You are walking with me and holding my hand. You know the way and will lead me to a good end. Therefore, I have nothing to be afraid of.”

By Helen Lescheid
Used by Permission

The Message of Christmas is “Fear Not”

“The LORD is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear: The LORD is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid… In the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling.” Psalm 27:1,2,5

In the Christmas story, again and again, we hear the phrase, “Fear not!”

“Fear not Mary” (Luke 1:30); “Fear not, Joseph” (Matthew 1:20-23); “fear not shepherds” (Luke 2:9-12).

Like Mary, Joseph, and the shepherds, we are so prone to fear. We’re afraid because we feel alone and forsaken, when we encounter the unknown, and when we face something bigger than us.

Why we do not need to be afraid?

When we feel alone and forsaken we need to remember the message of Christmas: a Savior has been born to us…and they will call him, Immanuel which means God with us.

Because of Jesus God is approachable and very near—even holding our hands.

“Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”(Isaiah 41:10).

When we encounter the unknown let’s remember it’s not unknown to God.

The future has its uncertainties, but we enter it every day, confident in the sovereignty and sufficiency of God. Our security is not in knowing where we are, but Who we are with! We are with God Who loves us and always wants the best for us.

“God is faithful, reliable, trustworthy and therefore ever true to His promise and He can be depended on”
(1 Corinthians 1:9 Amplified)

When we face something bigger than us, let’s remember that God is bigger than the thing that threatens us. He will do the impossible through us. In all these things (whatever we’re facing)we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.

“For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come…. nothing in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:37,38 ESV)

For every day of the year, there is a “fear not” in the Bible. Do you have one for today? Write it out on a card and say it often. It will bring you comfort and peace.

Thank you, Father, that because You are with us and Jesus lives within us, we have nothing to fear.

By Helen Lescheid
Used by Permission

To read more of Helen’s writings go to http://www.helenlescheid.com

God with Us

God is with us now, not just in thought or in theory or in wishful thinking. But in actual fact.

“All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: (Isaiah)”The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel–which means “‘God with us” Matthew 1:23

A little boy’s father had gone on a long business trip. He missed his father terribly, especially at bedtime when his daddy always read him a bedtime story. His mother, wanting to comfort him, gave him a photo of his dad to take to bed with him. He would clutch it under the blanket and fall asleep with it. One evening as he studied the photo he said, “I wish daddy would just step out of the picture and be here with me now.”

That’s what God did one Christmas. He stepped out of His heavenly frame and came down to earth in the person of Jesus Christ. Infinity became an infant. Imagine!

God loves us that much! He came into the world in bodily form. Jesus died for us so we could have our sins forgiven and our relationship restored.

God is with us now, not just in thought or in theory or in wishful thinking. But in actual fact.

Are you experiencing His presence? Are you aware that God is with you? We don’t always feel His presence. But then feelings are not reliable. They change with the weather or a night’s sleep.

God says He is present in good days and in bad days.

“Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand” (Isaiah 41:10)

by Helen Lescheid
Used by Permission

Why I Keep a Gratitude Journal

If you don’t have a journal, I encourage you to begin one to record God’s blessings in your life.

I don’t know about you, but I have a good forgetter. For that reason: I choose calendars with large squares so I can write down reminders; I put tomorrow’s commitments on a sheet of paper and place it where I’m sure to see it; I put stick-it-notes with messages on them in prominent places throughout my home.

My friends and I laugh about it and put it down to our age, but according to the Bible, forgetting is a problem of the human race.

In Psalm 106 Israel’s spiritual downfall began with forgetting. They did not remember God’s many kindnesses to them; they forgot what God had done; they forgot the God who saved them, who had done great miracles and awesome deeds for them (Psalm 106: 7, 13, 21).

Forgetting led to discontent. They grumbled in their tents and did not obey the LORD. Soon they were copying the sinful ways of the world (Read the rest of Psalm 106).

I don’t want a spirit of discontent to grab me and drag me down. For that reason, I keep a gratitude journal. It helps me to anchor my blessings so I will not forget them.

When I re-read my journal entries (as I do at the beginning of a new year), I’m always amazed at God’s faithful working in the past year. Oh, I’d forgotten about that, I think. My heart fills with gratitude and hope. I know that just as God has been with me in the past, He will be with me in the future.

I don’t want to miss any of my blessings. So, I will keep on writing in my gratitude journal.
What about you? If you don’t have a journal, I encourage you to begin one to record God’s blessings in your life. You’ll be doubly blessed as you read about them later.

Father, I thank you that you delight to bless your people for your compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness (Lamentations 3:22,23)

by Helen Grace Lescheid
Used by Permission

Life Is Not Fair

Yes, life is unfair. Jesus hasn’t promised us a fair world but he has promised us victory. “Take heart!” He said. “I have overcome the world.”

”I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” John 16:33

The morning I met Anne in a book store, I sensed that there was something wrong. She seemed agitated and her face registered confusion and grief. When I asked her, “How are you?” She answered “I’m in shock.”

She had just received the message that her sister’s husband had died suddenly in a tragic accident. “I can’t imagine how my sister will manage without him,” she said. “And the children – they’ll be absolutely devastated.”

Alan, a wonderful family man had been a great provider. The family had just moved into their first new home. After a tough beginning, business had picked up and the family was looking forward to more good times together.

“Just when things are improving for them, this happens,” she moaned. “It’s so unfair.” Her eyes glistened with tears. “My uncle lives in a Care Home. He has Alzheimer’s–doesn’t even recognize his children. His life has no meaning anymore. Why didn’t God take him instead?”

Yes, life is unfair. We’ll never be able to figure out why young people, with so much to live for, die in the prime of life and old people, tired of living, linger on.

I find comfort in the fact that Jesus never promised us a fair world. In fact, he said, “In this world you will have trouble.” From personal experience He knew about unfairness: mocked by His brothers, slandered by religious leaders, betrayed by a friend, condemned to death for a crime He didn’t commit. He also died as a young man at the height of his ministry.

Jesus modelled for us how to navigate through a world that is grossly unfair. His attitude was: Keep trusting the Father for he knows best. When life is unfair, remember God is still good. Keep obeying Him and reaching out to those who are suffering.

Jesus hasn’t promised us a fair world but he has promised us victory. “Take heart!” He said. “I have overcome the world.” As a Christian, you have all the power you need for the problems you face.

Father, when I don’t understand, help me to trust you that in all things, the good and the bad, you are working out your good plan in my life.

By Helen Lescheid
Used by Permission

Let Him Calm Your Fears

Visualize yourself sitting on God’s lap with your head resting on His shoulder.

“Do not fret, it only leads to evil” Psalm 37:8 (NIV).

When your child is fussy, what do you do? You take him or her onto your lap and talk soothingly. Maybe you sit in a rocking chair and sing until he or she falls asleep. Or, like me, you might hold the baby in your arms and do a little dance and make up silly, little songs. When I do that with my grandson he quickly relaxes and his eyes, resting on my face, seem to say, “I like that, Oma! Sing some more.” It always amuses me that I have at least one fan who likes my singing!

Sometimes we adults have fussy spirits. Things are not going as planned. Disappointments, pressures and delays disturb our peace. Fretting happens when we take things into our own hands. It leads to the evil of being self-centered.

Jesus never worried and He was never anxious because He was not out to realize His own ideas; He was out to realize God’s ideas. Do you have an anxious spirit this morning? Let me suggest the following:

Sit quietly for a few moments and slowly repeat the following words of Scripture:

“My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from Him. Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from Him” (Psalm 62:1&5, NIV).

Visualize yourself sitting on God’s lap with your head resting on His shoulder. Hear him saying,

“I am with you. I am mighty to save. I take great delight in you” (Zephaniah 3:17).

As you let Him love you, He will calm your fears.

Father, thank you that you are with me now and I have nothing to worry about, for my salvation and my hope come from you. Amen.

by Helen Lescheid

Used by Permission
To read more of Helen’s writings go to http://www.helenlescheid.com

If you don’t know Jesus in a personal way you can begin a relationship with him today. The first step is a prayer telling him you believe He is who He says He is and a second step is surrendering control of your will and life to him. These can be communicated in a simple prayer (prayer is talking to God):

“Lord Jesus, I need You. Thank You for dying on the cross for my sins. I open the door of my life and receive You as my Savior and Lord. Thank You for forgiving my sins and giving me eternal life. Take control of the throne of my life. Make me the kind of person You want me to be.”

If this prayer expresses the desire of your heart, then you can pray this prayer right now and Christ will come into your life, as He promised.

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thoughts by Helen Grace Lescheid Thoughts by Women

Put Down Your Burden

Published September 27, 2021

Put Down Your Burden

What burdens are you carrying? Many of us have accepted God’s offer of salvation, but we won’t part with our burdens.

Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest” Matthew 11:28 (NLT).

A man was walking down a dusty road on a hot, humid day. He was loaded down with a heavy backpack and carried a duffel bag in each hand. A pick-up truck came along. The driver stopped and called to the man, “Hop on. I’ll give you a ride.” The man got into the back of the truck.

Several miles down the road, the driver looked into his rear-view mirror and saw, to his surprise, that his passenger was still standing up holding onto both duffel bags. The heavy backpack was still strapped to his back. The man had accepted the ride but, for whatever reason, he hadn’t put down his burdens.

Aren’t we like that too? We’ve accepted God’s offer of salvation, but we won’t part with our burdens. We’re standing in the truck of faith letting God take us a distance but we won’t surrender our burdens. Perhaps the fault is with wrong teaching: We’ve been told that grownups must be tough. Or, it’s a matter of pride: I ought to be able to handle this on my own.

What burdens are you carrying? Jesus invites you,

“Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke fits perfectly, and the burden I give you is light” (Matthew 11:28-30 NLT).

Why does it become easy? Because Jesus gets under the burden with us and He carries the heaviest end.

Father, take this heavy burden from me. I don’t want to become bitter or full of self-pity. I trust You to work this out. If there’s something I need to do, show me. I want to be quick to listen and ready to obey. I want to bring joy to your heart.

by Helen Lescheid
Used by Permission

God Knows Me and He Loves Me

“O Lord, you have searched me and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar…” Psalm139:1-6

Often we hide our true selves from people. We put on masks. We pretend. We people please. Why? We want to be liked. We want to belong. We’re afraid of the big R—Rejection. We think, if they really knew me, they wouldn’t like me.

The good news is that God knows everything about us, and He still loves us! David writes, “O LORD, you have searched me (thoroughly) and have known me…You are acquainted with all my ways,” (Psalm 139:1-3 Amplified). Every moment God knows where we are and what we need and He lovingly takes care of us. Why do we have difficulty believing this?

We equate love with something that makes us feel good. If my life is good, then God loves me. If my life is bad, He loves me not. We often play, this “He loves me; He loves me not” game.

We bargain with God. I will do this for you and then you will do that for me. When our expectations are not met, we conclude that God doesn’t love us.

The truth is: God is always good and I am always loved.

The greatest proof of God’s love is Jesus. He died for us so we could live—really live here and in eternity.

God also shows his love in very practical ways. He plants “I love you” notes into each day. Can you find some? Here are a few of mine:

Thank you for the pattern the late afternoon sun makes on my wall.
Thank you, for the bright pink flowers on my cactus plant;
Thank you for the way the wind plays in the trees…

As we give thanks for these tangible things, we open the door for God’s salvation to come in (Psalm 50:23).

Thank you, Lord Jesus, that you love me always and are with me always.

By Helen Lescheid
Used by Permission
To read more of Helen’s writings go to http://www.helenlescheid.com

God Is Present with You Now

“Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you. So we may say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?” Hebrews 13:5-6

While visiting my daughter in Swaziland (S. Africa) I needed a break from all the travelling we were doing. I asked to be excused from the next sightseeing trip. “I will be just fine spending the week in your little duplex here on the school compound,” I said. The next morning I bravely said good bye to my son and daughter. But when I saw the tail lights of their car disappear over the sandy ridge, panic seized me. What have I done? We were told to never be alone. It’s too dangerous. How will I survive the next week all alone?

I ran into the house, double-locked the door as I’d seen my daughter do, climbed under the mosquito net and lay there shivering. Whom will I call in case of an emergency? I don’t know a single person.

A voice as clear as if it had been spoken out loud said, “Me! You call on Me. I have not left you.”

I grabbed my Bible and read “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you. So we may say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?” (Hebrews 13:5-6)

As I kept repeating the words, a calm settled into my soul and with it came a plan of action. I got out of bed, grabbed a small photo album I’d brought with me, and stepped outside. In the yard next door, I saw a young woman and small boy. “Would you like to see my photos?” I blurted out. She did. After I told her about my life in Canada, she told me bits of her life. (Luckily she spoke English)

Soon a group of children gathered around us. They loved the action choruses I taught them and they laughed at my funny pronunciation of their language. Then the children wanted me to come home and meet their parents. I was delighted to find that some knew Jesus. What a rich time of fellowship we had!

I learned so much from this experience. God is present with us as a real Person, not just in a thought or wishful thinking. A real Person who speaks comfort into our hearts: “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”

Thank you, Father, that when you say “never will I forsake you,” you mean never. You are with me now.

By Helen Lescheid
Used by Permission
To read more of Helen’s writings go to http://www.helenlescheid.com

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thoughts by Helen Grace Lescheid Thoughts by Women

What’s In Your Heart?

Published August 15, 2021

What’s In Your Heart?

“Then Jesus answered, ‘Woman you have great faith! Your request is granted.” And her daughter was healed from that very hour. Matthew 15:28

A Gentile woman asked Jesus to heal her daughter. At first Jesus ignored her, and then he rebuffed her. “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel,” he said. When the woman persisted, Jesus answered her, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to their dogs” (Matthew 15:21-28).

That sounds rude to me.

What would you have done?

I think I would have walked away in a huff saying to myself, “He’s no better than the rest of the Jews.”

Why did Jesus treat her that way? I’ve often wondered. It’s so unlike him!

We must take these verses in context. What had Jesus been speaking about? He had been teaching what makes a person clean or unclean in God’s eyes. The Jews considered all Gentiles unclean and called them “dogs” because they didn’t observe the Jewish rituals of cleanliness.

But Jesus wanted to show them that being clean before God is much more about what’s on the inside. “Out of the heart come evil thoughts that lead to evil acts. These are what makes a person unclean,” Jesus said. (Matthew 15:16-20).

How do we know what’s in a person’s heart? We don’t know until the heart spills over, like a cup that’s being bumped spills over with its contents.

Jesus knew what was in the woman’s heart. He knew that when he bumped her—as his harsh words would do–out of her heart would flow faith and good humor. She became the perfect object lesson to what Jesus had just been talking about.

God wants reality, not ritual.

What comes out of our mouths when we are bumped? What a testimony it is when, instead of anger, out come words of faith and blessing.

Dear Jesus, fill my heart with your truth and love, so that when life bumps me I will spill over with your grace.

By Helen Lescheid
Used by Permission

To read more of Helen’s writings go to http://www.helenlescheid.com

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Do all Things Really Work Together for Good?

Published August 5, 2021

Do all Things Really Work Together for Good?

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose”(Romans 8:28).

When you’re in the midst of great suffering you don’t want people to piously quote the above verse to you. “How can this be good when it feels so bad?” you ask yourself. But what is this verse really talking about? I looked it up in my Bible so I could read it in context.

“We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, to those who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son.”

In the Amplified Bible the last phrase reads: “He destined them from the beginning to be molded into the image of His Son and share inwardly His likeness.”

God is interested in our long-range good. For that reason, He is using all things in our lives–the good and the bad–to make us more like Christ. To perfect us. To grow us up. To set us free from self-centeredness so that we will become the beautiful people He created. This is a greater good than temporal blessings. Wouldn’t you agree?

We must beware of a feeling of entitlement, thinking that God owes us a blessing. “I’ve been a good Christian; I’ve worked very hard; I deserve better.” In truth, if it weren’t for Jesus’ death and resurrection, God would owe us judgment. Instead, He offers us mercy. Grace and mercy are His gifts to us. We do not earn them.

Father, I want to believe that you have my best interest at heart, at all times. Help my unbelief. I now surrender all my dreams and ambitions and all my disappointments to you. I want to be more trusting like Jesus was.

By Helen Lescheid
Used by Permission

I Want to Experience More of God’s Love

“May you experience the love of Christ, though it is so great you will never fully understand it. Then you will be filled with the fullness of life and power that comes from God.” (Ephesians 3:19 NLT).

Most of us have sung, “Jesus loves me this I know,” and recited “For God so loved the world,” since we were children. Yet, we don’t experience God’s love. Why is that?

We may have been desperately disappointed by people who claim to love us, and now we are skeptical of love–even God’s love.

When we look to any other person besides God to meet all our love needs, we set ourselves up for disappointment. There is no human being alive that can love us as completely and as fully as we need to be loved, and there never will be. Only God can do that.

On the other hand, we may feel betrayed by God Himself. Maybe we’ve prayed fervently for a need and, instead of the situation getting better, it got worse. It’s like God doesn’t care.

Now stubborn independence and pride have taken over. We’re like a pebble in a brook bathed in life-giving water, but because it remains unyielding, it can’t absorb the water.

The Bible tells us that God’s love is available to all:

“But God shows and clearly proves his love for us by the fact that while we were still sinners Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8 Amp). “This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins”
(1 John 4:9, 10).

But love is also relational. For us to benefit from God’s love, we need to respond to it in faith and obedience. We need to make our hearts soft so the love of God can penetrate.

“But the steadfast love of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him…to those who keep his covenant and remember to do his commandments”
(Psalm 103:17 NRSV).

God’s abundant love is swirling all around us, but we need to reciprocate. How? “By fearing the LORD and obeying His commandments.”

But aren’t we then earning God’s love? No, we are tuning our hearts to be receptive to God’s love. By faith we affirm His love and by our obedience we respond to his love. As we do so, it becomes a heart-felt reality.

Dear God, thank You that You love me always. I want to tune my heart to receive Your love. I want to be alert to all the reminders of your love you scatter throughout the day.

By Helen Lescheid
Used by Permission00
To read more of Helen’s writings go to http://www.helenlescheid.com

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thoughts by Helen Grace Lescheid Thoughts by Women

Category: <span>thoughts by Helen Grace Lescheid</span>

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