|
In this life the only thing that we have that matters is our love for one
another. Our net worth or the number of possessions that we have worked
so hard to accumulate does nothing to fill the soul with joy and the heart
with gladness. It is in recognizing our love for our family and friends
and those who mean so much to us that we find the true treasure of life.
The treasures are the people in our lives who encourage us when we are
down, who love us when we are unlovable, who forgive us when we don't
deserve it and who are there for us anytime we need to be lifted up.
(Romans 14:19) (1 John 4:11)
No matter what you are going through in life I want you to know that you
are loved. You may not feel it at certain moments, you may think that
nobody cares, you may feel all alone, but I want you to know that you are
not alone. People care for your well-being. They care about your life
and wish to see you happy and filled with joy and peace that surpasses all
understanding. Your job is to recognize their love and welcome them into
your life. (Galatians 6:10) (1 John 3:18)
We need to realize that things don't make the person. Things don't bring
fulfillment. Things don't fill the heart with gladness, but our
relationships do. When we are there to laugh with one another, cry with
one another, support one another, we are establishing a foundation that
will last their lifetime and ours. The good works that we do for one
another will live on in our hearts and in the hearts of those that we
helped to make better. (1 Peter 3:8-9)
Be encouraged to see the value in investing in your relationships. Do all
that you can to let all those who are near and dear to your heart know how
you feel about them, and do your best to welcome in their love in your
life. Don't leave anything unsaid if you can help it. Life is a fragile
gift that is here today and could be gone tomorrow. Life is unpredictable
and the future is unknowable, so let us use every opportunity that comes
our way to make our love known so that there will never be any doubt in
the hearts and minds of those whom we love. (James 1:27) (Luke 6:31)
I hope this message inspires and challenges your heart to think on the
love that you have in your life and do all that you can to make sure that
those who mean the most to you know exactly how you feel about them.
OLD PHOTOGRAPHS
Every now and then God clears our vision and lets us see a glimpse of
Heaven while still here on Earth. My own eyes got opened for me the other
day while I was looking through some old photo albums. I was never very
good at sorting pictures so they were pretty mixed up. Some had been taken
a few years ago, some were of my children as babies, and some old family
ones were taken up to 70 years ago. Each one of them, however, contained a
precious moment frozen in time. As I looked through them too I noticed
something very wonderful. It seemed that the happier the person was in the
picture, the more the light shined from their eyes. I could see this pure,
radiant and loving light in picture after picture no matter how long ago
it was taken.
With every smiling face there were a pair of shining eyes sending their
joy across the years and into my heart. It was then that I realized that
God was giving me a glimpse through the window to the Heavenly soul in
each person. This was who they really were. Each photo was of a Child of
God: full of love, full of joy, and full of light. I knew too that even
though those pictures would one day fade that those souls would shine on
forever.
I am still thanking God for that little glimpse of Heaven. I am keeping it
close to my heart, mind, and soul. I want to remember it not just every
time I look at a photograph, but also every time I am tempted to judge
another. Only God knows the depths of our souls and only God can see the
light within each of us.
God loves us so much. We are His Children and He put us here to help each
other to grow in love, joy and wonderful oneness with Him. Let’s embrace
our birthright then. Let’s be the best Children of God that we can be.
Let’s shine our light in our photos and in our lives. Let’s make each of
our days a beautiful picture by loving, helping, and giving joy to each other.
By Joseph J. Mazzella
Read and meditate on these scriptures:
1 John 3:16-19 “Hereby perceive we the love of God, because He laid down
His life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But
whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth
up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?
My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in
deed and in truth. And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall
assure our hearts before Him.”
Romans 12:9-10 “Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is
evil; cleave to that which is good. Be kindly affectioned one to another
with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another.”
Philippians 2:2-3 “Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the
same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through
strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better
than themselves.”
1 John 4:7-11 “Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and
every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not
knoweth not God; for God is love. In this was manifested the love of God
toward us, because that God sent His only begotten Son into the world,
that we might live through Him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but
that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.”
Philippians 4:8 “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever
things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure,
whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if
there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”
All of these scriptures can be found in the King James Version Bible.
Today’s Selected Poem: THIS MOMENT
Click here to read --- http://www.Godswork.org/inpoem45.htm
Today’s Selected Testimony: HEALED FROM DEPRESSION
Click here to read --- http://www.Godswork.org/testimony130.htm
In Christ’s Service,
Dwayne Savaya
God’s Work Ministry |
