Journey Into Gods Love ~A Devotional Journey Into God’s Deep Love For Us

Through The Book of Hosea

and

CHRISTMAS ~ The Best Gift Ever!

Have you ever taken a journey to a foreign land?  I’m talking about a pilgrimage.  It is the journey of a pilgrim, especially to a sacred place.  I remember my first trip to Israel.  It was one of those special times, a time of “First Experiences”.  We arrived at the Sea of Galilee after dark, so we could not gaze upon the water that Jesus had walked on, until the morning.  I remember my first glimpse of the Sea.  When I awakened, the first thing I did was throw open the curtains to see it.  It was beautiful, but nothing could prepare me for actually getting on a boat and navigating out into the sea.

It was the first time I had ever felt the “Rush” of God’s love completely fill me to overflowing.  I couldn’t hold back the smile or the tears.  The first time my daughter saw the picture (above) she said, “Mom, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you look so happy”!  It was total focus and openness to what I was experiencing.  I think that maybe I was looking for that “Rush” of His love, but I also think that it was God’s pursuit of me, “Rushing” through me.

Yesterday, my day was very interesting.  I was bombarded by the news of friends with difficulties in their lives, some small ones and some that are creating havoc.  It seems that I have had a heightened awareness of needs, difficulties and struggles of those around me.  As I survey the damage (some great and some just annoying) being done in the lives around me, I sense something missing.  I know what that something is, because I too have experienced it before.  It is the “Love Of God”.  Not in the sense that it is not there, BECAUSE WE ALL KNOW THAT HIS LOVE HAS ALWAYS BEEN AND ALWAYS IS THERE.  But sometimes we take our focus off of the love of God.  As we deal with the emotions of life, sometimes we lose sight of His love.  Stuff gets in the way, blocking our view.  We forget, for that moment, that what our hearts desire is God.  I talked with a friend that is truly experiencing some despair.  As I spoke to her, I could tell that her heart was aching for something, someone to hold onto.  That longing, that need for something or someone to hold on to is God and His Love.  We need look no further than HIM.  I in no way want to minimize the difficulties I see around me, I just know that what God has put on my heart, HIS LOVE, is there for a reason.  This is not a search for His love, this is a REMINDER of His great Love for us.  What more appropriate time of year to acknowledge “How Deep His Love Is For You And Me”, than CHRISTMAS!  It is a special time of year when our hearts are turned toward the birth of Christ, one of God’s greatest acts of love for us.  Words alone cannot describe this act of love.  I only know that it is an extreme pursuit of us, by God, to send His Son to be born, live, die and be raised from the dead.

In my pursuit, pondering how to begin our pilgrimage, our journey into God’s love, I believe the Holy Spirit has led me to the book of Hosea.  Why else would “Hosea” keep popping into my thoughts and dreams.  I have read the book, but never felt the need to “take a closer look”.  God’s loving pursuit, is what the book of Hosea is about.

Today, think about the journey we are about to take “Into God’s Love”.  It will be an adventure as we travel into this family time of year.  We WILL, most assuredly, be led to “The Manger”.

Quote to Ponder:  “God is Love.  He didn’t need us.  But He wanted us.  And that is the most amazing thing.”  Quote by Rick Warren

Scripture to ponder:  “How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!  And that is what we are!”  1 John 3:1  NIV

Posted in: Bible Studies

Tags: God's Love

This entry was posted on Thursday, December 3rd, 2009 at 1:52 am and is filed under Bible Studies. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.