23 All you who are faithful, love the Lord!
The Lord protects those who are loyal,
but he pays the proud back to the fullest degree.
24 All you who wait for the Lord,
be strong and let your heart take courage.
Reflection
It all starts with God loving us first. Love so great God sent Jesus to show us that love in person. God’s love for us isn’t only a feeling, God’s love for us through Jesus is active, saving, and transforming love. God’s love for us is faithful, never ending and never failing love and Jesus showed us God’s love when he chose to go to the cross. God’s love for us makes it possible for us to love God and to love others. As followers of Jesus, our love for God and
love for others is love expressed in action.
The writer of this psalm David, calls all the faithful, and those of us here today, to love the Lord! He knew through personal experience what it was to love God. He knew God’s faithfulness through out his life, when stalked by enemies, slandered by the opposition and
even when he sinned and fell short.
As King of Israel, God gave David courage and strength, when David’s own failed him.
Finding the courage and strength to love others comes from God, for if we rely on our own courage and strength to love others and put them first, we will quickly burn out. When we chose to rely on God and put the needs of others before our own, we create a caring community. Caring followers of Jesus are at the heart of every faith community. It takes courage to choose to give up time in our very busy schedules, to care for people in need. God
calls us to serve others in our church and our communities. With God’s help, we learn to serve with the love of Jesus, who put others first. The world will see that we are a caring community that welcomes all into God’s Kin-dom. They will experience God’s love through our actions, and they will be transformed by God’s love, to love others.
by Jeneene Reduker
For Pondering and Prayer
Let’s all say,” I Love you Lord!” How do you experience God’s love in your life? Who can you share the good news of God’s love with today? How is God calling you to love and serve others? What part can you play in your caring community? Your church needs you as part of the community of care, now more than ever. You can show God’s love to others, in so many ways- by greeting at services, making soup, taking communion to others, helping with children and youth, visiting those at home, giving blood, packing and delivering food and supplies. God will give you the courage to choose to serve and the strength to love. Reach out to Pastor Joe today to get connected.
Prayer: Holy and Loving God, we love you! Give us the courage to answer your call to
serve others and the strength to love others as Jesus loved us. Amen.