Gratitude Year 4 - Day 124: Today, I am grateful love cannot be faked or hidden.The tabloids and magazines about people at the grocery store used to spark my interest. Now, they mostly make me sad. They are full of people looking for love, peace and contentment in all the wrong places. They are evidence that money, wealth, affluence and influence do not bring happiness. They can't buy a love that lasts, endures and survives the storms of life. Even the famous, wealthy and powerful have problems. Maybe, they have more.
The marriages that survive and thrive seem to remove themselves from the watchful public eye. They, also, seem to be the ones where there is a strong faith. And even some of those have struggles. We can return to Ecclesiastes 1 and Solomon's declaration of "Meaningless, meaningless...". Without a relationship with God, we seem to always hunger for more. He satisfies in a way the world cannot.
"Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love." -1 John 4:8
Now, take this quote and change replace "love" with God. After all, God is love.
"God cannot be found where he doesn't exist nor hidden where He truly does."
I know that God is omnipresent. He is everywhere. He is ever and always present, but He dwells and abides where He is invited, welcome, included and worshiped. He wants to be included not just invited to the wedding...he wants to be included in the marriage...by his design.
May is a month of many marriages. This scripture is often read and braided cords are a recent trend in marriages. The happiest, best and enduring loves are a relationship of not just about two people...but adding the third cord when we invite Christ to be at the center. It will not be easily broken.
"Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken." Ecclesiastes 4:12
Love makes the tough stuff bearable. God infuses his strength into our hardest days. He is "core strength". and we gain it by training in His word until we know it and can apply it.
The world offers substitutes...but they are not the real thing. "Ain't nothing like the real thing, baby!" stated the old Coca-Cola commercials. This worlds highs are so temporary. His love and peace are so powerful, they transcend the limits of our human understanding.
We know what we know. It is a gut level knowledge. Soul deep and the soul is eternal.
Immeasurable. Some feel he cannot be proven. Faith is required.
"because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." -Romans 10:9
His gift of choice allows us to choose darkness or His light. His promise is that we will be saved. This world is temporary. It is where we chose our destiny. He is present and cannot be hidden. He can be ignored and rejected, but not hidden.
The earth sings His praises...even when we don't. This is never more evident than in the springtime. His sprinkles that land with shades of spring green, rich clover hues and pops of amazing color burst forth in flowers. They are unable to keep "silent" another minute. They declare the Lord's beauty over the earth...even in places the scientist say life is impossible or will not recover.
Mount St. Helen is a great example of life springing forth in a barren, dead place. Our God is not dead. He is surely alive and His power cannot be hidden. Time is his to control. They once said the mountain would never recover in my lifetime. From 1980 to now, look what has happened on what was considered a dead, lifeless mountain face after a volcano erruption.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2sUFP9zrbg
Our God is love and He is life.
Today, I am grateful love cannot be faked or hidden.
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