The Gathering Place Where Family Matters

“Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love Me, he will keep My words: and My Father will love him, and We will come unto him, and make Our abode with him. He that loveth Me not, keepeth not My sayings: and the word which ye hear is not Mine, but the Father’s which sent Me” (John 14:23-24).

Lanielle was becoming more and more defiant as a teenager. To be very honest, she was making life generally miserable in her home. Simple little requests were made very big issues by Lanielle. She rebelled against nearly everything. Knowing what the family was going through, Aunt Linda invited her beloved Lanielle out to lunch on a Saturday afternoon. To everyone’s amazement, Lanielle accepted the invitation. The Holy Spirit was really working that day at the restaurant. After a great and lengthy conversation, Aunt Linda simply said, “Honey, you claim to be a Christian. That’s great! But the Lord Jesus clearly taught us that if we love Him, we will keep His words. If we don’t keep His words, it is a clear indication that we don’t love Him at all. By your actions you are making a very loud statement about your love for Christ. I am telling you these things because I love you.” Lanielle did not change overnight. In fact, a few months after this she came to put her trust in the Lord Jesus for salvation. The conversation with her aunt that day was the changing point in her life. Though many folks claim to know the Lord Jesus, the proof will be in the way they live. If they really know Him, they will keep His words. If they don’t keep His words, there is a big question mark over the genuineness of their claims to be a Christian.

For today: May the proof of my love for Christ be demonstrated in the way that I obey him!

“For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin” (Hebrews 4:15).

Bill and Mary sat in their family room with their beloved pastor. It’d been nearly two weeks since the death of their precious son. They missed him terribly. At times it felt like they could not go on another moment. Bill spoke softly and with great emotion when he said to his pastor, “Probably one of the hardest things for me is when people tell me that they know how I feel. Pastor, you won’t believe this, but two days ago I had a man tell me, ‘Bill, I know just how you feel. My daughter has the flu and has been down for a couple of days. I know what it’s like to have a sick child. I know just how you feel.’’ Bill paused for a few moments and continued speaking to his pastor, “For a moment I wanted to punch him in the nose! My son experienced multiple surgeries and years of not feeling well. And then this guy comes along and tells me that he knows how I feel because his daughter has the flu. It was hard for me to take.” The wise pastor sympathized with them and said that he was so sorry that this happened. Taking his New Testament out of his pocket, the gentle pastor read the verse we have selected today. He reminded Bill and Mary that “there is someone who really does know how you folks feel. The Lord Jesus completely understands, and He holds you as His very own children.” How about you? What are you going through right now, and how does it help you to understand that the Lord Jesus knows how you feel?

For today: I am so glad that the Lord Jesus completely understands and He helps His own children.

“Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16).

Dr. Jack loved the Lord and deeply respected Him. It was such a great joy and delight to the surgeon that he knew the Lord Jesus as his personal Savior. His relationship with the Lord became even dearer one day as a great spiritual truth impacted his life. It started out to be a routine day as he walked down the hospital corridor. Several people walked ahead of him. One of the ladies held the hand of a young child. As they approached the waiting area, the child read aloud the words on the door ahead of him, “Absolutely no admittance. Authorized Surgical Personnel Only.” Jack stepped on past them, swiped his card in the slot, walked through the automatic doors that opened for him, and heard the voice of the surgical receptionist say, “Good Morning, Dr. Cramer.” At that very moment he visualized it. He had earned the privilege of coming boldly to a place in the hospital that was off limits to others. However, it was different with the Lord. He could come before the Lord not because he had earned it, but as a matter of grace it was given to him! He didn’t deserve the privilege, nor could He earn it. Isn’t it wonderful to belong to the Lord and to enjoy the special privilege of coming before His throne with boldness?

For today: If you know the Lord as your Savior, you can come to Him boldly. He is waiting to greet you.

“Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him” (1 John 2:15).

Alex knew better. He understood that it was illegal as well as unwise to be texting as he was driving. He was sure just this one time that he could safely text as well as drive on a very familiar road. It was a straightaway, and he had traveled it many, many times. It would be a short text with a sudden interruption as the wheels of Alex’s car went off the edge of the road and into the steep ditch. The car rolled over several times and came to rest on its top. Alex had lost the focus of keeping his eyes on the road. His telephone and his text temporarily captured his attention, and it resulted in disaster. Likewise, it is disastrous when we believers lose our focus and begin loving the world. It never leads to good things! We should know better.

For today: Keep the focus of your love on the Lord Jesus Christ, not on the world.

“Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not” (1 John 3:1).

It was something that Monica would never forget. Her twelve-year-old son Ricky came down and met her in the kitchen. It was early morning, and only Monica and Ricky were up. “I had a strange but really good thing happen last night, Mom” he said. “A little after I went to bed, Jeffrey came into my room and up to me. Before I knew it, he hopped on top of the covers and looked me in the face. He said to me that you and Dad had to love me because I was born to you. But you loved him because you and Dad adopted him and wanted to love him. He then thanked me for letting him be part of our family, and before I could say a word, he shot out of bed, turned my overhead light on, blinding me, and giggled all the way to his room!” Ricky continued. “It made me think that that is the exact same way with God. He loves me because He wants to. That’s pretty awesome, isn’t it, Mom?” Ricky asked quietly. How about you? Does it strike you often that God loves you just because He wants to?

For today: Rejoice in His awesome love. He wants you to.