Love Note

Based on Colossians 3:1-25, Psalm 118:5-9, and Jeremiah 9:1-10:25.

Father GOD, thank You that we who glory, glory in this: understanding and knowing You because we have been brought into the heavenlies to live in Christ,  exercising His lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth, for in these You delight. In Your mercy, You raised us into Christ, where Christ is, sitting at Your right hand, O GOD. We seek those things which are above, knowing that our lives now are hidden with Christ in You and that, when Christ who is our life appears, we also will appear with Him in glory. 

Thank You for revealing that Your wisdom is not in the ways of men nor is it in man at all to direct his own steps. We see so many who are foolish but hey have no idea they are fools because they are without knowledge of You. They have no idea that You are the way into truth and fullness of life. So many embrace falsehood and worthless doctrines and futile customs and works of error! Only You can open their hearts. Only You can reveal and heal the incurable wound, our tragic flaw. Revive and raise we bring to You who are unwittingly walking dead, and give us the trust in You to entrust them to Your care. Thank You that we clearly hear You as You say, "Behold, I will distress them that they may know  that I AM the LORD of Hosts who made  the earth and established the world by My wisdom, who is the Maker of all things, who made Israel the tribe of My inheritance."

Therefore we have hope that confident, even as we see that shepherds have become dull-hearted and have wandered from seeking You, LORD. It has been a hard way for us to learn  that it is better to trust in You than put our confidence in men, that it far better for us to surrender to Your power than to follow the sons of disobedience, even those who know not what they do. Forgive them, LORD, as You forgave us, and call them as You called us: into one body -- the Body of Christ. Let Your Word dwell in us richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with Your grace in our hearts to You, LORD, and giving thanks to GOD the Father through You. 

Thank You for hearing  when we called to You in our distress, for answering us and for setting us into Your Body, for making our footing sure. Thank You for regenerating us from darkness into light as Your elect, O GOD, holy and beloved, clothed in Your tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, and longsuffering to bear with one another and to forgive one another, united by Your perfect bond of love. May Your peace rule in our hearts as we wait and watch for Your day, O LORD. In Christ and by Your Holy Spirit we pray. Amen.

This photograph is by Liz Burnell.