Love Notes

Based on Hebrews 9:1-28, Psalm 124:1-8, Ezekiel 17:1-18:32.

Jesus, it is Your desire to have lordship over our lives, not just to be our Savior, but also to be our LORD, guiding us into the best ways for us to walk in this world of woe: what to rebuke or repent of and turn from; turning to You in order to Live. Iniquity will not be our ruin, for You have given us a new heart and a new spirit. Blessed are You, LORD, for in You we will escape as a bird from the snare of the fowlers. The snare is already broken, and we have already escaped though we are still walking here on earth. Our help is in You who made heaven and earth.

I am grateful for Your confirmation about who is responsible for what in Your Kingdom, O GOD. You have mercifully and graciously assured me that the son shall not bear the guilt of the father, nor the father bear the guilt of the son. Your words exactly say, "The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself." This is a direct answer to my question of yesterday, and I am greatly blessed to receive it. Now I know that I am responsible and accountable for the Light I have received and for doing what I can (and all I can) to reveal that Light to others. But it is not my job to align other hearts with Yours. That is Your job, and You do it perfectly. Therefore, I trust that You are working all things to good as we who love You entrust all things into Your Care and Keeping. You desire that no one should perish but have eternal life, and so we pray Your will be done in every life we bring to You in grateful faith and hope that is confident.

Thank You for being the Passover Lamb, whose Blood is over the portals of my heart; thank You that Your Blood cleanses my conscience from dead works to serve You, our Mediator and Advocate. Thank You for underscoring that we are all in this alone when it comes to judgment and that we only die once a physical death, after which come this one judgment.

I cannot do life for anyone else, but I can share the Bread of Life that You are giving me daily to nourish me and I can offer the Living Water with which You refresh me. Thank You, for heavenly food is what grows a person who has been given a new heart and a new spirit by Your Grace. Your Word provides Your Word Writ, and it is the food of faith. It is what we, forgiven sinners, are able to offer (1) to one another and (2) to the unwitting and the unforgiven who are still ensnared as prey for the fowlers. As they begin to cry out from their troubles and afflictions, as they come their wits' end like we did, we are enabled to say to them, "If the LORD had not been on our side, the waters would have overwhelmed us; the stream would gave gone over our souls. But blessed be the LORD who has not given us as prey to their teeth. Our help is in the LORD who made heaven and earth!" 

This photograph is by Liz Burnell.