This morning I had something happen to me that I have heard other people talk and write about. As I was praying this morning God opened my eyes to understand something more than I ever have in the past. This was not during meditation on a verse, or during the study of a verse or passage. This was through prayer. God opened my eyes to just how crazy in love he is with us.
If you don’t mind I am just going to write what I wrote in my prayer (I tend to write my prayers instead of speak them verbally):
Lord, you are a God who helps in times of need. You help those that you have called to yourself eternally and you also help us as we need it on this earth.
(even now, I need your help in this early hour to free my mind from all of its distractions).
You even help us when our love for you is not where is should be.
Your love compels you.
You love compels you so that even when we fight your call, you continue to pull us toward you.
If you were not compelled by your love, then whatever else compelled you would not be as great, as eternal.
“Love never ends.” – 1 Corinthians 13:8
Your love sent your Son.
Your love sustained Him.
Your love nailed Him to the Cross.
Your love allows us to participate.
Your love gives us the hope of nailing our sins to that cross.
Your love allows us to beat death with your Son.
Your love promises a future resurrection because of His.
Your love promises eternity with you, through your Son.
Words alone cannot adequately express the thankfulness in my heart.
“But be doers of the word.” – James 1:22a
Lord, I am beginning to understand.
Thank you for helping me to understand why you require and desire action from us. Thank you for sticking around while it took me a wile to see this truth.
God, please forgive me for a lifetime of not demonstrating love towards you!
“But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” – Romans 5:8
God, help me to walk this way for you. Help me to not only demonstrate love for you through my thoughts and words, but also through my actions. Help me to be bold.
-Amen.
Aaron Aiken 
Aaron,
It’s interesting how God puts these puzzle pieces of life together. Just this weekend our sermon was on the James passage you mentioned.
http://carlislefreechurch.org/sermons/?sermon_id=130
Craig
Craig,
James 1:22 has been a constant reminder for me in my study and teaching the past month. I have no doubt that our generation (or maybe this is just me 🙂 ) is at a fork in the road. We need to choose to be against or for God and live honestly. God is not impressed at our ability to be fake.
Been to Carlisle E Free once in the past, nice church and good preaching! I used to fly out of the Carlisle airport back in 2006-07. Sorry for the noise 🙂
Thanks for the comment.
And while I have you here. Question to run by you: I have struggled for roughly five years to find a purpose for this blog. It is basically turning into a devotional blog of sorts. Thinking of creating a separate site for this effort entirely so that I can promote it more actively and be more focused in my material. Would you read it? Would you recommend folks to it? Does this seem like a good idea?
Thanks again, and talk soon,
Aaron
Well if you fly in this week I’ll be leading worship.
I don’t think you can go wrong by creating a new site. Actually I think that’s a great idea. There are lots of sites but everyone has their own style and preference. The best part is how you will grow by sharing with everyone else. Good luck with it!
Craig