LOVE

Robert and I pulled out of organized religion to keep the Sabbath, as outlined in Scripture, 14 years ago. We have studied faithfully what the Bible says about different truths on our day of rest and worship. Yahweh (God the Father) has shown us many wonderful things about Himself when we take the time to be still with Him on the day that He hallowed at creation.

When we started our home school 17 years ago, we began memorizing the 10 Commandments. The children were little, so we just kept it simple, and did the short version that is printed everywhere. However, as the children grew, I wanted them to memorize the Commandments as they are written in Exodus 20. We read these passages over and over until, little bit by little bit, these words came from memory and I knew that we had indeed put them into our heart.

Exodus 20:8 - 11 reads like this and I quote from memory:

REMEMBER THE SABBATH DAY, TO KEEP IT HOLY.

SIX DAYS SHALT THOU LABOR AND DO ALL THY WORK,

BUT THE SEVENTH DAY IS THE SABBATH OF THE LORD THY GOD:

IN IT THOU SHALT NOT DO ANY WORK,

THOU, NOR THEY SON, NOR THY DAUGHTER,

THY MANSERVANT, NOR THY MAID SERVANT,

NOR THY CATTLE,

NOR THY STRANGER THAT IS WITHIN THY GATES:

FOR IN SIX DAYS THE LORD MADE HEAVEN AND EARTH,

THE SEA AND ALL THAT IN THEM IS,

AND RESTED THE SEVENTH DAY:

WHEREFORE THE LORD BLESSED THE SABBATH DAY,

AND HALLOWED IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The SEVENTH day IS the Sabbath of the Lord thy God! It is a holy day--a day to rest from our labors and just trust in Him to have all of the answers to the problems of the approaching week. It is also a time to rejoice in how HE has saved our neck in the past week! I love, on the Sabbath, to recall ALL the times that He gave me the wisdom that I needed to deal with a difficult situation; how HE gave me the strength to do all of the work that He lined up for me; and how HE led me beside still waters even in the midst of all the controversy I faced that week. WOW--GOD IS SO AWESOME THAT HE DESERVES A DAY TO BE HONORED IN THIS SPECIAL WAY!!!

Actually, though this post appears to be about the Sabbath, that was not my original intention. You see, the point that I was trying to make here is that we can get all wrapped up in proving to everyone else that we have done our homework and we KNOW that we're right and they're wrong. But this very process of arguing over who is "Right" and who is "Wrong" must certainly grieve the heart of the God of all love. Certainly we don't impress HIM when we cut some one's throat just to prove to them that we were RIGHT!!!!!!!!

I'm thinking now of one fine, young man who I'm sure will never read this. How grand it is to "Study to show ourselves approved unto God," but what is the point of all of the studying? When the heart's goal is to study, just for the point of having head knowledge, I must argue that God is not greatly impressed.

Certainly, I'd much rather that young men be studying the Word, and about the Word, than out dating a different girl each week. However when one gains knowledge and imparts it with the world, simply for the reason of proving oneself smarter or better or more learned than everyone else, then I must say that this is pharasitical type thinking.

Robert and I keep coming, over and over, to the fact that GOD IS LOVE. When I was getting confirmed in the Methodist church in Eureka, SD almost 4 decades ago, I volunteered to recite

1 Corinthians 13 at the service. I'm sure that most of you know that that chapter in the Bible is called the, "Love Chapter." My heart burned within me that day with the desire to get people to see that LOVE is what matters more than anything else in the whole wide world. I still recall people crying later, saying how it had touched their hearts.

Although I can't recite the whole thing right this minute (although we worked on it in school last year), it IS buried deep inside my brain. I will recite the first 3 verses from it to help to make my point as these are God's words and not my own.

THOUGH I SPEAK WITH THE TONGUES OF MEN AND OF ANGELS,

AND HAVE NOT CHARITY (LOVE),

I AM BECOME AS SOUNDING BRASS

OR A TINKLING CYMBAL.

AND THOUGH, I HAVE THE GIFT OF PROPHECY,

AND UNDERSTAND ALL MYSTERIES,

AND ALL KNOWLEDGE,

AND THOUGH I HAVE FAITH THAT

I COULD REMOVE MOUNTAINS,

AND HAVE NOT CHARITY (LOVE)

I AM NOTHING!

AND THOUGH I BESTOW ALL MY GOODS

TO FEED THE POOR,

AND THOUGH I GIVE MY BODY TO BE BURNED,

AND HAVE NOT CHARITY (LOVE)

IT PROFITETH ME NOTHING!!!!!!!!!

There really is nothing more to say. ALL of our efforts to impress God with words of wisdom to fellow human beings means absolutely nothing to God IF THOSE WORDS ARE NOT MOTIVATED BY LOVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We are simply sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal if we write, or talk, or move, or do anything at all, without love being the motivation for what we do.

What IS love? Well, I urge you to study the rest of 1 Corinthians 13 to find out if you're not really clear on this. Better yet, commit it to memory. I'm always amazed when I hear people comment on how much Scripture they have memorized. They'll say all kinds of grand passages about God, and HIS love, but very few can recite the love chapter. WHY? Well, it's my hunch because being loving really IS a hard thing to do. In fact it's absolutely impossible for us to do in our flesh, being we're filled with sin.

It's not natural for us to suffer long; be kind; envy not; vaunt not OURSELVES; not be puffed up; seek not our own; be not easily provoked; be not puffed up, think no evil, bear all things; believe all things; hope all things; and ENDURE all things. THAT'S A LOT OF SELF-SACRIFICING, ISN'T IT?

Yeah well, if we want to be like God is, then we will let His Holy Spirit work in us to BE love to everyone that we meet. It really doesn't matter what I want, or what I may desire, what matters is what is best for the other person!!!!!!!!!!!!! THAT'S WHAT LOVE DOES!!!!

Over and over Robert keeps saying to me, "What the Bible boils down to, in my opinion, is that if I want to be like God, THEN I WILL LOVE OTHERS!!" With all of my heart, I believe that he is RIGHT!!! Oh, to have a heart of love for the world as my Heavenly Father has--THAT IS MY DESIRE.

To love, then, to love. When there is love, 2 people can sit down and discuss every issue in the world and agree to disagree and walk away being fed by the knowledge that the other person still respects them even though they are not seeing things the same way.

Better yet (as I believe that their IS truth in ALL areas) wouldn't it be grand if someone who has done a lot of studying in an area would quietly and LOVINGLY explain to others what they have learned with those who are ready to hear the truth in that area? Then the second person can lovingly and quietly explain a truth to the first person that they have been studying. In this way, the church would grow and prosper and be in good health. AHHHH--that all of Christendom would love each other as Christ loved the church and GAVE HIMSELF FOR IT!

May you all have a love-filled Sabbath tomorrow!

Dawn