Love Letters To The Lord

"Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the law?"  Jesus said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.  This is the first and great commandment . . . "

                                                        Matthew 22:36-38

The question is this:  "How do we do that?"  How do we go about making the Lord our God the object of our love, and more important than any family member?

2016 is going to be a great year.  Here is a recommendation to make it your best year ever.

I want to challenge you to do this for one year, beginning this Friday the 1st, 2016.

I would like for you to purchase a journal, or any type of small book you can write your thoughts in.  I would like for you to call it, "Love Letters to the Lord," or any similar name you would feel comfortable calling it.

Each page of the journal would constitute one day.  That means you may only need to write one paragraph on the front of the page or you could write and fill up the front and the back but no more.  Contain it to one page.  365 pages would make up your one year assignment.

Begin by saying, "Dear Lord," or whatever makes you feel comfortable.  Begin to develop a personal relationship with the Lord.  Just write whatever comes into your heart.  It doesn't have to be perfect, just honest.  I would recommend that no one else would ever read this journal - just you and the Lord only.  

Jesus says that if you develop a close relationship with Him that He will answer your prayers:

"And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.  If you ask anything in My name, I will do it."

                                                        John 14:13-14

The Bible tells us that the most important thing you can do in your life is to develop a personal relationship with the Lord.  God loves you and wants to bless you and wants to see you happy and enjoying your life.  I believe this challenge will enable you to do just that - to develop a personal relationship with Him.  

I believe if you are willing to do this, that your life will change, as the Lord will be with you.  When you love the Lord, you will receive blessings you never imagined.  God loves you and is waiting to hear from you.    

Hope For the Holidays

Dr. James Dobson relates the story of an elderly woman named Stella Thornhope who was struggling with her first Christmas alone.  Her husband had died just a few months prior through a slow developing cancer.  Late that afternoon the doorbell rang, and there was a delivery boy with a box.  She said, "What's in the box?"  The young man opened up the flap, and inside was a little puppy, a golden Labrador Retriever.  "This is for you, Ma'am.  He's six weeks old, completely housebroken."  "Who sent this?" Mrs. Thornhope asked.  

The young man handed her an envelope and said, "It's all explained here in this envelope, Ma'am."  In desperation she again asked, "Who sent me this puppy?"  As the young man turned to leave, he said, "Your husband, Ma'am.  Merry Christmas."  She opened up the letter from her husband.  He had written it three weeks before he died and left it with the kennel owners to be delivered with the puppy as his last Christmas gift to her.  The letter was full of love and encouragement and admonishments to be strong.  He vowed that he was waiting for the day when she would join him.  He had sent her this young animal to keep her company until then.  

She wiped away her tears and picked up the golden furry ball and held it to her neck.  Suddenly, Stella felt the most amazing sensation of peace washing over her.  Her heart felt a joy and a wonder greater than the grief and loneliness.  "Little fella,"  she said to the dog, "It's just you and me, but we are going to be okay."

This Christmas time will be a time of happiness for so many people around the world.  However, it will also be a time of sadness for many people who have lost loved ones and who will feel the loneliness that is so hard to deal with.  Our Lord knows the loneliness that you may feel and He comes to us in many different ways.  I believe that God sends angels in many forms to comfort us when we are feeling heartbroken.  In Luke 4:18, Jesus says these words to us, " . . . He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted . . . "  I believe these words to be true and may God bless you and your family this Christmas season.