The Love of God

The LORD did not set his love upon you, nor choose you,

because ye were more in number than any people;

for ye were the fewest of all people:

But because the LORD loved you,

Deuteronomy 7:7-8

Why does God love us?

simply

because

He loved us.

The Thoughts of the Heart, p3

Since its rather an extended topic in my mind, I will probably be on this for awhile, but there is so much to examine. I would also love to read your comments, so email me or post them :).

"And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart,

and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. "

Deuteronomy 6:5

" Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart,

and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind."

Matthew 22:37

The same commandment, recored twice, in both the Old & New Testament, with one slight difference....

Mind. Might.

Why the difference?

[A friend pointed out yet another verse....Mark 12:30]

"And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart,

and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength:"

Might.............Strength...............Mind

One Friend Left

I was pondering today :) ...perhaps that is typical....but until I have the time to post my ponderings... twas listening to this song, thought I'd share :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oPnhSFrkpno

The Thoughts of the Heart , p2

I haven't posted in a while, life is very busy. However, I have continued to ponder the previous topic.....

I was reading in Psalms a few days ago (yes, as many know, that means I wasn't really reading much this week --not a good thing to say the least, but I love how God speaks straight to our souls even when we weren't really listening.), so while reading in Psalms this verse popped out at me.

The counsel of the LORD standeth for ever,

the thoughts of his heart to all generations.

Psa 33:11

the thoughts of his heart to all generations... we really have no grasp of how God loves us, do we?

How He loves us! He loved us generations prior to our existence. Who would love filthy little arrogant creatures so intent on willfully sinning, generations before they are born, with the exact knowledge of the hideous sin they will commit?

According as He hath chosen us in Him

before the foundation of the world,

that we should be holy

and without blame

before him in love: Eph 1:4

We love to rationalize love, we bring His love down to our level, but in reality --we have no clue. No clue, how much He loves us --and how much we pain Him.

I remember as a very little girl, my mom would crouch down beside me when I had a tantrum, or wouldn't share . She would say "Ashley. That is very bad. That is sin." Her voice would be stern and hard, but her face was gentle. Her eyes were sad. "And it hurt God's heart sooo much, it makes God very very sad." Somehow, when she said that you could almost see God crying, so heavy hearted, so disappointed --but with eyes so full of love that it made my child's heart want to throw my arms around His neck, in contrite repentance.

So, I was reading today, in random places, when I read Hebrews 9:26.

For then must he often have suffered

since the foundation of the world:

but now once in the end of the world

hath he appeared to put away sin

by the sacrifice of himself.

For then must He often have suffered since the foundation of the world....

The previous verses center on the difference between Christ's sacrifice and the old sacrifices of bulls and of goats, emphasising how the sacrifices of old could never put away sin forever and then comes this verse. "For then must He often have suffered". So he came to deal with the problem of sin once and for all "now once in the end of the world hath He appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself."

I believe I will always be amazed that the God of Heaven infinitely loves me forever.

The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying,

Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love:

therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.

Jeremiah 31:3

***

Lord Jesus I love thee, I know Thou art mine,

My rock and my fortress, my surety divine,

My gracious redeemer, song shall be now,

Tis Thou who art worthy, Lord Jesus, tis Thou.

The Thoughts of the Heart

The heart has always been interesting study. Mankind devotes much time to studying the heart: other's hearts, their own heart, and even the heart of God. But although much study is made, seldom do the conclusions vary. Aristotle declared the heart to be the "seat and source of sensation", Plato a place of songs and whispers, while renown poet Lord Byron stated simply "There is no instinct like that of the heart." But recent reading in Deuteronomy called to attention the stark contrast of the world's conclusions on the heart and God's portrayal of the heart.

And thou shalt love the LORD thy God

with all thine heart,

and with all thy soul,

and with all thy might. Deut 6:5

I found it interesting that the very first time the Hebrew word for heart is in Genesis 6:5 " every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually." How true we know this to be. But even more interesting was the second reference to the heart, in the very next verse we read of the Lord's heart and the sensitiveness of His heart. "And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.

How little we realize how tender the heart of God is... His is the pattern...we should keep our hearts to be more like His. We love to complain, cry, and pity the hurt we feel in our hearts, but do we ever think how He feels?

Here are a few of the verses I found that gave me a bit of a glimpse as to how God's heart feels.

"And the LORD smelled a sweet savour; and the LORD said in his heart, ...." Gen 8:21

"...the LORD hath sought him a man after his own heart..." 1 Sam 13:14

"And the LORD said unto him...I have hallowed this house...and mine eyes and mine heart shall be there perpetually." 1 Kings 9:3

***

The Living

For all this I considered in my heart even to declare all this,

that the righteous, and the wise, and their works,

are in the hand of God:

no man knoweth either love or hatred

by all that is before them.

Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do,

do it with thy might;

for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom,

in the grave, whither thou goest.

Ecc. 9:1, 10

For this God is our God for ever and ever:

he will be our guide even unto death.

Psalms 48:14

~

Musings on Apples

Today I read a quote which had in it an interesting reference to Christ being an apple tree.

So, curious as ever, I searched e-sword to find the foundation for that reference. What verse links our Lord to an apple tree. The only reference that I could turn up was Song of Solomon 2:3,

"As the apple tree among the trees of the wood,

so is my beloved among the sons.

I sat down under his shadow with great delight,

and his fruit was sweet to my taste. "

This started me thinking....and I found another verse in the book of Joel that listed a bunch of fruit trees and said how all the these fruit trees had withered, " because joy is withered away from the sons of men." Joy, Delight: both have some connection to fruit trees.... then there is that verse "A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver."

Any reference in the Bible to apples seems a mysterious reference. I can only find six references in Hebrew to apples. (There are many "apple of eye" references in the KJV, but the word apple is not the same as an apple tree...the "apple of eye" is literally translated "little man of the eye" or better translated pupil, since it was understood to mean pupil.)

Here are the six references if anyone cares to look them up....if you have any ideas as to the significance of apples, I'd love to hear them....

Proverbs 25:11

Song of Solomon 2:3

Song of Solomon 2:5

Song of Solomon 7:8

Song of Solomon 8:5

Joel 1:12

Now the Lord saith "Be it far from me; for them that honor me I will honor, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed."

I Sam. 2:30

Two extremes.

"I would that thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth."

The middle.

Then I saw, and considered it well:

I looked upon it, and received instruction.

Proverbs 24:32