What Gladness This!!

Because Your lovingkindness is better than life,

My lips shall praise You.

Ps.63:3

2 Cor.5: 14-15

14For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus:

that if One died for all, then all died;

15and He died for all, that those who live should live

no longer for themselves,

but for Him who died for them and rose again.

Today's poem is inspired in part

as I ponder the tragic futility of war, hatred and spite,

and partly as I contemplate this stunningly poignant poem

To a Siberian Woodsman by Wendell Berry

It is spring...

Birds sing...

Buds break...

Heaven breaths hope

 to a broken world

drenched with shed blood and tears

and heartache...

The love of God is greater than all hate since time began

Greater is He in us than all armies of earth unfurled

Evil torments the part we see, but what profit has man

If, for the price-tag of his soul he acquires the whole world

What comfort this; when confronted with heinous hate of man

The love of God is greater than all hate since time began

The love of God equips us to endure, with power from

The One who sinless, bore our sins; who made heaven and earth

Who, though falsely accused, like a sheep before shearers, dumb

He answered not a word but was obedient to death

Take heart, when hate wields wicked blows, with schemes, vile and impure

The everlasting love of God equips us to endure

The love of God compels us to love the unlovable

To turn the other cheek rather than return blow for blow

To be a vessel instilled with redemption’s miracle

Empowered by hope, joy and peace this world cannot bestow

Then when we face the brunt of hate, cruel and contemptible

The love of God compels us to love the unlovable

For once we too were dead in sin; foolish, enslaved, deceived

Before the loving kindness of God opened up our eyes

And we beheld His wounds we caused and we were deeply grieved

And then repented and believed in Christ who justifies

Thus, when we witness arrogance of hate, greed, spite and pride

The love of God makes possible love vast and deep and wide

The love of God makes possible, what otherwise would be

Impossible. Love is God's evidence none can descry

Incomprehensible, inexplicable Mystery

No one has seen and yet only a fool dares to deny 

What gladness this; no matter what hatred may desecrate

The love of God is greater and able to compensate 

Janet Martin

Rom.8:35-39

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? 

Shall trouble or distress or persecution or famine

 or nakedness or danger or sword? 36As it is written:

“For Your sake we face death all day long;

we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”g

37No, in all these things we are more than conquerors

 through Him who loved us. 38

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, 

neither angels nor principalities, 

neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 

39neither height nor depth, 

nor anything else in all creation, 

will be able to separate us from the love of God

 that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Titus 3:1-8

Remind the believers to submit to rulers and authorities,

 to be obedient and ready for every good work,

  2to malign no one, and to be peaceable and gentle, 

showing full consideration to everyone.

3For at one time we too were foolish, disobedient, misled, 

and enslaved to all sorts of desires and pleasures—

living in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another.

4But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared,

  5He saved us, not by the righteous deeds we had done, 

but according to His mercy, through the washing of new birtha and renewal by the Holy Spirit.

  6This is the Spirit He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 

7so that, having been justified by His grace, 

we would become heirs with the hope of eternal life. 

8This saying is trustworthy. And I want you to emphasize these things, 

so that those who have believed God will take care to devote themselves to good deeds. 

These things are excellent and profitable for the people.

'When unfaithful to His love we are readily seduced

by every temptation,

Without his love in our hearts we become

victims to other loves, 

which lead us into idolatry,

plunge us into hurtful lusts,

and poison the wells of our joy.

We must either be enthralled 

by the surpassing love of Jesus,

or we shall be fascinated by the world's deceits...'

Charles Spurgeon~ 

From the message My Restorer found HERE