Today, our pastor shared the words that God gave him when he was praying about the property that our church now occupies. He said that he repeatedly parked across from the property and prayed, wondering how the resources would come to build the church.
The Lord gave him a wonderful promise:
“Love Me, love My Word,
Love My people
And I will build My church”
This is a promise that we can possess as children of God.
Love Me
“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment.” Matthew 22:37-38
Matthew Henry describes this love as loving God as ours.
To love God as ours is to love him because he is ours, our Creator, Owner, and Ruler, and to conduct ourselves to him as ours, with obedience to him, and dependence on him. We must love God as reconciled to us, and made ours by covenant; that is the foundation of this, Thy God.
Looks like
Good morning, Lord. I look forward to what You have for me today. Fill me with Your wisdom, Your Spirit, Your love throughout the day.
Thank You, Father, for this great food, the conversation with my co-worker, and the beautiful clouds on the way to work.
Father, what should I do with the money You have given me?
Lord, God Almighty, I worship You with my body, my mind, my soul, and all that is within me. Direct my path. All that I have is Yours. You are my God, and I adore You. My life is not mine but Yours.
Love My Word
I will delight myself in Your statutes;
I will not forget Your Word. Psalm 119:16
David wrote the longest chapter in the Bible, Psalm 119, and it focused on the Word of God. God considered the Law so important that He commanded Joshua to meditate on it day and night. God’s promise to him was that he would prosper and have success. Kings were commanded to write down the Law of God themselves and keep it in their hearts.
Looks like
Memorizing Bible verses.
Indepth Bible study.
Talking about the Bible.
Applying the principles found in the Bible.
Love My people
“By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:35
“Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Feed My lambs.” … “Tend My sheep.” ….“Feed My sheep.” John 21:15-17
Children of God are known by their love for one another. Jesus told Peter that the result of loving His followers was to take care of the followers of Jesus by feeding them and tending them. That’s what our responsibility is to other believers.
Looks like
Teach our children about Jesus.
Take care of our brothers’ and sisters’ needs. Visit them in the hospital. Provide necessities to those in need.
Pray for our brothers and sisters.
Serve each other.
The Promise
And I will build My church
And He gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, Ephesians 4:11-12
Building the church is God’s responsibility. God prepared this work from before the foundation of the world.
And He has prepared works for all His children to accomplish, and He will equip His followers to accomplish these works. That’s His responsibility and His promise to us, Ephesians 2:10
Looks like
In the 1990s, several men got together and decided to put the Bible on the Internet. They decided to call it Blue Letter Bible. God grew their expertise and Internet users’ awareness of the Website. Today, over 10 million people use the free tools annually. The team faithfully showed up and did what God had equipped them to do, and God grew their expertise and their ministry.
God calls you and me to step out in what He has equipped us to do. As we step out, God will grow our expertise, and He will accomplish the work He has established from before the foundation of the world.
My prayer
Father, thank You for Your message and promise to my pastor. They are words we can apply to our lives. Please cause them to sink deeply into our very being. As we meditate on these principles, guide us in Your path for us. We love You, Lord. Thank You for loving us. Bless our pastors; equip them; give them confidence and courage; give them Your vision for Your ministry. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, Bless His holy name!
