Good morning, Pastor John.
Want to hear something sweet?
Recently on an Old Testament class* cd, you talked about God “cutting a covenant” with Abraham. That really stood out to me. I have always wondered why they did that by cutting the animals in two. I don’t remember ever hearing the answer for that before. As I listened to you explain what it meant for God to cut a covenant with Abraham, I was struck by God’s love for Abraham.
It’s been 9 years since Jesus gave me the holy Ghost, and I am still overwhelmed every time I see God’s love. I remember the first time I took the Old Testament class, and how amazed I was to see God as loving. I had grown to believe He was hard and far away, punishing not loving. In my mind, He was more like the Accuser than my Father. But it wasn’t always like that because I have memories as a child, of God being my very best friend. I don’t remember a lot of my childhood, but I remember getting alone with God and pouring my heart out to Him. I remember taking my hurts to Him. I remember finding a quiet spot in all the mess of my family and singing Amazing Grace to Him because I thought He liked that song. God was my safe place. Somewhere over time, Christianity, sin, and wrong ideas robbed me of knowing that.
I have been talking to Jesus about knowing God loves me. Then I heard about God cutting the covenant with Abraham, and I could feel my heart soften hearing about God’s love.
I got up this morning and read today’s Random Thought. I feel like Jesus is talking and reminding me and all of us how much our Father loves us. There was the songs by brother Gary, “You’re gonna make it”, “God’s promises to the assemblies” and John David’s testimony about fellowship and what is eternal. God has made our fellowship eternal! There are so many benefits for us in fellowship and not being alone in this world. God didn’t leave us without family, just like He didn’t leave Abraham without family.
You know, feeling God’s love changes Him in my heart from God to Father. I find myself now, eight years old again and pouring my heart out to Him, my safe place.
https://www.goingtojesus.com/gtj_thoughts.html?tname=rdt09-03
“Our heavenly Father wants us to rest in His promises, to trust Him so much that we are at peace. He offered Abraham His life, using the death of animals, to get the point across to Abraham. How much more, then, should we rest in His love for us when He has given us His life, using the death of His Son? Paul pointed this out in Romans 8:32: “He who did not spare His own Son, but gave him up for us all, how shall He not also, with him, freely give us all things?”
Beth D.
* https://goingtojesus.com/gtj_otcourse-1010.html