Love

Cling to God

~ J.Lynn24 ~ Leave a comment

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The present

Detached. Distant. Determined in the disconnect, even though I know I should draw closer to Him.

Stagnant. Stuck. Stubborn in my status quo of “doing fine”, even though I’m stalled and stumbling.

Let go, He whispers.

“I can’t,” my headstrong side quickly responds, while my quieter side asks, “Why not?”

Because letting go hurts. Because I don’t even know what it is I’m supposed to let go.

I know I trust Jesus. I believe in His name and the peace, security and love it brings. I know I can depend on that name.

So, why am I holding back? What am I holding back?

And then He whispers again, with biting clarity: Intimacy.

I want you to cling to me as Ruth clung to Naomi. Cling to me.

The backstory

Months ago, I was reading through the book of Ruth. I’ve always loved Ruth’s story of determination, obedience and faithfulness. When reading, I was struck again by her loyalty to her mother-in-law, Naomi, and I wrote down some notes on my phone. There they sat untouched — until now, when I had the above conversation with myself and God.

So here I am, using the notes with which I intended to encourage others to encourage myself. Hopefully, they’ll encourage you, too.

And again they wept together, and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law goodbye. But Ruth clung tightly to Naomi. (Ruth 1:14 NLT)

As Ruth clung to Naomi, she spoke the beautiful words of “Where you go, I will follow. Where you live, I will live. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God.” (Ruth 1:16-18 NLT)

Ruth probably experienced ups and downs just like we do. She had experienced marriage, widowhood, maybe the longing for a child. Who knows what she had to look forward to in Moab, but I’m sure her life had its own familiar status quo.

But something in Ruth must not have been satisfied, because she chose to cleave to Naomi.

I love the word “cleave”. This one word can have two separate, seemingly disparate meanings:

  1. To sever, divide or sharply separate something.
  2. “To adhere firmly” to something; loyal; unwavering.

When Ruth chose to cleave to Naomi, she demonstrated both meanings in a single choice. She made the conscious decision to cleave herself from her former way of life, while cleaving to Naomi and the God Naomi served. Ruth abandoned the land that held familiarity, death and disappointment, and she looked ahead to a life of both uncertainty and hope.

Likewise, we need to make a conscious decision to cleave to the uncertain, but hopeful path of God — turning away from the former things that hold us back and looking ahead to greater things. The way to do that is through Jesus, who is the way, the truth and the life.

This is more than a fleeting decision. This is life changing, and it should affect my daily decisions and actions. How do I consciously and unconsciously live for God? Do I cleave to Him, love Him with all my heart, soul, mind and strength? Do I allow that love to be evident in the way I live and conduct myself?

Obey His commands, listen to His voice, and cling to Him. (Deut. 13:4b NLT)

And His voice says: Cleave to me, and I will cleave away the impurities and unnecessary strings that are holding you back. Cleave to me, not to this world. Cleave to me, and cleave yourself from the snares and distractions of this world. I will help you.

The future

“Show love to the Lord your God by walking in His ways and holding tightly to Him.” (Deut. 11:22 NLT)

A shift in perspective

~ J.Lynn24 ~ Leave a comment

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Don’t you love it when you get a slap on the head from God? That happened to me today.

I had one of those days at work that was mentally draining, filled with annoying emails — or, more accurately, an annoying person writing those emails — that literally had me pursing my mouth in frustration, shaking my head and laughing in disbelief.

And wouldn’t you know, at that moment, a song came on in my random Spotify shuffle and boldly proclaimed, “I choose joy!”

Long story — and long day — short, I had a choice to make. I could get bogged down in the negative, or I could choose joy. Ultimately, I chose to swallow my pride (although I can’t say I didn’t do it with a few eye rolls and heavy sighs).

I choose to love. I choose to do my best by each person I interact with. I choose to see their point. And I choose to move on.

Just keep swimming

~ J.Lynn24 ~ Leave a comment

During my run today, I found myself facing a hill that was more daunting than the rest. It was long and steep, rocky and littered with roots just waiting to trip me up.

Without any prompting, I thought, Just keep swimming.

Just keep swimming

Yes, it’s a quote from Finding Nemo. Yes, it’s a movie for kids.

But for that moment — for this day, when tragedy and hate strike again — those words were so fitting.

Just keep swimming.

On days likes these, it can be hard enough to just keep treading water, let alone swim. But it’s when you stop moving, when you stop treading water, that you find yourself drowning.

And that’s what any enemy wants you to do. To stop trying. To give up. To stop moving forward.

The only way to make it up a hill is to take one more step. And one more. One more.

Sometimes that step is a step of faith. Sometimes that step takes all the willpower we have in us.

Sometimes that step is a step to prove to those haters trying to instill fear in our lives that we will rise above. That we will reach the top of the hill.

That we’ll keep swimming and keep moving forward.

My response to hate: Unfailing love

~ J.Lynn24 ~ 2 Comments

Love

I think it’s an understatement to say the world is a pretty depressing place right now.

Each day, we’re besieged with news of terrible occurrences seeping with so much hate, pain and death. It’s hard to keep from being weighed down by it all (and I know I have barely the slightest of an inkling of an idea of what some people experience in their day-to-day lives).

Not to get all hippy-dippy on you, but it makes me realize the importance of love. Not just an exclusive love for certain people that we’ve grown to like and accept. Not just a love for people similar to us. Not just a fleeting love for Klondike Bars and Cheetos.

Unfailing love.

For every person.

And let me say I know there is nobody on earth that can have completely unfailing love.

Let me also say I know there is a God that is unfailing love.

Before anybody scoffs at me and exits this tab, please, just read on.

Jesus loves every single person no matter what. It doesn’t matter what family we’ve been born into, what country we originate from, what we look like, what we’ve done in the past or whether we like Star Wars or not.

Jesus still loves us.

But He didn’t just love us from afar. He wanted us to personally experience that unfailing love. So, He made a way for that to happen.

Jesus entered this world only to face the hate, shame, discrimination, rejection and pain of a world that wanted Him dead — the same hate and discrimination that so many people still face today. And you know what? The world got its way and killed Him. It seemed that hate and death would win.

Jesus didn’t stay in that tomb, though. He rose again to live. By living, He defeated death, hate, shame and pain. In their stead, He offered unfailing love and abundant life to each one of us. And, in turn, He gave us hope.

But we can’t just take those gifts of unfailing love and hope and hoard them selfishly for ourselves. We need to extend those gifts to everyone else.

In a world that’s so enveloped in anger and pain, how much of an impact can one welcoming, encouraging and loving act be?

In a world so entrenched in darkness, how much more can one light shine and welcome the people around it?

Even when the world does its best to make us think hate is pulling ahead, let me remind you of something:

Love already won.

And it’s unfailing love.

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Note: My inspiration for this post was from Psalm 69:13