God’s Love Takes the Initiative

“All of us must die eventually. Our lives are like water spilled out on the ground, 
which cannot be gathered up again. But God does not just sweep life away; instead, 
He devises ways to bring us back when we have been separated from Him.”
2 Samuel 14:14 (NLT)

God’s love reaching… 
I came across an amazing verse in 2 Samuel 14:14 that describes God’s love reaching out to you and me!  The New Living Translation puts it like this, “All of us must die eventually. Our lives are like water spilled out on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again. But God does not just sweep life away; instead, He devises ways to bring us back when we have been separated from Him.”  This verse elevates the value of human life despite how fragile and fleeting it is and shows us that it is God who takes the initiative in our relationship with Him.

A little background may help us understand the passage better. These words were spoken to King David by an unnamed woman from Tekoa who had a reputation for great wisdom.  Packed with meaning, her appeal to the King was an effort to restore his relationship with his estranged son, Absalom. Though David was a man after God’s own heart and Israel’s greatest King, he suffered from dysfunctional relationships at home.  It was the consequence of his own moral failure.  Whether it is in our relationship with God or one another, sin always separates us.  That separation can cost us the most important relationships if we let it.  Life is short.  Is there someone in your family with whom you are estranged?  Hurt feelings, misunderstandings, bad choices, and harsh words can all lead to separation and rob us of the relationship we deeply long for and were created to enjoy.   

Despite the inevitability of death, the Bible says, “But God does not just sweep life away….”  I love that phrase!  God understands better than we do the significance of restoring broken relationships and healing the hurts that tore us apart. So what does He do? Read on. “He devises ways to bring us back when we have been separated from Him.” 

Think for a moment.  What are the ways God devised that brought you back to Him?  He longs for a relationship with you and me so much so that He gave His one and only Son to reconcile us back to Him!  And as if that were not enough, He engineers circumstances, experiences, and people in our lives through whom He works to get our attention.  One of the great ways God uses today to bring us back when we have been separated from Him is the church.  The church is the physical, visible expression of an invisible God reaching out to a hurting world separated from Him.  It is the hands and feet of Christ. The Bible calls the church the body of Christ. His love reaches out in a myriad of practical ministries that demonstrate His love.  That’s why it’s so important to be a part of a local church. If you are not already a part of a local community of faith, we invite you to Woodlands Church in person or online with our live streaming services each weekend. Through the church, you will sense God’s love reaching out to you. And if you’re not a member of a church family, we invite you to join ours.  

Our Love Responding… 
When we experience God’s love reaching out to us, we are left with a response. When our grown children were very young and in their cribs, I used to love to get them up in the morning before going to work. They couldn’t get themselves up or out of their cribs, but when they saw my love reaching down to them, they quickly smiled and reached up, responding to my love as if to say, “Hold me, Daddy, hold me.”  That’s the same kind of intimate and personal relationship our Father God has for you and me. His love reaches down from heaven to earth, knowing that we can never get to heaven without His mighty arms and nail-scarred hands.

Have you responded to His love reaching out to you? Lift up your hands and let Him hold you. His love will keep you to the end. God’s love is reaching out to you. How will you respond?  Why not take a moment right now and say, “Thank You, God, for loving me. Thank You for reaching out to me with nail scarred hands. Today, I ask You to hold me. I want to experience Your love that will never let me go!”  

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To read this devotional online or catch up on past ones, visit https://kerryshook.org/blog.

Another important part of your daily devotional is spending time with God in prayer. The Woodlands Church Prayer Board lists prayer requests submitted by our members and provides a way to send them some encouragement by using a button on the page to let them know that you prayed for them. Whether you use the Prayer Board or pray from your heart, the goal is to build the habit of incorporating prayer into your quiet time.

Need prayer yourself? Let us know by submitting a prayer request on the Woodlands Church Prayer Board.