Weekly Bible Reading Update

I am still behind. I thought I could read on my vacation, it would have been great to read God's Word as I sat in nature, but with 3 little ones to keep track of, I just didn't get it done. July 24th's reading, Romans 8:38-39 NLT, I love this passage.

38 And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,^[a] neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. 39 No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Today I hope that you, a Christ-follower, are convinced that nothing can separate you from God's love. If you aren't a Christ-follower, please know that there is a love so great that you can possess. All you have to do is choose to believe that Jesus is God's Son and that He was sent to earth to save us all from our sins, He died on a cross, and rose again. I think that you are in need of that kind of love.

Nonsensical

non·sen·si·cal (nn-sns-kl)

adj.

1. Lacking intelligible meaning: a nonsensical jumble of words.

2. Foolish; absurd: nonsensical ideas.

You might already know that I am enjoying reading a few of Jane Austin's books. Jane Austin, an author in the early 1880's, wrote books such as Emma and Pride and Prejudice. From reading these books and watching the movies that are based on the books, I have fallen in love with the word, nonsensical. Don't you just love the way it comes out of your mouth. Nonsensical. I love it.

It also reminds me of types of love. The ancient Greeks had it right - they had many different words for different types of love. Agape - Christian love, Eros - lustful love, Philo - brotherly love and a couple more that I can't think of. I may be wrong about the meaning or the spelling, but hopefully the point is still there. There are types of love, at least we attribute love to a lot of different feelings. There is a crush, you know when you are in love with someone, but they have no idea. (I am very familiar with that type of love.) There is love that you feel for family and friends, a deep friendship love. Then there is the love that you feel for family and friends that is more superficial - I have to love you because you are related to me or have done things for me. There is the infatuated love - the love of a boyfriend/girlfriend who can do no wrong. Like looking through "rose-colored glasses." There is the lustful love, the love that is all about sex. There is the kind of love that you should have for all human beings - brotherly love/Christian love. And there is the unconditional love, the love that is going to love even though I am frustrated with you love.

Last night I finished reading "Emma" for the first time. Jane Austin used that word again - nonsensical. It was so true in talking about the foolish things that people do when they are first in love. The foolish promises that they keep and the foolish things that they say at the beginning of love. During the night, my youngest wasn't sleeping well because he kept coughing. Even after I got him to go to sleep again, I just laid there thinking about nonsensical love. I stopped thinking about Jane Austin and I started thinking about Jesus' Disciples. Their love was nonsensical.

Then Jesus said to Simon, " Don't be afraid; from now on you will catch men." So they pulled their boats up on the shore, left everything and followed Him. Luke 5:10b-11

After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector by the name of Levi sitting in his tax booth. " "Follow me," Jesus said to him, and Levi got up, left everything and followed Him." Luke 5:27-28

To many it is foolish to leave everything to follow Jesus, it is nonsensical, but that is exactly what Jesus asks us to do.

Then Jesus said to His disciples, " If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul." Matthew 16:24-26

Maybe it is time to be a little more nonsensical in love with Jesus.