Definition of hesed:  the consistent, ever-faithful, relentless, constantly-pursuing, lavish, extravagant, unrestrained, furious love of our Father God!

It is this love, demonstrated through the life and death of our Savior Jesus Christ, which has shaped our lives and made us who we are today — a people filled with joy and confidence who know the source of life, who are living the way life was meant to be lived.

May our lives be gripped by hesed.

Displaying hesed means being steadfast, truthful, loyal; it means loving, it means keeping one's promise, it means being faithful.

Hosea is pointing out to the people of
Israel that they have not displayed hesed. He says "your love (hesed) is like a morning cloud, like the dew that goes away early." Their hesed is a fleeting thing, wispy like the morning mist or fragile like the morning dew both of which are driven away by the heat of the sun.

But God's hesed remains constant. It is steadfast love. And because God's love remains steadfast, even in the face of those who do not display faithfulness, it also contains within itself the understanding of mercy. Only a merciful, forgiving partner could continue to keep faith with an unfaithful partner. For Hosea, then, God is in fact merciful, steadfast love.

Oh, yeah baby!  This is a wonderful expression of how we can be at peace, relaxing, because we are in the same boat as Jesus is in.  Thank you Jesus!

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."

Begins April 23, 2006

When was the last time you spent 40 days in concentrated praise to God?  I challenge you to commit to spending 40 days in continious praise to our Heavenly Father.  Praising God in prayer, song, worship, small groups, meditation, serving, and sharing Jesus.

What a great time to focus on praising God; Jesus is raised from the dead!  We, who have faith in Him, will be raised too! 

Invite your friends and neighbors to join with us in the time of praise! Help them also Discover Their New Song!

Have you ever had somone accuse you of something you did not do?  Have you ever had a strong desire to defend your reputation?  Have you ever felt like you needed to set the record straight with someone or several people?  How did it make you feel?  Did you have peace during that time?  Nope!

What's a sheep to do?  When a sheep is attacked, what is their only real means of defense?  Bite back?  Nope.  Run?  Have you ever seen how slow sheep are?  The only real means of defense for a sheep is the Shepherd.  That's it!

Take a close look at Jesus.  He was attacked, personally, on many occasions.  Ultimately, He was accused of many false things and He never once made a defense on His behalf.  He never felt a need to defend His reputation.  He did not fight, even when evil men beat Him, spit on Him and hung Him on a cross.  He could have called 10,000 angels!  Wow, how many angels do you think you need to take care of Roman soldiers?  I'm sure 1 would have done the job!

You want true peace?  LET IT GO!  Don't worry about it!  God knows who you really are.  He knows the truth.  God is not sitting by passively.  He is active in your life and will make all things right!  Believe it!  The Great Shepherd loves His sheep and will defend them.  You don't need to do a thing but trust and obey.  So rest in the care of the Shepherd! 

"The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not be in want.  He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters.  He restores my soul."

Leah is a 9 year old in my small group.  She is active in a youth program called Awanas.  She and her father Jim combined their skills to build this prize winning pinewood derby race car.  It is heart-warming to see her dad take the time to make a memory that will last forever with his daughter.

Even when your daughter grows up and gets married and is expecting a daughter of her own, it's fun to take time out of your day and just spend some one on one time (like have lunch together, go for a car ride, watch a movie, etc.).  Thank God for kids!

Here's a picture of the winning car and Leah's trophies: