The World Needs Love!

I shared a link on Facebook back in 2015 regarding the history of Valentine’s Day and said this, “Just another reason I’m not one of those girls that celebrate Valentine’s Day . . . puts a whole spin on it ~ right?!?”

My grandmother responded with, “I love Valentine’s Day . . . The world needs love!”

To which I stated, “God is love so I couldn’t agree more Grandma!”

God is love. In reading His Word, we come to understand that love is even more important than faith! We know that in the Old Testament, those who were found righteous were credited righteous due to their faith. We are also told in the New Testament that it is by grace through faith that we are saved. We are even advised to carry our shield of faith for protection against the devil’s schemes! All of this regarding faith makes it clear that we need faith to gain everlasting life! When you consider that LOVE is GREATER than Faith, one should take notice of such things!

With that, we have no choice but to come to the same conclusion as my grandmother. “The world needs love in our lives!”

What is love if love is God?

I truly believe all answers to life’s questions are found in the bible. You may be surprised to know that no where in the bible does it say to dedicate one day to the celebration of Love! Here are a few things we are told about love:

Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things, Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease, if there is knowledge, it will be done away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part; but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away. When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with the childish things. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known. But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love. ~ 1 Corinthians 13:4-13

That is one heck of a list for what love is, but did you know that you can also see love in action in God’s Word?

And he would answer and say to them, “The man who has two tunics is to share with him who has none; and he who has food is to do likewise. And some tax collectors also came to be baptized, and they said to him, “Teacher, what shall we do?” And he said to them, “Collect no more than what you have been ordered to.” Some soldiers were questioning him, saying, “And what about us, what shall we do?” And he said to them, “Do not take money from anyone by force, or accuse anyone falsely, and be content with your wages.” Luke 3:11-14

We find further depth to what love looks like in action here:

But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes the sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? If you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. ~ Matthew 5 44-48 (NASB)

In the Old Testament, we are given the law. This was only given to us to show us that we alone cannot live the law out perfectly. The law was designed to draw us to God.

In the New Testament, we are told how best to live and we find this instruction in the midst of a conversation between Jesus and a scribe who presented Jesus with a question upon hearing Jesus and some Sadducees arguing!

One of the scribes came and heard them arguing, and recognizing that He had answered them well, asked Him, “What commandment is the foremost of all?”

Jesus answered, “The foremost is, ‘HEAR O ISRAEL! THE LORD OUR GOD IS ONE LORD; AND YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND, AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH.’ The second is this, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” ~ Mark 12:28-31 (NASB)

This advice is first found in the Book of Deuteronomy:

“Hear, O’Israel ! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one! You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart.” ~ Deuteronomy 6:4-6 (NASB)

That law is written on our hearts! What is the symbol for love on Valentine’s Day? Hearts! Love one another is on all of our hearts! So my grandmother is completely right when she says the world needs love. We are commanded to show each other love. Before that we are told to love God above everything else. While some may see that as a bit much for God to command, I pray they come to understand that God tells us to Love Him above all else because in doing so, we will find ourselves protected beyond our own comprehension. Nothing that takes place in this world will be able to steal, kill or destroy us because when we put nothing above God, He is our stronghold. Since God is everlasting, faithful and true, we couldn’t have a better stronghold in this world!

I’m all for showing one another love on what the world has claimed as ‘Valentine’s Day’; just remember, love is not material gifts and it is not meant to be given only on February 14! After all, Love is God! With that being said, here is this weeks song lyrics sung by King and Country “Proof of Your Love”

If I sing but don't have love, I waste my breath with every song
I bring an empty voice, a hallow noise
If I speak with the silver tongue and convince a crowd but don't have love
I leave a bitter taste with every word I say

(Chorus):
So let my life be the proof of Your love
So let my love look like You and what Your made of
How You lived, how You died
Love is sacrifice
So let my life be the proof,
The proof of Your love

If I give
To a needy soul but don't have love then who is poor?
It seems all the poverty is found in me

So let my life be the proof of Your love
So let my love look like You and what Your made of
How You lived, how You died
Love is sacrifice
So let my life be the proof,
The proof of Your love

When it's all said and done
When we sing our final song
Only love remains
Only love remains

(Bible Verse: 1 Corinthians 13:1-3)
If I can speak with human eloquence and angelic ecstasy
But don’t love, I’m nothing but the creaking of a rust gate
If I speak God’s word with power, revealing all of His mysteries
And making everything as plain as day
And if I have faith to say to a mountain jump and it jumps
But I don’t love, I’m nothing
If I give all I earn to the poor
Or even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr
But I don’t love, I’ve gotten nowhere
So, no matter what I say, no matter what I believe, no matter what I do
I’m bankrupt without love

Let my life be the proof,
The proof of Your love
Let my love look like You and what You're made of
How You lived, how You died
Love is sacrifice
So let my life be the proof,
The proof of Your love

Read more at http://www.songlyrics.com/for-king-country/the-proof-of-your-love-lyrics/#obI14V4AKy5Eg3MD.99 and view / listen to this song on YouTube!

I truly do believe this world would be in much better shape if we heard and focused on what was written on our hearts! In celebration of February 14, 2015, I suggest we take the realization that this world could use a lot more love and begin to act accordingly daily, not just for the show of it once a year!

Father, today I pray that the strongholds that the evil one has placed in the world lose their power and fall uselessly away. I pray that you become the world’s stronghold; that in times of stress and duress, we cling to you and recognize we have nothing and no one to fear. I pray that you flank new believers with a hedge of protection and send angels to minister to them. I pray that those who cannot hear or see the truth are able to step out of the fog. I pray that the power of the veil that Satan has used to cause confusion is removed. I pray that at the same time, those once confused as to what the truth is turn to find you Father as I know you are always near! In Jesus name I pray!

Wendy, walks with God, Mom of Many

Come As You Are, But Commit to Continual Growth!

Today's encouraging Word:

Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation. Cry out for this nourishment, (1 Peter 2:2, NLT)

God invites all of us to come as we are. He is willing to meet us right in the middle of any mess we may have made. He just doesn't want us to stay where we are. Just like any parent, God longs for us to grow and learn and to fully step into our purpose. Who in their life hasn't wondered at least once, "Why am I here?"

If you truly want that answer, then learn who you are in Christ. When we first begin to learn, we really are like newborn babies. Each day, we must nourish our minds and hearts on what God has to say about this world we live in and this battle we are a part of whether we have come to realize that yet or not!

Even those who don't study God's Word, know some of what he has to say because His Word has infiltrated in ways that some of us may not recognize as His Word, but it is. For instance, "The Golden Rule" comes from the bible. The funniest thing about the Bible though is not everyone gets understanding when they read it. That is because it is a living document. I cannot tell you how many times I have read something and then read it later in life and had it blow up for me in ways that give me understanding and I love it when that happens. You should always pray for understanding of the LORD's Word each and every time you go to read something from the bible.

As you truly grow, you will crave more than mere milk. You will be looking for meat because milk alone will no longer satisfy you, or at least it shouldn't. That is where these verses come in:

 I had to feed you with milk, not with solid food, because you weren't ready for anything stronger. And you still aren't ready, (1 Corinthians 3:2, NLT)

You have been believers so long now that you ought to be teaching others. Instead, you need someone to teach you again the basic things about God's word. You are like babies who need milk and cannot eat solid food. (Hebrews 5:12, NLT)

Start Reading Scripture for yourself ~ Meat is so much more incredible than mere milk!

The only way you can proceed from milk and milk alone to solid food is to grow. We all need a teacher when we first step into God's Word. There are so many layers to God's Word. I studied the Bible in college, earning my associates degree and then took another 9 core Bible classes a couple years back before switching to WGU in pursuit of my special education / k-12 teaching degree and the more I learned the more I realize there is so much more to learn. I don't think you could ever learn all there is to learn from simply reading the Bible ten times, let alone once! It is in seeking the LORD Himself, that the Holy Spirit comes along side as your greatest teacher. Even then, you must take on this task daily. In all honesty, it is part of your armor. Don't forget for a single moment that you do have a mighty foe in this world, yet more importantly you have a mighty champion who wants nothing more than to save you and teach you how to live in the midst of the trials and tribulations:

The thief's purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life (John 10:10, NLT)

God desperately wants you to know Him. He did not send his son into the world to hang out with those who had it all together. He sent Him into the world in order for us who are sinners to be saved. Let us be honest, not one of us is without sin!

If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. (1 John 1:8, NLT)

Now God knows all, He sees beyond our flesh and into our hearts. He does not want to condemn us, He wants to save us!

God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him. (John 3:17, NLT)

For me this news was both eye opening and exciting. I had lived my whole life thinking that God was indeed a God of Judgement looking to condemn me for every wrong move I made! I truly believed the only way to earn His love was to do things. This is not the case. While it is true that as you grow and learn the truth, you will be driven to do works, this is nothing like doing works in hopes of being loved!

I think James explains it best in this verse:

Now someone may argue, "Some people have faith; others have good deeds." But I say, "How can you show me your faith if you don't have good deeds? I will show you my faith by my good deeds." ( James 2:18, NLT)

I want to leave you with this encouraging thought. When you discover who you are in Christ, you will truly be free. It is also true that as you grow, you will face the enemy more often. He does not want you to grow to the point that you are able to help others. This is why you must feed yourself daily. I think one of the most important things we can learn is how to amor ourselves for the fight. This verse clues you into that:

for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ; (2 Corinithians 10:4-5, NLT)

There is a war that is being waged against all humanity. We are called to be soldiers in this fight. If you are not a soldier today, you may realize you are a pawn. I don't know anyone that longs to be a pawn in life. Most of us recognize the truth that we are here for a reason. This is why I insist that you should wake up today and begin seeking to learn who you are in Christ. Become a milk drinker that in turns longs for solid food. Don't simply learn who you are in Christ, get saved and sit idle. Learn, grow and in turn go into the world seeking those who are lost and longing for something more and teach them all you have learned. This is our calling. This is the great commission. Yes, God wants you to come as you are, but His desire is not for you to stay put. You are being called into action!

God called me forth a few years ago. I have been in training ever since. I admit I get my butt kicked by the evil side on occasion, but I know where my strength comes from. My stronghold, my fortress is the God of Jacob. While I may stumble, I always regain my footing by opening up the Word of God. It is my prayer that you learn to do the same!

For those who are curious about my travels, God had me write much of it in a single book. It is full of true life stories and what I gained in hindsight. I know they were written with the help of the Spirit because no one in their right mind would reveal so much about themselves in a book. After all, who seeks to be judged lol? I did it because I no longer fear what man thinks of me. I share my life to reveal the glory of God and how He has worked in my life all along without taking away my free will. Please check out some of it for free by visiting my author page on amazon by clicking here

Be blessed in your reading. Be blessed in your life. Look for the silver lining in the midst of your strife!

Wendy Glidden

© Wendy Glidden 2020

Baby with milk pic courtesy of: medimetry.com

Do It Anyway!

Wild Wonderful Whimsical Witness Wednesday: Today my witnessing is this:

KNOW who you are in Christ. Sometimes when you put your foot down all the way, God intervenes for you. Keep praying and listen to the voice of truth. It will never steer you wrong. 

This morning, I woke with so much joy. I could feel the spirit moving me. All day long, what I felt I was being drawn to share, has been built upon with a teaching here and a word there that I caught on Moody radio and then a song on the radio kind of helped tie it off. Allow me to share how things have gone so far:

My day started out with hearing several directions for all believers to follow. I was actually cracking up by this lesson. I do not know who was teaching it and I'm sure I won't do it complete justice, but here is what I caught:

When you become a follower of Christ, you are called into ministry. When you answer the calling, life is not going to be all roses; rather much the opposite. You see people are busy. They are not interested in what you have to say. They are hard headed and set in their ways.  It is hard to get their full attention and even when you do succeed at gaining their attention, many will call you names, make fun of you, heck, you may even be taken advantage of. I encourage you to answer the call anyway! I laughed out loud at that for I have said much the same to my own children. The speaker I was listening to went on to say something like this:

1. When you go about doing good, there will be those that accuse you of doing so for personal reward. Do good anyway.

2. When you go about your life being kind to others, no matter how kind you are, you will often be treated badly. Be kind anyway.

3. While helping others, you will be accused of doing so for some type of personal gain.  Help anyway.

4. When you succeed you will make false friends and real enemies. Succeed anyway.

While these are sad truths, they all made me chuckle for I have seen each one play out in my life since I became a follower of Christ.

It is what it is. However, I am going to keep doing what I am doing; sharing my story, testifying about Jesus, my Savior, and spreading the message of the good news. I am a follower of Christ and I simply have no choice. I honestly cannot help myself. Nothing brings more joy to me than receiving a message from someone touched by my writing. I love to be an encouragement to others. I love to inspire and give others hope.

This life is full of pain. There are always moments of happiness for all who live but it seems the daily grind wears us down quicker than the good moments lift us up.

When you concentrate on the "things of this world" you lose sight of the real cause of joy. Most of us have fallen into this trap. The evil one is a clever liar. Usually you don't even realize he has your ear until it is too late. Fear not, there is a way to protect yourself. All you need to do is build your relationship with the Lord. Please do not misunderstand me. I am not saying you need to become religious; much the opposite. Just read God's word, pray and knock on that door. Build your relationship. He is your Father and he has a message for you. "Come Home, you are loved."

As I look in the review mirror and see how far I have come on my own journey back home, I am amazed at not only God's grace, but His amazing timing. Profess the love the Lord has for you and you will begin to see it more evident in your day to day walk. 

Today, I encourage you to step out in faith. I have not led an easy life however, the majority of hard times were of my own causing. When I do what I want out of fear or jealousy or pride or whatever, man things just go wrong!

When I do what the Lord puts in my heart to do regardless of how crazy it may seem at the time, it always turns out good. Take this blog for example. You have no idea how blessed I am in sharing my story. Blessed beyond measure. 

Does the evil one still come at me? Are you kidding?!? DAILY! I just know he is out there and I put on my full suit of armor. This is my encouraging word today in honor of the lesson I learned.

So let's not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don't give up. ~ Galatians 6:9, NLT

Father, thank you so much for the life you have blessed me with. I am so amazed at how you work and move and take the bad and flip it to good. I am humbled to be adored by you; me, a beloved child of yours. I only desire to please you Lord. To say thank you and sing your praises. Teach me how to be a fisher of men Father. Move me, work through me. Allow me to be an extension of you. Help me to burst forth with so much fruit that those around me have no choice but to witness your Love. I am super excited today for I am starting to work on my next book that you laid on my heart almost 7 years ago. I am so elated my Lord, so overwhelmed in a good way by my journey. Thank you, thank you, thank you. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

Wendy, mom of many, girl who walks with God

© Wendy Glidden 2020

Where Are You In Your Walk With God?

As many of you know, I subscribe to K-Love's encouraging word; it is also one of my favorite radio stations. This morning the song 'All the People Said Amen' by Matt Maher began playing and my heart was overjoyed to have all my children sing and dance to the song. It is a catchy tune you know! If you've never listened to it, click on this link and get ready to bust a move!

The more you get to know God, the more you see Him moving in your life with your 'faith eyes' and the more often you find yourself uttering the praise, "Amen". Psalms is one of my favorite books in the bible; who am I kidding lol. In going to college I have taken so many classes, I have been blessed in reading and understanding parts of all 66 books. Regardless, this is the verse I am sharing today:

Know that the Lord, He is God; it is He who has made us and not we ourselves. (Psalm 100:3, my alphabet picture)

I think one of the most interesting things I have read in the last year came from a book called, 'The Fear of the Lord' by John Beverre. In it he shares the truth that in man are the very elements found in the earth. Seeing how man was formed from the earth, it makes perfect sense that this would be the case. However, until I read it, I had never thought much about it. Today I think about it every time I till the soil.

I bring up God alot in my daily conversations with others. I can't help it. Often when someone is sharing things about their life and why they are stressed or worried, I ask them this simple question, "Where are you in your walk with God?"

When you begin walking with the Lord and building your relationship with Him, the biggest thing you will notice is that you are able to find peace in the midst of turmoil and stress no longer holds you in slavery. This stems from the promises He makes His children:

1. Romans 8:28: And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.
2. Psalm 91:15: "He will call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him. 

When it comes to worry, Jesus lays this to rest with one simple challenge:

Matthew 6:27: "And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life?"

These verses, these truths, speak volumes to me for I have seen them play out in my life. Those of you that have read my book know that I did not create an easy path for myself, however, God, true to His promises, has indeed used all of what I thought was rotten and useless and has in turn allowed me to see others blessed by it. I promise you when stuff like that happens you are often left in utter joyful tears. I blogged on such an instance once. I still cannot read this post without crying! Lost or on a Mission?

When it comes to trouble, I often joke that it is my middle name. I know I am not alone in that thought for I have had others tell me the very same thing. As I have built my relationship with the LORD over the last few years, trouble has come barreling down my door. Through it all I have managed to stay positive and at times I have even flourished through it all by leaning on the promises of God. Indeed, He has not only rescued me, he flipped the situation and I have found myself redeemed if not at times honored. Knowing the LORD is FULL of blessings. I encourage you to join a bible study group or better yet, read my past entries and build your own personal relationship with the LORD. It will truly enhance your life no matter what you get sidelined with.

I still have moments where worry tries to grab hold of me, but I have gotten pretty good at raising my shield of faith. I have found humor helps in the midst of worry and that is what I find in the advice Jesus gives on the subject of worry. When it comes to adding an hour to my life, I know that God alone is responsible for that. I say that because I died in a house fire and I was given breath and brought back to life. It is one of the stories in my book You Are Worthy Too: The Proof is in the Pudding!

I know many people have prayed for something and have not seen it come to fruition, I have been in that boat as well. I have also witnessed my prayers being answered and when I read that when I call on Him, He will answer, I also know that this has been the case. I have several stories about answered prayers in my book. Often I read my own stories because oddly enough, they remind me of who I am to God. They remind me of who we all are to God. We are His children. His creation. You can fight against that truth all you want to but it is a fight you will never win. 

I think the most confusing things about God for many are tied directly to the biggest gift he allotted to mankind; Free Will.God knows your heart, while He may try to reach you through circumstances that take place in this fallen world, one thing He will not do to reach you is strip away your Free Will. 

So, as I have asked many in person, I ask you today, "Where are you in your walk with God?" If you are in a place of doubt, I encourage you to go to Him with that. As I wrote recently in a post titled Come as You are, But Don't Stay There!, God will meet you right where you are. The true question is, "Are you ready to meet God?"

Today I say for you the same prayer said by Paul in his letter to the church in Ephesus:

Ephesians 1:17-19: that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him. [18] I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, [19] and what is the surpassing greatness His power toward us who believe. Amen!

May you be blessed in your travels with the LORD.

Wendy, Mom of Many, walks with God

A Prayer to Never Stop Walking in Faith

The harvest is plenty the workers are few ~ so many get tired from the work there is to do.

This is what James spoke to in Chapter 2 verse 18 . . . faith is something that can rarely be seen.

But when a single person walks in it, no matter the mountain, climbing they can't quit.

It's a mission so deeply driven in your heart that you simply can't quit once you awaken and start.

So let us step out in faith; Help us get outside our comfort zone, give us courage and endurance to put our beliefs to work and help us continually invite others to come back home!

In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

Wendy, walks with God, mom of many

© Wendy Glidden 2020