This week we will be talking about our Water Walkers blog story and what it means to be Waterwalkish.
We encourage you to worship with the Work You’ve Begun by Quinn Thorness.
The lyrics remind me of what it means to be Waterwalkish:
“All I want is to be like the one who took my cross and who gave His son. When the world tells me I should run, give me love, give me strength for the work that you’ve begun. Give me faith that spreads the good news, give me truth to free whats’ bound. And a song that loves to tell of how your mercy always abounds. Give me boldness to speak salvation to the ever angry crowd. Give me kindness to speak in patience to show them Your grace now.”
Of course our blog theme song that keeps us walking on water is Oceans by Hillsong United. May the Lord take us deeper than our feet could wander this week.
Luke 5:17-20 NIV — One day Jesus was teaching, and Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there. They had come from every village of Galilee and from Judea and Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was with Jesus to heal the sick. Some men came carrying a paralyzed man on a mat and tried to take him into the house to lay him before Jesus. When they could not find a way to do this because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on his mat through the tiles into the middle of the crowd, right in front of Jesus. When Jesus saw their faith, he said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.”
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Colossians 3:12-14 NIV — Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
I have enjoyed talking about the different types of love this past week. Today I will highlight Phila love which is considered friendship love. The words in the above photo that describe this love are fondness, organic, and affection. There is a quote that I love by Jess C. Scott, “Friends are the family you choose.” I truly believe that God organically puts all the right people in our lives just when we need them.
Paul writes in the verses above that as God’s chosen people we are to clothe ourselves in certain virtues. When I think of friendship, these same virtues come to mind: compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, and love. I am so thankful to have a circle of Godly friends who love me and are patient with me.
Have you ever thought of Jesus as being your best friend? In the song “What a Friend” by Matt Maher, he sings about that friendship. Just like our earthly friends fill our cup, Jesus fills it so that it runs over.
Let’s pray. Dear God, thank You for my circle of friends wholove me and are patient with me. I pray that You bless them today with Your unconditional love and favor. In Jesus’ Name I Pray, Amen.
So far this week we have talked about Eros love and Storge love. Today I want to highlight Agape love. It is the highest form of love. Agape love involves faithfulness, commitment, and an act of the will. It is distinguished from the other types of love by its lofty moral nature and strong character.
Photo by Ray White
Agape love is beautifully described in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 NIV — Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
When I think of my word “love” from 2023, agape comes to mind. Paul illustrates this faithful, committed love well in our key verse. The word “always” really speaks to me. There is never a time when God doesn’t love us, even when we are lost.
We also read about this faithful, committed love in the parable of the lost sheep found in Luke. In the song, “Reckless Love” by Cory Asbury the lyrics mimic that parable. He sings, “Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending reckless love of God. Oh, it chases me down, fights till I’m found, leaves the ninety-nine.” On this Thankful Thursday I encourage us to meditate on the parable below. Take a moment to reflect on all the times God has rescued us and persevered for us. Let’s rejoice with God through song and prayer.
Luke 15:3-7 NIV — Then Jesus told them this parable: “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.”
1 John 3:16 NLT — We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters.
This week we are talking about the different types of love because my word for 2023 was “love.” Today I am highlighting Storge love. If you look at some of the background words in this photo you will see, family, selfless, and affection. According to Wikipedia, storge love is a natural and instinctual affection. Whether you are a child, parent, aunt, uncle, grandparent, or godparent you know of this love. When it comes to our children, we would give up our lives for them.
As a Water Walker mom, I strive to be that constant, trusting love at home. This includes my actions and reactions. I feel this area of my life is where I need to give myself a lot of grace. There is no perfect parent, we are all learning as we go. The most important form of discipleship starts with our children. You may be a teacher, mentor, or youth leader offering that same trusting love. If you are a son or daughter reading this, I encourage you to thank your parents or a mentor in your life. On this Walk With You Wednesday, I encourage us to ask God to lead us and guide us through this instinctual love.
I also encourage us to listen to the lyrics of the song, “Walk With You” by SEU Worship, featuring Dan Rivera. God is always listening, leading, and walking right next to us. What a wonderful gift we have in the Holy Spirit.
Let’s pray. Dear God, thank You for daily walking with me. Guide me as I parent my children and mentor the youth in my life. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.
Genesis 2:18 NLT — Then the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is just right for him.”
I shared yesterday that my word for 2023 was “love.” There are four different types of love. Today I want to highlight Eros which is a passionate love. I decided to go back to the beginning where a woman was formed from the rib of a man. I encourage you to read The Message version of Genesis 2:18-25. This version uses the word “companion” in addition to a helper. Just as Jesus made us for companionship, He didn’t want man to be alone.
According to the dictionary, a companion is a person who frequently spends time with you, associates with you, or accompanies you when you go places. I know we have readers in all stages of life, whether single, dating, engaged, married, divorced, or widowed. Whatever stage of life, most of us desire companionship, even if it’s with our four-legged, furry friends. Our love should always be genuine and never taken for granted. We should not forget to take delight and look for joy. In Romans 12:10 NLT we read “Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other.”
Have you ever read The 5 Love Languages by Dr. Gary Chapman? I think we have shared it before but it has been a while. Just like we start the year off trying to be better spiritually, physically, and mentally, I encourage us all to share that same passion with our companions.
Let’s pray. Dear God, thank You for the gift of companionship with You as my Heavenly Father and those that You have placed in my life here on Earth. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.
