May 1

God has called us to know the depths of his heart. He created us to have deepest communion with him. Such a closeness can indeed be frightening. But the more we know God, the less we are afraid, because we come to know his infinite love.

This love of God extends not just to those who know him but to those who do not know him. And the way God extends his love beyond those who already know him to those who don't is through those who do know him.

Do you think this is as simple a task, and accomplished with as little cost, as when you dash off a casual letter to a friend? Hardly. This is the eternal, almighty God pouring forth the depths of his heart to a lost, doomed world, pleading for it to listen to what he is saying through you. There is passion and intensity of love there that can come only from God.

Do you think God will be satisfied with only a lukewarm letter? How could that be? He intends the letters he writes to a hurting humanity to match the great hurt in his own heart over the lost condition of each individual soul. Therefore, he must shape and mold these living letters -- you and me, our very souls -- until the message the world reads from us and our lives accurately portrays the truth of God's heart of love for them.

Such a transformation of our selfish, mundane lives into dynamic, other-centered, living letters of love is not an easy process, nor is it without pain. Not everyone is willing to draw near to a mountain on fire with smoke and thunder and that will shake the earth with its very presence of God.

Scripture for today: Exodus 18:19, 20
Thought for today: God's letter to the world is carved on my heart of stone with the finger of God.
Prayer for today: Lord, make me willing to have you carve out your message of love to the world on my heart.

MAY 01