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• hope

I have had those words from the David Crowder Band song, "How He loves us," playing over and over in my head recently.  I have been forced to reflect more on their meaning and why I might be focused on those words.

I Corinthians 13 says that love does not envy.  Envy and jealousy are often referred to in similar contexts, but I encourage you to consider how they are different.  Envy is the emotion behind coveting what someone else has.  Even the Ten Commandments spoke against coveting.

On the other hand, jealousy means that you want something all for yourself.  This can, of course, be a very self-centered and unhealthy emotion, but love is also not self-seeking.

God's love is a jealous love because He wants me all to Himself.  He doesn't want me to have any other gods before Him.  He is my loving Creator and gracious Father who wants what is best for me.  He is jealous for me.

Today, let's makeover what we are allowing to be jealous for us. We can start anew and allow God to love us with a jealous love and return His love with exclusive love and dedication.

• hope

I remember my affliction and my wandering,

    the bitterness and the gall.

I well remember them,

    and my soul is downcast within me.

Yet this I call to mind

    and therefore I have hope:

Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed,

    for his compassions never fail.

They are new every morning;

    great is your faithfulness.

I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion;

    therefore I will wait for him.”

The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him,

    to the one who seeks him;

it is good to wait quietly

    for the salvation of the Lord.

It is good for a man to bear the yoke

    while he is young.

Let him sit alone in silence,

    for the Lord has laid it on him.

Let him bury his face in the dust—

    there may yet be hope.

Let him offer his cheek to one who would strike him,

    and let him be filled with disgrace.

For no one is cast off

    by the Lord forever.

Though he brings grief, he will show compassion,

    so great is his unfailing love.

For he does not willingly bring affliction

    or grief to anyone.

Lamentations 3:19-33