THIS

Love. In honor of Valentine’s Day, we write about love in the month of February. I’m always excited to write about love in February, because it follows December devotions on Christmas. Christmas is about the gift of Jesus, our Saviour. And only love, true love, could inspire God to give the gift of His only Son.
As we celebrate love, I’m always amazingly in awe of the love that God has for me. His love is so personal, so encompassing, and so perfect – all the time. I am currently amazed at how God’s love is perfect for “such a time as this” (Esther 4:14). Just as God prepared Queen Esther for who she needed to be at the time He needed her the most, God’s love is always ready and perfect to meet my needs whenever I need Him the most. No matter where I am, or at what stage in my life, He is there for me.
I have been studying in the book of I Thessalonians and I am always amazed at how God’s Word speaks to my current needs and to the urgent appeals of my life. In I Thessalonians 5:18, we read, “In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” Let’s focus for a minute on one of the smallest words in this verse, because I believe it has great meaning. That important word is “THIS.”
The word “THIS” indicates that wherever I currently find myself, “THIS” is where God wants me to be. It is “THIS,” He has chosen for me. And if “THIS” is what He has chosen, then I can certainly be thankful. And if “THIS” is what He has chosen, then “THIS” is a place of love, God’s love.
God loves us so much that He surrounds us with His presence all the time. And He loves us so much that He makes sure that we are where He wants us to be. And He loves us so much that when He chooses “THIS” for us, He provides what we need to make “THIS” glorify Him.
So regardless of what your “THIS” is this month of February in the year 2013, ask God to help you to glorify Him in it. Whether “THIS” is a job, a relationship, a city, an illness, or a long line in the grocery store, God’s presence and His love are there with you – waiting for you to ask Him to pour His love out on you. So in this month of February, celebrate His love in your “THIS.” May God bless you. He will – He loves you too much not to.