Meditations Monday: Love and Commitment

Dear Lord; Happy Meditations Monday Father!

To begin our week’s conversations Lord, I want to thank You for yet another lovely weekend filled to the brim with Your Blessings.  Friday night we attended a spaghetti dinner at Ewell’s St. Paul UMC to benefit the “Jesus Freaks” youth group.  The food and fellowship were wonderful, and it was very well attended.  Saturday, the boys stayed with friends for the day while Shannon and I got the opportunity to attend an end-of-summer pool party.  Sunday began with an inspiring church service, and then while Shannon played her viola in the Dover Symphony at a local patriotic concert, the boys and I were able to catch up on overdue housework, grocery shopping and laundry.  As seems to be our “normal” lately Father, it was a very busy weekend, but certainly time we’re thankful for.

As You know Father, each morning I’ve been reading a daily devotional message from the Stand Firm magazines that Shannon got me a subscription to for Father’s Day.  This morning’s message was focused on love and commitment, and it very much resonated with things that You and I have been discussing quite a lot as of late.  The passage cited in the devotional was from the first chapter of the Book of Ruth, and details Ruth’s response to Naomi when Naomi attempts to send her back to her family following the death of Ruth’s husband (Naomi’s son):

But Ruth replied, “Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, if even death separates you and me.” – Ruth 1:16-17 (NIV)

Such a powerful statement of commitment Lord, and unfortunately something we see far too little of in society today.  Unwavering devotion to those we love, and to You Father, should be our firm goal and desire each and every day.  If we all looked to replace our selfish, wayward thoughts with the yearning to care for and serve others, and to praise You with each waking breath, our world would be truly transformed.

It’s certainly something I’ll be praying on this week Lord.

Heavenly Father,

As we go through the day Lord, please fill our hearts with the desire, devotion and drive to unselfishly and openly bring Your love to those around us.  Grant us the resolve in our hearts Father, that we may committedly focus ourselves on those relationships that You Bless us with; our marriages, our families and our friendships, that we may glorify You thorough those connections.

In Jesus’ Name we pray,

Amen.

~Phather Phil