I’ll love Thee in life, I will love Thee in death,
And praise Thee as long as Thou lendest me breath;
I will praise You, O Lord, with my whole heart; I will tell of all Your marvelous works. (Ps. 9:1)
A Heart for God and a Ladybug
David has developed a whole-heart relationship with the Lord. A heart undivided between his desire for the flesh and his desire for God. Wherever he goes, whatever he does, he has hidden God’s word in his heart that he might not sin against Him (Ps. 119:11). Still, David sins. He repents. From the depth of his heart. God forgives. David will tell of God’s marvelous works because he knows God. Because he knows God, he can trust God. David learns that God loves him when he slews Goliath with five small stones. He learns that God loves him when he evades Saul and his armies. He is assured of God’s love for him when he gains the victory over the Philistines. He understands that God loves him despite the troubles, tears, and trials life brings. Because the Lord has proven Himself in times past, David knows he can trust Him—today, tomorrow, and forever. He learns to love God because he knows that God loves him. He must tell others. He cannot keep silent.
Before we can love the Lord with our whole heart, we must know that God loves us. Without a doubt. When we sincerely ask ourselves if we know that God loves us as an individual, we are often unsure. Of course, we know the Bible tells us that He loves us. As good Christians, we voice this truth. But do we know it in the depths of our being? “If God really loves me, why do I have these difficult people in my life?” “Why are God’s children being silenced by those who hate Him?” We don’t know that God really does love us. If we don’t know that God loves us, how can we love Him? How can we trust Him? How can we praise Him with our whole heart and tell of His marvelous works?
How has God revealed His love to you personally? What Goliaths has He conquered in your life? What enemies has He helped you escape? What victories has He given you? What sins has He forgiven you? Have the hard times brought with them a deeper love for God? Won’t you ask the Lord to speak to whisper in your heart of His great love for you. When you are confident of His love, you can sing with all that is within you, “I’ll love Thee in life, I will love Thee in death, and praise Thee as long as Thou lendest me breath.”
How a Ladybug Became an Instrument of God’s Love
God demonstrates His love for each one of us individually because He made us unique. I have a friend who likes ladybugs. When she was going through a dry season of her life, she visited the beach. As she walked along the shore, she saw a ladybug buried in a hole the sand. She thought it odd and continued her walk. When she returned, she saw that same ladybug still in the hole. This time she helped it out of the hole, took it to a tree where she dusted the sand from its wings and set it free. As soon as she did, God spoke to her spirit that He is doing the same for her—digging her out of the hole she had been in.
Can you remember a time when God saw you through a difficult time? What can you find to keep as a subtle reminder to you and an object of curiosity for others begging to be questioned, an opportunity to share how God reached out to you personally. You would be surprised how many ladybug gift items are available on Amazon.