M E L C H E E

What’s Love Got To Do With It?

August 14, 2015August 13, 2015Leave a comment

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son…” John‬ ‭3:16‬ ‭KJV‬‬

It all started with love. God’s creation and His plan for salvation through His Son were due to the pouring out of perfect love by Love Himself. Love will never be displayed in any greater form than through God’s pure and perfect and immeasurable sharing of it to mankind. Don’t know about you, but I’m so undeserving, yet oh so thankful.

As God loves us, so ought we to learn to live in love. How? Bible teacher Joyce Meyer describes the process of living in love this way:

Living in God’s true love is a process. First, God loves us, and by faith, we receive His love. We then love ourselves in a balanced way, give love back to God, and learn to love other people. (Joyce Meyer: Promises for Your Everyday Life – a Daily Devotional)

We love God through intentional and focused worship and by saying yes to His promptings and guidance. We love ourselves by honoring our temple (mind, body, and soul), and being content with and grateful for our blessings. We love others by giving when there’s need, by praying for them, and by sharing His Word. More on giving in next week’s post…

Love is so important in whatever life assignment God has set in us. It means giving up of ourselves so that we can fully serve others. Love must be at the center of our work, it must be our motivation. Without love, there’s no purpose in anything.

Joyce Meyer’s description of how to love is one of my favorites. John 3:16 states the whole point of the Bible. And 1 Corinthians 13, what I call The Love Chapter, is just the sweetest melody of what love is and isn’t:

“Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.” ‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭13:4-5, 7‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Love has everything to do with it. How will you love God, yourself, and others today?

Redefined

August 7, 2015August 9, 2015Leave a comment

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. 2 Corinthians‬ ‭5:17‬ ‭KJV‬‬

My name is not in the dictionary. I’ve not been able to determine if Melchee has a meaning. There are no keychains anywhere ON EARTH with my name on them. I’ve never met another Melchee. Guess I’m a bit of a loner in this regard.

I don’t mean to suggest that my name wasn’t carefully chosen by my parents; my sisters and I all are uniquely named. Melchee is uncommon, hard to pronounce, and is easily misspelled. It’s just…WHO I AM.

My name may not be in a dictionary, but I am defined. My parents may have called me Melchee, but God calls me HIS. Saved. Sanctified. Forgiven. My name (and yours) is defined in Heaven. I imagine that it hangs on one of the stars, bright and shining. It’s who I am because of who He is. Oh, I could go on and on here…

And because I was once defined, now thanks to grace, I’m being redefined. And that’s the amazing work of God in our lives, what really excites my soul and spirit! When God calls your name, and sets your season, and gives you an assignment, and molds and makes and shapes and reshapes and loves you at the same time, how wonderful it is to be found in that place of life! You have new purpose, new joy, honest praise, all so that He may be glorified. When He calls you to this place, take heed and let Him do the work in you!

“Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:” Philippians‬ ‭1:6‬ ‭KJV‬‬

“I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.” Psalms‬ ‭139:14‬ ‭KJV

Friends, allow God to fulfill His purpose in you. And I don’t mean determining whether you’re to sing or “ursher.” I’m referring to your soul purpose – your life as defined and redefined and designed with His purpose in mind.

On which star does your name hang?

P.S. My FULL first name is Melcheemoco. Boom.

One Day at a Time

July 31, 2015August 9, 2015Leave a comment

My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. ‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭12:9‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Ever been in one of those seasons? It’s the place where things seem perfectly imbalanced. Or imperfectly balanced. Where up is down and down is up. Much is little and little is much. Right is bad and wrong is good.

The days in these seasons often bring the question, what’s going to happen next? You’re unsure of the direction each day will take. Blessing might be in season – a new job, birth of a baby, spiritual flourish. It can quickly, seemingly, turn to challenge – news that a family member is ill, loss, spiritual decay.

I never know what to do when I’m in this curious space. It can become tiring, emotionally draining, and uncomfortable. And let’s face it: we like things how we like them, when we like them, where.

But for the believer, life doesn’t work by being uncertain, does it? Or it shouldn’t, at least. We walk by ____ and not by ____. Yep, you got it. It’s no concern of ours how our days will go. We trust and know that our steps are ordered. And I don’t mean just casually. Our days and our times are ordained, mastered, and set in eternal order by God the Father, the Founder, and Creator. I may not know where I’m going, but I know who I’m going with. He loves us so much.

I said I never know what to do. Well, yes I do. I know to trust the Lord, each day and in every season, crazy as they may seem. I know that some people have hard lives to live, and I understand that and sympathize. But as quickly and as close as we can get to TRUST, the peace of God will rule. Take it one day at a time.

What season are you in? And what are you going to do about it?