We love, because He first gave us a relationship

Orphan Sunday 2011 from Summit Crossing on Vimeo.


There was nothing lovely or lovable about us when He found us. We were wallowing in filth, playing and bathing in the refuse of our own sin. We didn't even want to be pulled out, we liked this muck! And then, the Saviour found us, His enemy. We saw Him and hated Him. We wanted to run, we liked the way we were living!


And yet.


He reached down. 


He pulled us out.


He cleaned us off, even while we were kicking and screaming, cursing the only One who could save us.


And then He gave us a new heart and soul, taking out the stony heart and giving us a heart of flesh that could feel. (Ezekiel 36)


He loved us. 


He adopted us.


He gave us a share in His inheritance.


God plucked us out of the muck and mire of our own sin, cleaned us off, gave us His robes of righteousness, told us He loved us, gave us an unimaginable inheritance by calling us His own children and allowed us to live forever with Him in His everlasting Kingdom. 


Why don't we turn and show that love to the least of these? You were helpless. So are they. You were without hope. So are they. You were ugly and unlovable. So are they. You had nothing. So do they. You were dying. So are they. You were dirty. So are they. You were naked. So are they. 

¹⁹ "We love because he first loved us." ~ 1 John 4:19

 ³¹ "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne.³²Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. ³³And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. ³⁴Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. ³⁵For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, ³⁶ I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.' ³⁷Then the righteous will answer him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? ³⁸And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? ³⁹And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?' ⁴⁰And the King will answer them, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.' ⁴¹"Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. ⁴²For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, ⁴³I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.' ⁴⁴Then they also will answer, saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?' ⁴⁵Then he will answer them, saying, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these,you did not do it to me.' ⁴⁶And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life." ~ Matthew 25:31-46

God is a God of relationships. He didn't just pluck us out of the muck and mire, clean us off and set us on our way. No! He made us His children! We, who were unlovely and unlovable, are now His eternal children! He takes good care of His children.


That's more that just sending a check.


That's relationship. That's love.


And that's what they need.


~ Anna