Unconditional Love

You are my shelter when strength is gone

You are my refuge when pain holds on

And my soul finds strength in You oh God.

I have been able to comprehend more and more every day that God is indeed my refuge, He without a doubt is my shelter and in Him alone my soul is satisfied.

As I relinquish my rights and continue on this daily process of dying to myself, I have renewed confidence that once something is brought to the foot of the Cross, it is no longer my burden, and it rests completely in the hands of our loving father. I am encouraged by His example that we indeed are able to overcome the sufferings of this world and we WILL be given the strength to do so in His name.

A communist officer told a Christian he was beating, "I am almighty, as you claim your God to be. I can kill you." The Christian answered, "The power is all on my side. I can love you while you torture me to death."

These are the examples that go before us. The example of Christ Himself... taking the weight of our sins upon Himself. The example of a fellow believer who completely understood what the love of Christ is. And also the example of countless others who truly lived their lives in submission to Christ, who completely understood the meaning of loving others the way we ourselves have been loved.

I am challenged this evening to do the same. First of all, to actually allow His love to surround me, become me and overflow within me. And secondly that I'd be able to pour that love back out to others: no matter who, no matter what the situation.

This is my prayer tonight, to become like Jesus, and do as He did. My prayer is that I will truly understand the meaning of unconditional love.