Good morning on this Saturday, September 11th. Actually I'm writing this blog late on Friday night because I have a series of commitments for Saturday. The Apostle John wrote, "There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear" (1 John 4:18). When love increases, fear decreases. Love counteracts and replaces fear. The more we love God and understand His love for us, the less we are afraid of Him and His ways. I was reminded of the realization of this verse last weekend when I visited my daughter, Cheryl and her family over the Labor Day holiday. Kai (we call him Kai Kai) is the four year old boy whom they adopted two years ago when he was two years of age. Kai had a rough time in his first years of life. Born with two club feet, he had been in and out of hospitals and orphanages and endured two horrendous operations which left him scarred, marred, and crippled. His mother, a crack foot surgeon, eventually fixed both feet good as new, but this article is not about his physical mending; it is about the healing of his soul. I was at the airport when he arrived at his new home in Chicago and most of us saw him for the first time. He was among strange people in a strange environment and was obviously afraid. He refused to allow me to touch him and recoiled when I tried. God only knows what he had previously endured. He was touchy, resistant, afraid, and withdrawn. All of the members of our family committed ourselves to shower him with unconditional love, affection, attention, and acceptance. Now nearly two and one-half years later, he is a transformed boy. He loves to be loved, touched, and spend time with his family. Love has cast out fear and replaced it with peace. He is no longer afraid but comfortable giving and receiving love and acceptance. He is a living example of the principle taught in this verse. The greater application is that the more we love the Lord and experience His love for us, the more comfortable and fearless we will be with Him. Have you experienced the truth of this verse? I hope you have! The reality of its teaching is life changing in our relationship with God and His word.
Tomorrow, our guest speaker will be Bruce O'Neill, the founder and president of Manna International, the organization we have often partnered with to build feeding centers and children's homes around the world. You won't want to miss him and his inspiring message.
Mel Brown