Now being 85, I have been busy writing my latest book on the story of my life. In so doing, I have recognized that the basic force that has guided me all my life is the love of God moving in my soul. John puts it clearly:

John 15:8-9 – This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. (NIV)

It is obvious to me that the love of God has filled me and kept me going all these years. I could not have done what I did without the support of His Holy Spirit. The Lord taught me how to write sermons and inspired my preaching. On those days when I felt sore and downtrodden, I prayed for comfort and always received it from the Lord. It is very humbling to recognize that God's love has been flowing through all that I have been called to do.

I give God the credit for all that, including the devotionals and books that I've written since retiring. I never felt that I was knowledgeable — it just seemed that the words came to me as I meditated. What I wrote depended on the Lord's guidance and the help of many friends. I enjoyed my life regardless of what I was trying to do. Everything needed the helping hands of others, and God supplied that through loving fellowship.

God's wonderful love has been with me, and I have never questioned that from childhood on. My life has taught me a lot about God's leading and how His love has enabled me to know which way to go with His help. I humbly thank Him for all that I have been able to accomplish in my life with His help and blessing.

The apostle John writes extensively about the love of God and how we need to be open to His love:

1 John 4:7,9-10 – Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. (NIV)

The love of God is ours through the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives. All we need to do is to open up to Him. When we open to Christ and accept His gift of eternal life through the Holy Spirit, the love of God fills us, and we grow in faith.

Romans 5:5 – And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us. (NIV)

Prayer: Dear Lord Jesus, thank You for guiding us through our lives and for sharing Your love with us. Your love fills us with peace, joy, and gratitude and makes life worth living each day, while we share Your love with others. Thank You, Lord! We pray in Jesus' name. Amen.

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