Girlfriends in God - June 11, 2008

June 11, 2008

God’s Living Letters

Today’s Truth

“You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everybody…written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts” (2 Corinthians 3:2-3 NIV)

Friend to Friend

I received a letter the other day. Oh, it didn’t have a stamp in the right-hand corner or even a return address sticker, but I knew exactly where it came from and there was no doubt about who had sent it. The letter was wearing jeans and a sweatshirt with brown shoulder length hair, and she was sent by God.

In the Bible, Paul described Christians as living letters known and read by everybody, not written with ink, but with the Sprit of God on human hearts. (2 Corinthians 3:3). God has sent many love letters my way…hand delivered, special delivery, postage paid. Admittedly, some of the letters seem to have gotten marred in transit and I suspect a few of the words were not quite what the Author intended. But they were letters none the less.

God did not write His letters on fragile sheets of paper or on tablets of stone. He wrote His letters on human hearts for the entire world to read. There are some letters that I’ve received and wanted to mark RETURN TO SENDER across the top. I didn’t want the letter and honestly, I wasn’t sure where it came from. It couldn’t possibly be from God. The words were harsh and I suspected they were counterfeit. Not really from God at all…even though the letter said they were.

There are other beautifully scripted letters that I take out and read repeatedly. They are treasures that I hold dear. I read them often, clutch them to my heart, and even place a kiss upon the seal from time to time. These are my favorite letters. They come in all shapes and sizes, but the return address is always evident, even if it has faded with years or rubbed off with wear. I love these letters. God has sent me so many over the years.

Dear friend, here is a daunting thought. You are a letter. I am a letter. God has written His message on our hearts and mailed us out to the world. People read His letters in our actions. They read His letters in our words. What will they read in your letter? Will they welcome the words like a soldier hungry for news from home, or view it a junk mail to be tossed in the trash. Will they dread the words like a bill that needs to be paid, or will they see it as God intended… a love letter wooing them to Christ.

What does your letter say today?

Let’s Pray

Dear Heavenly Father, I want to represent You well today. Help me to use my words as a well trained ambassador. I pray that I will be a living love letter to those I meet every day.

In Jesus’ Name,

Amen

Now it’s Your Turn

What’s the best letter that you ever received?

Did you save it?

If so, why?

Since you are a living letter, how do you want your letter to read?

More from the Girlfriends

Does your living letter need a freshening up? Do you know who you are, what you have, and where you are in Christ? Do you see yourself as God sees you? For a fresh look into God’s mirror to see yourself as a holy, chosen, dearly loved child of God, you’ll want to read Experience the Ultimate Makeover by Sharon Jaynes.