Pursuing Righteousness

This . . .
I rather enjoyed this news article in yesterdays paper.
Charles Everson, 49, and his wife, Linda, were both unhurt after a 600-pound cow fell about 200 feet off a cliff and struck the hood of their minivan while the Michigan couple were celebrating their first wedding anniverary in Manson, Washington.
I can just imagine someone asking after they got home,
"So, how was your trip?"
And the cow's family must have been quite upset.
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That . . .
When God thinks of us, is he mad, glad or sad?
Well it depends on our heart.
If we are pursuing righteousness he is very glad.
If we are in rebellion, he is for sure sad, and maybe mad.
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If we think he is mad, and he's not, that's called condemnation -
we don't want that.
If we think he is glad, and he's not, that's called presumption -
we really don't want that.
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This is That . . .
God is glad when our hearts are turned towards him. He knows we are but dust, and so he is forever merciful, kind, and quick to forgive.
He loves us even in our weakness.
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When we sin, God wants us to stand before Him, ask for forgiveness, repent (turn from) our sin, and declare war on it by purposing in our heart not to give ourselves to sin in any way. We may fall in an area of sin many times, yet still declare war on it by hating it as our enemy and determining within ourselves to love God.
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Weak love is not false love. Weak love is immature, but still sincere,
and God desires us to be confident in His delight over us
while we are yet weak and maturing.
God sees us as beautiful, even in our weakness.
God loves us and has glad, happy feelings towards us, as we go thru the journey of pursuing righteousness, stumbling along the way.
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Rebellion is another thing.