Healing Rays of Righteousness

The Love of God

From early childhood I have enjoyed singing “Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so.” And during the many years since, I have always been spiritually energized with singing the hymn written by Frederick M. Lehman, “The love of God is greater far than tongue or pen can ever tell, it goes beyond the highest star and reaches to the lowest hell.”

This hymn is rich in describing God’s love as “measureless,” “strong,” and will “evermore endure.” And yet there are the tough times when I am tempted to feel uncertain about God’s love? During those days, I am encouraged by the words of the apostle Paul in his letter to “God’s holy people in Ephesus.” Paul’s encouraging message seems to me to give roots and life to the above songs about God’s love.

He begins his letter with this reassurance; “For he chose us in him (Christ) before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he (God) predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, … In him (Christ) we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us.” (Eph.1:4-7 NIV).

To be reminded of “the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us” restrengthens my wavering confidence that God does absolutely love me and always will, no matter what my situation may be.

Then in chapter three, I hear Paul praying that God may strengthen us with the ability to more fully understand and experience the magnitude of Christ’s love for us. “For this reason, I kneel before the Father, … I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ,” … Then, as if searching for adequate words, he adds … “and to know this love that surpasses knowledge – that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”  (Eph. 3:14-19).

Paul’s deep heart-desire is that all who follow Christ lean into a deep love relationship with God, and experience all the fullness of God’s love in our every day, activity, and encounter. Paul believes that such knowing is experiential and far beyond the rational limits of intellect or comprehension. That is, to experience God’s love is so much wider, longer, higher, and deeper than saying “God is love.”

I remember reading of a farmer who had a weathervane on his barn, on which was written GOD IS LOVE. When friends asked why he did that, the farmer said, “This is to remind me that no matter which way the wind blows, God is love.”

The following scriptures would confirm this truth and are verses that I have found helpful in encouraging me through difficult and painful experiences.

When the warm ‘south wind’ with its soothing and balmy breezes, bring showers of blessing upon me, God is love. “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” (James 1:17).

When the cold ‘north wind’ sweeps down upon me with its disciplining disappointments and disablements, God is love. “do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines the one he loves” (Hebrews 12:6).

When the wild ‘west wind’ blows hard upon me with its fearful uncertainties, God is love. For Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. … Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” (John 14:27).

And when the stormy ‘east wind’ threatens to sweep away all that sustains me, God is love. “And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:19).

The biblical writers consistently assure us that it does not matter which way the winds are blowing in our life, we can be assured that the truth remains, “God is love.” (1 John 4:8,16)        

               “O love of God, how rich and pure! How measureless and strong!           

                              It shall forevermore endure – the saints’ and angels’ song.”       

<><><><><> 

Ray M. Geigley – “Healing Rays of Righteousness” – www.geigler13.wordpress.com – 8/20/25

Your Pain in My Heart

The prophet Micah told his contemporaries that what God requires of us is “To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”  (Micah 6:8). Even though each of these virtues is worthy of thought and comment, I want to focus on the middle one – “love mercy.”

Sidney Greenberg, a Jewish Rabbi, writes in a devotional that “Judaism did not permit mercy to remain merely a feeling, a kind of inner glow of benevolence or pity. It demanded that the feeling be translated into a host of benevolent acts. Such are called gemlut chesed, an act of loving kindness. …  An act of loving kindness is a humane response to human need. It is your pain in my heart.”

He concludes the devotional with this strong challenge – “Loving-kindness reveals the inability to remain content in the presence of a person who is troubled; the inability to remain comfortable in the presence of a person who is uncomfortable; the inability to enjoy serenity when one’s neighbor is distressed. … The most important art to be cultivated in life is the art of loving-kindness. The person who has mastered it is doing God’s work here on earth.” 

The word “empathy” is a good word for carrying “your pain in my heart.” According to the dictionary, empathy is the “entrance into the feeling or spirit of another person.”  It is the capacity to look at life from another’s perspective; to understand their thoughts, to feel their feelings, to walk in their shoes, to keep in step with them. Empathy is the offering of our time, attention, and love to another. It is different from “sympathy.”

Most importantly, to become an empathetic, compassionate friend who carries “your pain in my heart” is the greatest gift we can give to anyone who is hurting and urgently needs the reassurance of being loved by God and neighbors. And as Rabbi Greenberg says, “…it is doing God’s work here on earth.”

For when we embrace and empathize with another wounded person, the healing presence of Jesus Christ flows over us and through us, transmitting God’s healing love to the other through our touching, thus making us “wounded healers” of God’s healing presence in our world.

Paul’s own life of many pain-filled experiences and his trusting connectedness to God confirms the truth of God’s compassionate, healing heart, and so he encourages all who experience pain with this testimony; “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.” (2 Corinthians 1:3-4).

My notes on this verse remind me that we cannot do healing presence, instead, we become a healing presence as we choose to “love mercy” and empathize with those around us who are painfully wounded. We become God’s love and healing presence to them by gently holding the other’s pain in our heart and comforting them “with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.”

In his book, “When a Congregation Cares,” Abraham Schmitt writes, “It is not possible to care unless one is willing to enter into another’s pain.” This is a strong statement that has proven correct throughout my experiences of ministry as a pastor and chaplain.  (I recommend reading this book.)

These years of ministry also taught me that empathy is not a natural human response. It must be learned through sincere desire and commitment to do so. This is seldom an easy decision. I regretfully confess that at times I have been inclined to quickly give my scriptural encouragement and exit from the apparent time-consuming and emotionally demanding situation.

But with God’s help, heart-filled empathy can be learned by all who choose to “love mercy” and be a trustworthy, compassionate friend to those hurting physically, emotionally, socially, or spiritually. May we always choose to do so!

Bless’d Be the Tie That Binds

Bless’d be the tie that binds our hearts in Christian love.

The fellowship of kindred minds is like to that above.

Before our Father’s throne we pour our ardent prayers;

our fears, our hopes, our aims are one, our comforts and our cares.

We share each other’s woes, each other’s burdens bear,

and often for each other flows the sympathizing tear.

When we asunder part, it gives us inward pain,

but we shall still be joined in heart, and hope to meet again.

(John Fawcett, 1782)

<><><><><> 

Ray M. Geigley – “Healing Rays of Righteousness” – www.geigler13.wordpress.com – August 6, 2025