Beloved Child of God

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Beloved child of God, do you know how high His love is for you?

It goes beyond the earthly sky.

It travels to Heaven where He hears your heart cries.

He doesn’t stop loving you no matter what you’ve done.

He forgives you for your sin when you’re contrite.

He walks with you through the darkest times when you can’t see the light.

He listens to you as you sleep.

He feels the thoughts in them you don’t speak.

I suggest you pray before you go to bed if you don’t now.

Beloved child of God, ask that our Father would protect you, your wife and children before you rest.

May God give you restoration of mind, body and spirit as you lay your head upon the pillow.

Lord, let all the cares of the day float away as beloved child of God, you end the day. Amen.

I’m learning more about the importance of letting things go.

Beloved child of God, you were never meant to fight every battle.

He loves you too much to see you waste away by trying to right every wrong.

That’s God’s job, not ours.

Never forget He sees everything.

Nothing escapes His attention.

Don’t try seeking vengeance against all those who have wronged you.

It will erode the love for others God has put inside of you.

The Bible says, “Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written: “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord (Romans 12:19, NASB),

A wise man reminded me that we lower ourselves when we lash out.

Beloved child of God, you’re better than that.

If you think those who’ve abused you get away with it they don’t.

He metres out a punishment that is specifically measured for those who harm any of His children.

You see, God wants even the abuser’s soul.

He desires that the vilest offender would come to Him.

God will turn up the heat in that person’s life until they either accept or reject Him.

There are times Karen and I have been tempted to talk back to an individual who with cold calculation, is bullying us.
There have been those occasions when we’ve done the very things our Father has told us not to do.

We get it wrong.

Our humanity rises up.

It demands to be heard.
We have gotten furious at this individual who is putting my life at risk.

Our landlord refuses to accommodate my medical disability.
We have lived with her for over a year and a half.

She lives below us on the main floor. Our apartment is on the second floor.

With the help of paralegals, we have filed both an Ontario Landlord and Tenant Board application, and will be submitting another to Ontario Human Rights Tribunal.

For a combined total of five months in the last year, our landlord has failed to maintain the stair lift, I require to get up to the second floor.

Karen has had to call 911 four times. Two of them were for anaphylaxis. The other two were for asthma attacks.

I have a rare immune system condition called mastocytosis.
Most people have a normal amount of mast (immune and systemic) cells.

They form part of the immune system and are in our tissues and organs.

I have too many mast cells.

The condition activates when there are triggers such as chemical cleaners and strongly-scented products.

Our landlord (especially lately since we gave her notice we are moving) is basically weaponizing allergens.
She is using as many as four different ones at the same time.
The smell is coming up through our air vents.

We are doing our best with God’s help to not say or do anything we will regret.

We will soon be free of her bullying tactics, lies and cruelty.

The paralegals think she will raise the rent several hundred dollars if she rents out this apartment to someone else. Landlords are asking more than $2,000 monthly for a two-bedroom apartment throughout Ontario, and other Canadian provinces.

Much better health awaits us on the other side of this situation.

God is rescuing us from the ever-increasing darkness of our landlord.

There have been many times remembering she is a beloved child of God is hsrd.

In spite of all she has done, the Lord loves her.

The call we had to be a part of her life is drawing to a close.

Only God knows whether or not she will change her ways.

The Call to Love Others

Christ’s call to His followers to love others is what He says we need to do.

Jesus said to His disciples, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another..By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” John 13:34-35. NIV).

Christ doesn’t say to His followers that they should love others.

He uses the word “must.”

They might have thought to themselves, “Love everyone – that’s asking too much. Love those who want to kill all Christians? Love the Roman governor of Judea, Pontius Pilate, who could order their deaths by crucifixion or being thrown into the arena to be torn apart by lions?

Love Pontius Pilate, who allowed the Jewish crowd to free the criminal, Barabbas, and crucify Jesus?

He didn’t understand why the Jewish people would demand the release of Barabbas.

Pontius Pliate knew Jesus hadn’t done anything wrong.

I like how The Message makes that point.

“When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere and that a riot was imminent, he took a basin of water and washed his hands in full sight of the crowd, saying, “I’m washing my hands of responsibility for this man’s death. From now on, it’s in your hands. You’re judge and jury” (Matthew 27:24).

Much was being required of the disciples, but much more was being asked of Jesus.

God had called His one and only Son to die as a sacrifice for sinful humanity.

People wee terrified to suffer and die from such a horrible form of execution.

Imagine how much pain would surge through your body if your feet and hands were nailed to a cross.

Your skin would burn in the blazing sun.

You were given nothing to drink, so you would get dehydrated.

Breathing would get increasingly laboured as you used all of your energy.

You weren’t given any food to replenish yourself.

Think of the gnawing hunger you would feel.

Your throat would be parched from having no water.

But the agony of others who were crucified was much less in comparison to Christ’s.

He suffered insults, being beaten, betrayed by Judas, who was one of His disciples, and the cruelty of being nailed to the cross at Calvary.

He struggled with his breathing as with each second, minute and hour He died a little more.

A mocking crown of thorns was put upon His head by the Roman soldiers.

The Soldiers Mock Jesus

Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole garrison around Him. And they stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him. When they had twisted a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and a reed in His right hand. And they bowed the knee before Him and mocked Him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” (Matthew 27: 27-29 NKJV)

They gambled for his clothes.

“Then they crucified Him, and divided His garments, casting lots, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet: “They divided My garments among them, And for My clothing they cast lots” (Matthew 27:35, NASB).

This tortured Jesus asked God to forgive those responsible for murdering Him.

“Two criminals were also led out with him for execution, and when they came to the place called The Skull, they crucified him with the criminals, one on either side of him. But Jesus himself was saying, “Father, forgive them; they do not know what they are doing…” (Luke 23:32-34, J.B. Phillips New Testament)

Beloved child of God, keep close to His heart.

Let Him in.

Confess to Him all your sin.

Feel His peace within.

Release everything you’re feeling to Him.

Don’t let it kill your compassion for others.

The injustice of people and systems isn’t worth the death of God’s love in you.

You see, beloved child of God, He wants you to teach others how they are His beloved children.

Leave the haters to God.

Haters are going to hate.

Keep praying they’ll see the truth that they’re the beloved children of God too.

Please pray for the salvation of our landlord. No matter how mean she is to us, she is still God’s beloved child.

Dr. Kevin Osborne is a Vice-President for Student Affairs for St. James the Elder University. Dr. Osborne is a doctor of theology candidate through SJTEU. He is s therapist, writer, poet, and singer. He helps people in their inner healing journey. Dr. Osborne lives in Timmins, northern Ontario, Canada, with his wife, Karen. She is the Registrar for SJTEU. Karen has a B.A. in Clinical Christian Counseling from St. James the Elder University. Karen is a writer, editor, and missionary of the heart.