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- ❤️ Letters of First Love #37: Lord, Help Us
❤️ Letters of First Love #37: Lord, Help Us
Reflecting on God's love for us, and simply responding.
Jae Leeholland
September 14, 2025
So God created man in His own image,
in the image of God He created him;
male and female He created them.
And God saw everything that He had made, and behold, it was very good.
Dear God,
In your image you created us.
Yet, only after a little while, we fell in search of the desires of our flesh, the beauty that deceived our eyes, and self-seeking wisdom (Gen. 3:6)— we ate from the tree of which you commanded us not to eat.
How have we fallen to the point of not having grace for one another?
How have we fallen to the point of not seeing your image in others?
This nation was founded upon your commandments, and yet we’ve come to the point of worshipping our own righteousness over yours.
As Solomon asked of you, would you give us your wisdom once again to discern what is good and evil, Lord?
A decade later, you told Solomon the following:
“When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command the locust to devour the land, or send pestilence among my people, if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”
So, I repent, and we repent, for our sins and the sins of this nation, O God. We’ve been arrogant in our own ways.
Help us trust you with all of our heart and lean not on our own understanding, acknowledging you in our ways, so that you will make straight our paths (Psalm 3:5-6).
Do not let us be wise in our own eyes, for we are blind leading the blind. Inspire within us fear and awe of you, and the courage to turn away from evil (v.7).
We can point to all the myriads of socioeconomic, gender, racial, and what-have-you issues as the reason for our fall, but help us see the plank in our own eyes and the fault of our own hearts.
Lord, may we not live this life with the cheapened grace in thinking you died for us so that we can live this life in however way we want.
You paid for our lives for a hefty price, so we can learn to walk with you like Jesus did.
Please give us the courage to receive and share your love ever more boldly and to pray for our enemies. Eradicate the Phariseetic heart in us that thinks our sins are inconsequential compared to the person next to us.
May these words speak louder in this nation and the world:
“But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from one who takes away your cloak do not withhold your tunic either. Give to everyone who begs from you, and from one who takes away your goods do not demand them back. And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them.
“If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to get back the same amount. But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.”
Help us receive your precious words in our hearts and be merciful, as you are merciful.
I have been ridiculed and laughed out of the room for calling for peace. May you crush the self-righteous mob mentality in this nation and remind us of what Jesus died for.
Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
How many more lives will be lost before you wipe away our tears, Jesus?
I know you’re weeping up there, too. And I’m sorry for the way we’ve been letting you down. May we not take advantage of your sacrifice and love.
Holy Spirit, help us see your beauty in the eyes of others. Help us act in kindness in our day-to-day— the way we greet one another and pray for one another.
In this busy, distracted, and self-absorbed world, move us to ask one another how we can be of help. You know there’s no goodness in us apart from you (Ps. 16:2).
Less of us, and more of you. Might I dare say none of us and all of you, or is that a silly thing to say, God?
Void of our desires, and filled with your love.
We long for you, Jesus. May the bona fide called children of God in this nation repent and seek your face with zeal.
You are the truth, the way, and the life. There’s no other truth that matters, there’s no other way of living that is everlasting, and there’s no life apart from you.
Lord, help us.
With love,
Jae
“You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary. Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first. Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first.” (Revelation 2:3-5)
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