Human love can be sweet. It lifts up our souls and hearts. It can also crush us. Human love, be from a parent or family member, spouse or friend is imperfect. It often depends on mood, actions, or time. Only God's love is perfect, eternal, not emotion or performance based. So today, being Valentine's Day makes me think of God's love for us.
Jeremiah 31:3 The Lord has appeared of old to me, saying: “Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you.
John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Ephesians 3:14-19 14 For this reason I bow my knees to the Father [f]of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, 16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, 17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— 19 to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
These are just a few of the verses that speak of God's love for us. And what is our response to this love supposed to be? Loving Him back. And how do we love God back? By obeying Him. By setting our hearts on Him, giving the whole of ourselves to Him.
John 14:21 He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.”
Mark 12:30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment.
We also show our love for the Lord by loving others. This is a command not a suggestion by the way.
John 13:34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.
Galatians 5:13 For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.
And our goal should be to love as God loves, unconditionally. I believe this may take a lifetime of learning and practice!.
1 Corinthians 13:1-13 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. 2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing. 4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; 6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8 Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part. 10 But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away. 11 When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 12 For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known. 13 And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
Lord, thank You for Your love, Your everlasting, all encompassing love. A love that sacrificed for us, a love tha saves us, a love the keeps us in Your care every day. A love that is deeper and wider and higher than anything we can imagine. I am so very grateful for this love. Help us to grow in our love for You and for others. In Jesus Name. Amen.
Seek God's love in the Bible and meditate on it each day.
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