God loves us with His everlasting Agape love; and He draws us to Himself by His unfailing love and kindness (Jeremiah 31:3). God is love (1 John 4:7-10). It is part of His character (1 John 4:8; 2 Corinthians 13:11). God’s love is a free, sovereign, absolute gift that knows no bounds (Jeremiah 31:3; Deuteronomy 7:8, 10:15).
His love abides in us (Zephaniah 3:17), and is great, unfailing, unconditional, everlasting, steadfast and so much more. He gives us His love so that we can love Him and the people whom He brings into our life. Regardless of our differences in upbringing, philosophy of life, goals and ambitions, world view and pursuits, we can unconditionally love everyone He brings into our life.
We do not meet any strangers, just new friends. These people will all add to our life, challenge our beliefs, share new experiences with us, support us and at times tear us down; but God has a reason for them to cross our path, and sometimes only He knows this purpose.
God loves Jesus as His first born, and His only begotten Son (John 15:9, 17:26). God’s Spirit conceived Jesus in Mary’s womb, which makes Jesus both God and man (1 Timothy 2:5). Jesus abides in God’s love (John 15:10). God’s desire is for His Trinity to abide in us, as His representatives in this world.
God’s love may feel restrictive at first, until we come to realize it is actually protective and freeing. He constrains us by His great and unfailing love to keep us on the straight and narrow road of life, in order to shield us from the devastation of the wide road of destruction (Ephesians 2:4; Isaiah 49:15-16; Hosea 11:4).
He has a special love for the impoverished and downtrodden (Deuteronomy 10:18). We do not earn God’s love, and we cannot be good enough for Him to love us any more than He already does. He showers us with all of His love even while we are still sinners (Job 7:17; John 3:16-17; Romans 5:8; Titus 3:4).
Prayer:
Father God, You love us as Your adopted Children (1 John 3:1) with a special love of a Father and friend (John 16:27, 17:23; 2 Thessalonians 2:16; 1 John 4:16). You especially feel proud of us when we are a cheerful giver to the poor, to Your ministries, and to the broken lives all around us (2 Corinthians 9:7). Thank You for sending Christ to earth, and for giving us Jesus to pay our sin debt in our place (1 John 4:9-10; Titus 3:4-7; John 3:16).
Your love and grace are manifested by Your forgiveness of our sins, and in Your redemption of our spirit, soul and eventually our body (Ephesians 2:4-5; Isaiah 38:17; 43:3-4, 63:9). Thank You for continuing to draw us ever closer to Your presence within us (Hosea 11:4), and for Your continual blessings for us both on this earth and for all eternity (Deuteronomy 7:13).
Thought for the Day:
God liberally broadcasts His love in our heart by His Holy Spirit, and He defeats Satan’s attempt to thwart His purposes in our life by using discipline with us, and spiritual authority over the devil
- Romans 5:5; Hebrews 12:6; Deuteronomy 23:5
