What God’s Love Is (Part 2)
On Thursday, we talked about two things: 1) how we can trust those we know love us, which explains why we have a hard time trusting God if we don’t fully appreciate His love. And 2) we talked about what God’s love isn’t.
Now let’s unpack what God’s love is . . .
- Individual and personal – He knew you before you were born . . . He knew what you’d be named, your potential for good, and how long you’ll live. He has a place for you in this world and a unique purpose for you being here. There’s a seat at His table waiting for you if you’ll take it. Now. Not just in heaven.
- Tenacious – God is undeterred by your busyness, your selfishness, or your insolence. He wants a father-child relationship with you, and He’ll never stop pursuing you. No matter how badly you fail, He’ll be right there waiting for you to reconnect with Him. He holds no grudges.
- Sensitive – God never chews you out. He doesn’t remind you of your past sins except to guide you away from a repeat performance. He asks questions deep in your spirit. He quickens your conscience when you’ve done, said or thought something that’s not like Jesus. His purpose is correction, not punishment. And He’s so gentle and subtle about how He moves in your heart. When we don’t slow down, or pray, or pay attention, we miss this nurturing, mentoring, life-giving relationship with our Father.
- Long-term – God is your friend, not your buddy or your genie in a bottle. He wants what’s best for you long-term. He’ll stand beside you when you fall to the ground exhausted from the pressures of life, but He won’t pick you up. You’ll have to get up yourself. He’ll smile. He’ll cheer for you. If you lay there, He’ll stay quiet and let you decide what you’re going to do and how you’re going to respond to the adversity that’s come your way. No matter which way you go, He’ll stay near, just as a perfect Father would do.
- Expensive – God’s love is expensive. He is perfect, sinless, and holy, but we are not. Our sin . . . the ugly stuff, has to be dealt with, forgiven, set aside so that we can connect with Him directly. That’s one of the reasons Jesus came and died . . . to cover all our ugly stuff so we could have this clean, clear, pure love relationship with the Father.
Leave God’s love as some vague, pejorative, pie in the sky concept, and you’ll never be able to trust Him.
Get specific. Look for it. Remember it. Test it.
When you know He loves you, it becomes possible to obey Him and trust Him with the outcome of things.
Scripture: No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:37-39)
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Responses (1)
Regi,
Thanks, I really appreciated this reminder!
Please know, you and your family are in my prayers.