Day 168 – The Love of God

The Love of God

Over the course of my ministry, I have preached hundreds of times on the theme of the Love of God. It never gets old. I guess it is because God is Love. He doesn’t have love. He is Love. You can’t talk about God without talking about love. In the Old Testament the love of God is evident, but it was with the coming of Jesus that the full understanding that God is Love became manifest. The sending of His Son Jesus, to die on the cross for the sins of mankind, was the greatest expression of love that God could ever give.

I love to read books or see movies that portray heroes who sacrifice everything for the sake of their nation, or someone in distress. A soldier in W.W.I said that he gave his today for others tomorrow. One’s life is the most valuable of all possessions and to give it up for someone else is the highest expression of love and dedication. Nathan Hale, an American Revolutionary War hero, said before he was hung by the British: “I regret that I have but one life to give for my country.” All throughout history people have paid the ultimate price for noble causes and heroic sacrifices. All this, to some extent, is an expression of love and is God-like. John wrote in his first epistle that, “we know love by this, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.” (I John 3.16).

The Love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit. Only because we have been loved by God can we truly love ourselves and others. We love because He first loved us. God loves us even when we are far from Him; in our unbelief and rebellion. He pursues us with His love. His love is passionate, persistent and conquers. A friend of mine used to say that the Love of God is the “red, hot, chili pepper” kind of love. When the Love of God is experienced, it makes our hearts burn, it consumes and controls us. Thus, having been loved by God, it becomes easy and natural to love others in the same way; to lay down our lives.

The Love of God sticks to us better than any “super-glue” can. In Romans 8.38-39, Paul writes that nothing can separate us from the Love of God. The Love of God keeps us in Christ, keeps us coming back for more and keeps us secure. In experiencing His love, we have no need to be loved by anyone else. The only need we have is to love God with all our hearts and others. The Love of God fills us to overflowing and satisfies us completely. There is nothing more important than the Love of God; nothing worth more to give our lives for. All else is as a “noisy gong or a clanging cymbal”. (I Cor. 13.1) Why settle for the “plastic” version of love, when you can have the real thing?

Take a few moments to reflect on the many ways the Love of God has put up with your bad manners, your selfish demands, your straying in the wilderness and your lusting after the pleasures of this world. His Love has continually forgiven you, healed you and restored you. It is the Love of God that has provided your daily bread, kept you from the “snare of the fowler” and protected you under His wings. Even when we pass through the valley of the shadow of death we will fear no evil, because the Lord is with us. His love surrounds us and is our shield and buckler. Just to meditate on His Love causes us to want to love Him more.

Scriptures to meditate on:

Song of Sol. 1.4; Lev. 19.18; Hos. 3.1; John 3.16; I John 3.16; Rom. 8. 38-39; I Cor. 13; James 2.8