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The Love of God - Tuesday Praise & Pray (for others) July 18, 2023

Do you know that God loves you? It's so easy to forget this in the hustle and bustle of everyday existence. And yet, God has made His affection very clear across the Bible. Consider Isaiah 43:4 - I will give up whole nations to save your life, because you are precious to me and because I love you and give you honor (GNT). Not to mention He sent His only Son, Jesus Christ, to die on our behalf so we'd be set free from the consequence of sin.

Yet, so many of us can't grasp that we are loved by God because we don't know what true love truly is. We haven't slowed down enough to enjoy the experience of His love. Sure, we think we know what love is. We've all watched shows and think love means someone buys us things or spends quality time with us. Then there are the R&B love songs, with crooners singing about 'love' and declaring their adoration. However, God has written poems and extensive love letters to us in the Bible about how He feels about us. He even helped us understand love in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 - Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails...

Let's unpack this shall we?

According to 1 John 4:8, God is love. Therefore, and as 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 tells us, He - God/Love - is patient with us and kind. He won't dishonor us, isn't easily upset by us, and doesn't hold onto our sins. He rejoices in the truth about us and doesn't believe the lies, He protects us and even trusts us. He has great expectations and hopes for us. He will also persevere for and with us, and will never fail us. This is how we are to understand love and it is how we are to see God. Far too many of us see Him as a grumpy old man in the sky who doesn't want to be bothered and who does mean things to people for no reason. That is not who He was, who He is or who He ever will be.

This is not to say that God will not discipline. In fact, He made it clear that He disciplines those He loves in Revelation 6:19 - Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent. He wouldn't be a good Father if He didn't. Nor does it change the fact that love is a two way street. While God surely loves us, we can't ignore that we must express our love through our obedience to the Lord. The scripture makes this clear in John 14:15 - If you love me, keep my commands. There is also 1 John 5:3 - In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome.

Never forget God loves us unconditionally, even when we are at your lowest. And, He yearns for each of us to genuinely love Him too - not just for what we can get from Him. We in turn must remember to live as lovers of the Lord and His Son, Jesus Christ. Plus, live as lovers of the people He created as we've been instructed in the Royal Law.


Mark 12:30 - Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’

May we all remember that God loves us and we are the apple of His eye. May we in turn express our love for Him in the obedience of HIs words as well as be vessels of His love to others, IJMN, Amen.


See you at Noon EST for fellowship. God bless you!


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