“I have trouble recognizing and absorbing God’s love for me,” my husband shared as we were eating leftovers together.
“Tell me more,” I said.
“Well, you know how the Bible tells us over and over about how much God loves us? I don’t know. I just have trouble applying that to myself.”
A good, honest assessment.
“Sweetie, think about how much you love your kids, and how they make you so proud, and you love to be with them, and how that video on Youtube about daughters growing up made you cry the other day?”
“Yeah.”
“Well, God sees you that way. And He loves you even more than you love those kids.”
Pause…. He’s thinking…
I go on.
“And what if I responded mechanically and business-like to your love for me? How would you like that?”
“I’d hate it.”
“Well, I don’t think we should be responding to God’s love like that either.”
Thinking some more….
“You need to let God love you and let it make you smile. Really smile! And respond to His love.”
I think things started to sink in for Mr. Logical. And I so appreciate that he has always been a good listener.
He knows what love for others feels like.
He knows he doesn’t want to receive a mechanical or distant response from the people he loves.
And he also knows how good and encouraging it feels to be loved by people.
God put this love in our hearts.
We can’t see Him
but He loves us extravagantly
in so many ways
not the least of which was the ultimate sacrifice –
Life.
Soak in His love!
Notice Him loving you through people
notice Him loving you through nature
notice Him loving you through the Bible
notice Him loving you through “coincidences”
even notice Him loving you through difficulties
and discipline.
Notice Him
and love Him back.
There is nothing better in this life
than to know that God loves you and to love Him in return.
– Susie Stewart
Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind;
and,
Love your neighbor as yourself.
– Luke 10:27 (NIV)
Love must be sincere..
– Romans 12:9 (NIV)
Photo taken by Nicole Stewart
I read the following by Spurgeon last night and thought about your mornings post. I wanted to share it with you.
January 12
“Loved unto the End”
For the Lord will not cast off for ever. (Lamentations 3:31)
He may cast away for a season but not forever. A woman may leave off her ornaments for a few days, but she will not forget them or throw them upon the dunghill. It is not like the Lord to cast off those whom He loves, for “having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end.” Some talk of our being in grace and out of it, as if we were like rabbits that run in and out of their burrows; but, indeed, it is not so. The Lord’s love is a far more serious and abiding matter than this.
He chose us from eternity, and He will love us throughout eternity. He loved us so as to die for us, and we may therefore be sure that His love will never die. His honor is so wrapped up in the salvation of the believer that He can no more cast him of than He can cast off His own robes of office as King of glory. No, no! The Lord Jesus, as a Head, never casts off His members; as a Husband, He never casts off His bride. Did you think you were cast off? Why did you think so evil of the Lord who has betrothed you to Himself? Cast off such thoughts, and never let them lodge in your soul again. “The Lord hath not cast away his people which he foreknew” (Romans 11:2). “He hateth putting away” (Malachi 2:16).
Thank you for sharing that, Deborah. I’m so thankful for His love that will not cast us away. Blessings, sister.