GOD INFINITE LOVE FOR HIS CHILDREN There are numerous passages in Scripture that immediately speak to my heart when I attempt to understand the depth of God’s love. The first one, embraced by all believers, is found in John 3:16 – “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” How much more could the Father reveal the magnitude of His love for us by forsaking His one and only Son? Please reflect on the following for a few moments: Before God spoke the heavens and earth into existence; before His voice lit the sun, causing darkness to separate from light; before He decorated the sky with stars and called them each by name; before He commanded the waters to divide from land and established living creatures to inhabit the earth; before He breathed the first breath of life over the dust of the ground and into the lungs of Adam, our omnipotent, omniscient God of the universe loved you! I truly find it intoxicating when I stop to consider the depth of love that God has for us. Psalm 103:17 provides us with the assurance that “from everlasting to everlasting the Lord’s love is with those who fear Him.” If you are a Man or woman of faith through the precious blood of Christ nothing can separate you from the love of God. Paul spoke emphatically about this to the Roman believers: “I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow–not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below–indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Messiah Christ our Lord” (Romans 8:38-39). What an incredible comfort it is to know that God loves you, God knows you intimately, God desires to call you His own, and God specifically chose you! The depth of God’s infinite love for us is beyond our comprehension in our finite minds. God spoke through the prophet Isaiah, saying: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. As heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Love is an essential attribute of God, the capstone of His personality. The magnitude of God’s love is the only reason we exist. We are the focus of God’s affection. Psalm 36:7 reveals: “How priceless is Your unfailing love! Both high and low among men find refuge in the shadow of your wings.” Let us take great comfort in the knowledge that God’s love is unfailing and that He takes great delight in His children. “The Lord your God is with you, He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing” (Zephaniah 3:17). I never assume to fully understand the enormity of God infinite love this side of Heaven, but by faith alone I embrace God’s love with a grateful heart. That’s faith, my dear Sisters and Brothers. Hebrews 11:1 tells us: “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” That being said, our knowledge, trust, and faith in God’s love for us is essential to the cornerstone of our faith. To explain God’s love, quoting him in this context: “I can no more do justice to this awesome and wonder-filled topic than a child can grasp a star. Still, by reaching toward the star the child may call attention to it and even indicate the direction one must look to see it. And so, I stretch my heart toward the high, shining love of God so that I may be encouraged to look up and have hope.” Indeed, what a profound statement to explain God’s love that we can glean upon. From my own personal experience, I envision God’s love flowing from Him as a pure river of grace and mercy, without detracting in any way from His holiness and righteousness. As I do my own search on this unfathomable attribute of God, I begin to understand and experience the magnitude of God’s infinite love. I also discover that this attribute of God is a doorway for me to know Him more intimately. Meditating upon Psalm 63 is my plea to God: “O God, You are my God, earnestly I seek You; my soul thirsts for You, my body longs for You, in a dry and weary land where there is no water.” Romans 5:7-8 reveals the unconditional nature of God’s love for His children. I invite you to prayerfully meditate upon these passages. God’s love calls people to salvation. “God demonstrates His own love for us in this way: While we were still sinners, Messiah died for us” (Romans 5:8). God’s love for us is greater than all the grains of sand on the seashore. Our loving sovereign God’s control over all things is motivated by His love for us, enabling His children to lovingly submit to His Lordship in our lives. 1 John 3:1 further exemplifies our great need to be equipped with the knowledge of the power of God’s love: “How great is the love the Father has lavished upon us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know Him.” The very fact that God loved us so much to give His Son to die for us assures us that He loves us enough to continue to care for us now that we are His children. My prayer for each of you today: I have found that praying Scripture is a powerful spiritual tool. I invite you to join me in praying Ephesians 3:16-21, “I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Messiah may dwell in your hearts through faith. And pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Messiah our Lord, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge-that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Messiah throughout all generations, forever and ever In Jesus Name Amen. In conclusion, attempting to fully understand the love of God is like trying to capture the full force of the Niagara Falls with a teaspoon . . . it is impossible to do. Although we may not fully grasp God’s love for us, we see glimpses of it daily, especially when we are worshiping Him, being in His Word and in prayer, as well as experiencing His miraculous healing touch upon us and seeing it in the lives of others. Let us embrace the mystery of our amazing God who bids us to come unto Himself through Messiah Our Lord, so His love can transform us into a work of His beauty. This week I invite you to allow God’s love to fill you up; then spend time with lost people, and watch His love spill over into their lives! God Bless You All Amen.
Posted on: Sat, 11 Oct 2014 12:42:18 +0000