Do you know the full extent of God’s love? Photo: PEXELS/Artem Beliaikin
God is Love :IT IS WRITTEN
Refill your bottle of hope, joy and love from the very source that never runs dry – the good word of God interpreted as IT IS WRITTEN.
Do you know the full extent of God’s love? Photo: PEXELS/Artem Beliaikin
God is love, we’ve all heard this phrase. It’s hard to pinpoint love! It is depicted in various ways, depending on who is describing it. According to God’s word, it is the greatest of all – even more so than faith and hope!
“And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.”
1 Corinthians 13:13 (NIV)
However, when people talk about love, they usually link it to how it makes you feel, or what you can do for others to make them feel loved. Thus, it is often linked to our 5 senses: Touch, taste, sight, sound, or smell.
The 5 love languages: God is love
• Words of affirmation
• Acts of service
• Gifts
• Quality time
• Physical touch
But how does God describe love?
First, He says that He IS love! (1 John 4:8). God loves because it is who He is, not what He does.
Thus, love in the biblical sense, is not a feeling or emotion. It is not something that you do. It’s somebody He wants you to become.
His character, the very essence of His being, IS love. It is not something He portrays. It is simply who He is. This kind of love is not something we can muster up through self-discipline or fuzzy feelings.
Rather, it is who we become, the more we come to “know” (intimately) Him who IS love.
You become what you behold!
As you gaze upon Him, beholding His majesty, His beauty, His light, His grace, His love – something happens deep within. Your heart softens as the soil is gently tilled (by the Holy Spirit), bringing about a surrendered humility, letting go of self and seeking more of Him.
Just as Moses prayed: “Lord, show me your glory” (Exodus 33:18), our hope is “Christ in me, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27)
God loves us not because of who we are or what we do, but more because of who HE is and WHOSE we are!
“Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus, His design is for us to become love, through Christ in us.”
Philippians 2:5 (NKJV)
“4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.8Love never fails.”
1 Corinthians 13:4-8 (NIV)
His desire is that we become more like Him, so that His love in us will reach out to the world around us. Why? Because LOVE NEVER FAILS.
PRAYER
Lord, help us understand love as you see it. Help us grasp who you truly are!
If love is the greatest of all, then we don’t want to miss it! Keep working in our hearts and minds until we become more like Christ, with your love deeply rooted and established within us we pray.
In Jesus name,
Amen.
