When we read the Bible, one of the consistent themes is God’s love. Scripture reveals that God’s love for us is a love that is eternal and never fails. In His own words, God tells us in Jeremiah 31:3 (ESV), “I have loved you with an everlasting love.” The purifying power of the Holy Spirit revealing God’s love for us is what first drew us to him. Recognizing and accepting how great his love is, captures our hearts and becomes the foundation of our relationship with him.
We know God’s Word is truth, yet it is often hard to understand the love of God, especially when it pertains to us personally. It can often be a struggle to grasp how God loves us. When we think of love with human emotions it sometimes comes with conditions or expectations, not only from others but for others. God’s love is different from human love. It is perfect, unchanging, and eternal. It is not limited to human emotions or imperfections. God continues to love us even when we behave in a way that is unlovable. Thankfully, our relationship with Him is not based on winning his approval, but on yielding to and receiving his love.
Praise
Give praise that God is always reaching for us, not because we deserve it but because He loves us with an everlasting love.
God loved us first
Our love is manifested through God’s own character. 1 John 4:19 (ESV), “We love because he first loved us.”
Evidence of God’s love
God did for us that which we cannot do for ourselves. He sent his Son to die for our sins, giving us redeeming atonement. Romans 5:8 (NIV), “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
God’s renewable love
On earth all things are perishable, but God’s love is forever. Lamentations 3:22-23 (NIV), “Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new ever morning, great is your faithfulness.”
Pray
I am humbled by the vastness of your everlasting love. Regardless of my flaws or the mistakes I make, I know your love is unconditional, steadfast, and unfailing. Fill my heart with your grace so that I may experience the depth of your love. I give thanks that there is nowhere that I can walk that your love cannot reach me. Each morning, I am reminded of your love for me. By your hand, I am refreshed.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.
Dear Sherry,
Thanks a lot for this message. I’ve been learning how important it is to understand that every child of God is LOVED, blessed and not limited in any way in His kingdom. God does bless His children and each and every one of us is great, blessed, made to be a blessing, and dependable. In the book of Genesis, God declared this over Abraham: “And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing,………….and in you all families of the earth shall be blessed.” (Genesis 12:2-3)
In relation to this, I have realized that “What I have is all I need.”, and God can show his love and care to me in a unique and unexpected way – sometimes using whatever little I have, for me to reach greater heights of success. The Scripture supports this as we learn that ; when God asked Moses, “what is that in thine hand? Moses replied,………A rod.”(Exodus 4;2) . He could as well say “Nothing”, but He knew he had something in his hand that God could use; so he answered correctly. That Rod is all that Moses needed to accomplish God’s purposes at the time, and with it, he brought the children of Israel out of Egypt.
In the new testament, Christ Jesus asked his disciples a similar question. He taught a large crowd, about five thousand men .Some of his disciples then requested that he should send the multitude away so they could buy food for themselves, having been with Him in the desert for long.. However, the master declined and rather asked the disciples, “What do you have?”
The disciples answered ;’there is a little boy who has five loaves of bread and two Fishes,” and the master knew that all they had is all they needed. He then took the little boy’s lunch, blessed it, and gave back to His disciples to share with the people.. Trusting that something had happened they started distributing the bread and fish to the multitude and the more they distributed,the more they had to distribute. After everyone had been fed, they had twelve extra baskets full of bread and Fish.(Luke 9;11-17).
It is therefore evident to me that in my life, I should never think, ” If I only had this or that, my life would be wonderful, or I would be a blessing to others.:” What I have is all I need and this is Jesus Christ. He is all I need to produce whatever else I might require or to be a blessing to fellowmen. I have discerned that “when we are willing to help and to be helped, divine aid is near”
I have discovered with profound interest that there is no lack in God’s kingdom. Having money or any other resources is not a determining factor and lack of it is not a limiting factor. God is Accomplishment, Dependableness, steadfastness, Effortlessness , …… and Always Available, Accessible and Accountable. I’m not a victim but a victor in His kingdom.