The deepest need that we as humans have is to be loved. Love is something we search for and often spend our lives trying to find; thousands of love songs, written over the centuries, try to express this deep need.
For many, the search for love comes up empty; like a familiar song from the 1980’s by Johnny Lee; “Looking for Love in all the Wrong Places” they cannot find the deep satisfaction they long for. Many, searching for love in this broken world, come up hurt, mistreated and abused.
For some, the pain of being unloved causes them to turn to artificial treatments of the condition, drugs, alcohol and relationships without true commitment, anything to ease the pain of not experiencing true love.
In this broken world, love comes with strings attached, and our love is conditional.
God’s love is very different, and it is His love that we must understand and experience, if we are to, truly be able to love and be loved by others.
What is God’s love is like?
God is Love – “If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God. And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.” 1 John 4:15-16
The Bible declares in this verse that God is love; His very nature exudes love. His love is strong, never ending.
God loves His enemies – “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8
God’s love is so strong that even when we were in our sin, even when we despised Him, He still loved us; so much so, that He sacrificed his Son in order to provide a way to have fellowship with us, which leads us to the next . . .
God’s love is sacrificial – “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. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” John 3:16-17
Think of the most precious person in your life, think of someone who you are well pleased with, someone who is the apple of your eye. Now think of the most pure and loving individual in your life, your own child or even a grandson or granddaughter. What would it take for you, to initiate the loss of that child in order to rescue a group of people who really don’t care?
God’s Love is lavish – “See what great love the Father has lavished on 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.” 1 John 3:1
The word we translate into “lavish” here indicates an over-abundance, or super abundant love. It is love we certainly do not deserve and we did nothing to warrant such love; simply that God pours it on and loves us so much!
God’s Love is Eternal – “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” 2 Peter 3:9
To sum it all up, the Bible gives a great description of what God’s love is like . . .
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. 1 Corinthians 13:4-8
How different from the kind of love we are accustomed to in this world.
The greatest hindrance regarding God’s Love seems to be our inability to receive it! Since we have such a corrupted view of what love is, it becomes an obstacle to receiving God’s love!
For so many, the idea of someone loving you to this degree is simply not possible. Some feel so unworthy of this kind of love, and cringe at the idea of a Holy God desiring them this much!
We need to ask God to supernaturally, change our minds about Him, and about our relationship to Him.
We must learn to trust Him, with everything; holding nothing back. It is time to let go of your heart and give it entirely to Him . . . He loves you and has demonstrated it a thousand ways!
Will you receive His love today?