I cannot imagine what it would be like without parents who
loved me. They are both gone now, but my childhood was secure, my teen years
and well into adulthood. How blessed to have their love!
One of Satan’s original and greatest attacks against
humanity is the suggestion that God does not love us. People fear God’s wrath,
assume He is not listening and does not care, blame Him for tragedies, and have
many negative ideas about God because our spiritual enemy utters his lies. But
God says otherwise.
. . . I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you. (Jeremiah 31:3)
Perhaps the biggest reason we fall for the lie is that we
assume the love of God is based on our performance. Whenever I behave in
ungodly ways, big or small, I easily bow my head in shame and concern myself
about God’s love diminishing because of what I have done.
This is a mistake. The love of God is never based on what I
do or do not do. If that were the case, then God could not love anyone — we all
sin and fall short of His glory (Romans
3:23). We need to know that the love of God is not based on who I
am, but on who He is, the God who loves.
Occasionally we meet people who are more loving and
affectionate than most of us. They seem to care about everyone. Affection flows
from their nature for they are affectionate people. That attitude is about who
they are, not about the people around them. God is like that, but even more so.
His love has been demonstrated in a myriad of ways, the most astonishing being
the gift of His Son for our sin.
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)
For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:7–8)
His love was expressed while we were still sinners, meaning
that we did nothing to earn or deserve it. It is about Him, not me. That means
I cannot do anything that will change the way God loves me, nor can anything or
anyone else interfere with it . . .
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? (Romans 8:35)
The trials of life do not mean God has stopped loving me
either. So often the understanding of His love is based on how well things are
going. If I do that, every bad situation brings doubt about His love. But the
Bible makes it clear . . .
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:37–39)
The love of God is expressed in the life, death and
resurrection of His Son. Nothing I do or fail to do will change that reality.
Personal note: Had a heart check today that was most
encouraging. My crazy A-fib has almost righted itself without any extra meds.
The person who did all the tests said she would not be surprised if it is
beating normally within a few days. All related tests were good, including my blood
pressure — which is about the same as a teenager. I am still feeling more tired
than usual, but naps are an easy fix.
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