04/18/2021
Jesus loves me, and what an incredible declaration that is! We sing this in song as children, but it is more than a childish thought put to melody, it is the driving motivation for all that is our faith, and for God’s desire to redeem and restore us to Himself. Are you trapped in the obvious simplicity of the song, or have you matured in your faith as you have come to understand the interwoven complexity of loving Jesus, loving God, and in knowing how much they love you?
“Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.””
John 14:21 ESV
Our love for Jesus drives us into His arms with a fierce determination to serve Him, and motivates us like an unquenchable thirst as we desire to obey His every commandment. We are not like the children we once were who loved with an unthinking love, but are now like mature adults who love in complex ways; ways that will drive us to give our life for another, to starve or thirst that the less fortunate might have sustenance, and who will sacrifice of ourselves to bring another soul to believe in God.
“Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”
Ephesians 5:1-2 ESV
As children we learned by imitating our parents, and we loved them in much the same way; we love them because they held us and loved us first... even if their ability to love was crippled by their blemished humanity. Yet the love of God, and Jesus Christ is perfect, so, as they teach us, we learn to be perfect in our love for them.
“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.”
1 John 4:7 ESV
Today, as we go about our lives, let’s think about why we love God, and our savior Jesus Christ. Let’s consider how we abide in one another, and are one. Let’s determine whether our love for them is growing day by day, or if we have become entrenched in that first spark of love we felt when we were babes in our faith. Then let’s look at how we obey their commandments, and determine whether we do so in a manner that glorifies God to our fullest ability, and whether we honor the love that is meant to thrive between us in similar fashion.
“Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father’s who sent me.”
John 14:24 ESV
Are we loving Jesus as we should be, and in this way are we keeping God’s Word?
Prayer:
Father, thank you for loving us the way you do, and for teaching us, through your Son Jesus, how we should not only love you, but love our neighbors, our spouses, families, and even our enemies. Thank you for revealing to us the simplicity of the first love we experienced in Jesus, then leading us to see that our love for Him is the deep running undercurrent that carries forward the complexity of our maturing love for you. Holy, Holy, Holy, are you our God who is the essence, and fullness of love. Praised be your name for every kindness, goodness, and grace, that your love lavishes upon us. You are merciful Holy Father, and you forgive us our sins as we humble ourselves in contrition before you, and seek to demonstrate our undying love for you. Wash us clean of all iniquity, and sin, as you bathe us in the blood of Jesus. Hear our prayers, and confessions of love as we sing to you from our hearts, and love you as you have shown us your love for us. Find us worthy as we love and obey you in Jesus, and seat us at your table forevermore.
“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.”
1 John 4:7-11 ESV
Rich Forbes