O How He Loves Us

Many times I sit around and think, "how can the God who created the heavens and earth love someone like me"? Do you ever wonder why God loves us? I also wonder if I really grasp the meaning of the word love...does anyone really know what love is? The sappy song from the 80's runs through my mind..."I wanna know what love is, I want You to show me"...yes, I did change it a bit, because instead of asking one of you to show me, I want to learn from the One who created it.

Our verse for this week talk about love, as well. Let's take a look at 1 John 4:10..."Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins."

I think about the love that God showed for us...not a spoken love, telling us how He cares for us...but a doing love, putting His words to action. Because of His love for us, He sent Jesus to earth, not just to walk around and teach, but then to die for our sins...not for the sins He had in His life, because there were none. He gave His perfect life to ransom you and me.

My mind is now taken to the old chorus we've sung for ages, "O How He Loves You and Me". Remember the part..."He gave His life, what more could He give"? Think about that in a parent's viewpoint...if you have kids, can you imagine giving one as a sacrifice for someone on death row? That's essentially what God did for us. He sent Jesus to die on the cross for sinners who have a death sentence...to give us life!!!

Let's take a look at the end of John 10:10..."I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." Some other translations talk about living to the full. Do I live life abundantly, or do I live in a shell? Not only did His love redeem me by Jesus' blood, but gave me freedom that many will never know!

My challenge from this is...to not only know the love that God has, but to show it to those around me. Are you up for that?

Look at the verse for this week again...pray God will speak to you through it...and share what He gives with someone else...

Please let me know if there is a special prayer request I can word on your behalf today!!!

Confidence toward God...

1 John 3:21-24..."Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God. (22) And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight. (23) And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment. (24) And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us."

I find this passage quite self-explanatory...if our hearts don't condemn us, we are confident toward God. Simply put, we have a confidence to ask anything we will, because we are asking with pure motives. Our heart lets us know where we truly are spiritually. You can put on a good front for friends, loved ones, church members...but you can't lie to your heart. As it continues in verse 22, we receive what we ask for because we keep His commandments. Once again, if we're not keeping His commandments, our heart will know, we won't be confident to ask...and so on.

In verse 23, we find commandments that have been given to us...believe on the name of Jesus Christ...and love one another. Sounds familiar, doesn't it? Seems to be a theme God is using...yesterday, today...maybe tomorrow, who knows? Love one another...

Finally, in verse 24 if we keep His commandments, we dwell in Him and He in us. And we will know that He dwells in us by the Spirit which has been given to us. Walk in that Spirit today...keep his commandments, ask with confidence, and you will receive what you ask...

I ask you to say a prayer for an 8-year-old girl in our church having open heart surgery today...please lift Sammy to the Lord in your prayers. Also, let me know if there is a special prayer I can word on your behalf today...be blessed!