by Barbara Latta @barbaralatta
Love is the foundation upon which all biblical doctrines
rest. It is the cement that holds all other revelations together. How can we
trust our heavenly Father to save us,
provide for us, or heal us if we question the depth of His affection?
We may not feel His heart at times, but that doesn’t change
the truth. We should believe He is passionate toward us because He said so.
We love Him because He first loved us (1 John 4:19 NKJV).
We can’t love God first because there isn’t anything in us to love Him with
until we receive for ourselves the life He extends to us.
Herein is love, not that we loved God but that He loved us and sent
His Son to be the propitiation for our sins (1 John 4:10). We
don’t deserve His mercy, but He gives it to us because of His grace.
God's love gives us more than we can ever count, but here are 3 benefits we can live out daily.
1. God’s love can keep us out of sin. If we are grounded in Him, then when temptation comes or when
2. God’s love frees us from the fear of man. The fear of
people’s opinions will constrain us because we try to please them instead of
the Lord (Galatians 1:10). The fear of man brings a snare, but whoever trust in the Lord shall
be safe (Proverbs 29:25).
3. God’s love shows us how to relate to others. Until we
know how much our Creator cherishes us, we can’t truly give to others in an
unselfish way. Our relationship with Him will overflow to other relationships. Now hope does not
disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the
Holy Spirit who was given to us (Romans 5:5).
Our human minds cannot comprehend the heart of the Master of
the universe. We may compare His devotion for us to human feelings because our
minds reason that our value is based on what we do or how good we can be. We
learn this because human acceptance and rewards are based on
performance. We must perform well in careers and education to be rewarded with
raises, good evaluations, and excellent grades. But God’s delight in us is
based on who He is, not what we do.
We can’t walk in power without knowing the heart of the
Father. Jesus came to restore fellowship between God and man. But sometimes
life pours doubt on the fire of God’s Word and we may question His motives
toward us. We don’t feel connected because we have allowed something to
distract us from knowing we are His beloved.
Under grace we accept His sacrifice. He is the One who did
the work.
When we accept the mercy and grace that has been given to
us, we will change.
Thoughts turn to affection on Valentine's Day. But every day
is the day to reflect on the passion of our Heavenly Father. He sent the offering
that outshines anything else we can receive.
The blood of His Son ran down a wooden cross and soaked into
the cursed earth. One drop of His perfection would have been enough, but he gave
His entire life to show us He goes over and beyond and does much more than we
need. He paid the highest cost, and we
were given the most valuable gift.
Happy Valentine’s Day—from Jesus.
Join the conversation and share your thoughts.
What are 3 benefits of God's love toward us? (click to share on X)
Image by Susann Mielke from Pixabay
Love is God's most important attribute, and one we should work to cultivate in our own character. I'm so thankful for God's love and how He shows us how to love others as He loves us. God is love!
ReplyDeleteYou are so right, Candyce. Thanks for sharing these inspiring thoughts. Blessings!
DeleteThank you, Barbara and praise God for the affirmation that: "Our relationship with Him will overflow to other relationships." As we spend time with Him and seek to live his way, we naturally impact for good the people around us. There is great satisfaction in that knowledge.
ReplyDeleteYes, Nancy, praise God for giving us the knowledge to live in His love. Thanks for sharing. Blessings!
DeleteThanks Barbara Gods love and grace is a priceless gift!
ReplyDeleteYes it is, Sherry. Thanks for sharing. Blessings!
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