“… Love’s flames are fiery flames – the fiercest of all. Mighty waters cannot extinguish love; rivers cannot sweep it away. If a man were to give all his wealth for love, it would be utterly scorned. ” – Song of Songs 8:6-7
Love is powerful. It helps us overcome so many hardships in relationships. It draws people together. It’s a strong characteristic and emotion that God has given us in order to love Him and love others in return of the love He shares with us. We don’t love apart from God’s love.
What does God’s love really look like?
“Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, according to our likeness. They will rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, the livestock, the whole earth, and the creatures that crawl on the earth.”
So God created man
in his own image;
he created him in the image of God;
he created them male and female.
God saw all that he had made, and it was very good indeed. Evening came and then morning: the sixth day.” – Genesis 1:26-27,31
God loved us enough to create us in His image. Out of all the creatures He made, He chose humans to be like Him. He loved us enough to not only give us authority over every creature and plant on the earth, but to also have the privilege to be in a relationship with Him. He wanted to walk with, teach, and commune with us. He wanted to be close to us.
“For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will 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
Since sin entered the world, it created a great divide between the Lord and man. The Lord passionately loved us enough that He set a grand plan in place that brought Him to live a brutal life on earth and to die for us. God sacrificed a great part of Himself so that we could be restored into an intimate relationship with Him once again. We could be set free and love Him and others once again the way He intended.
“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. I also saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared like a bride adorned for her husband.
Then I heard a loud voice from the throne: Look, God’s dwelling is with humanity, and he will live with them. They will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them and will be their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; grief, crying, and pain will be no more, because the previous things have passed away.” Revelation 21:1-4
God created everything for man to be in relationship with Him. He sacrificed Himself to redeem that torn relationship. Now He’s preparing a beautiful place where those who believe in Him will share in a rich and awe-inspiring relationship with Him for all of eternity.
God is fully love. He has a love greater than any human can fathom. He gives us love for Him and others so that we can understand even a glimpse of His love for us. The strongest marriage or bond between mother and child cannot define His love, but it can give us a slight idea of what is coming.
How can you actually know that He loves you?
Because Jesus died for all. There are no favourites with the Lord. He doesn’t pick and choose. If you’re on this planet, it’s because He created you to be, and that’s because He desires a relationship with you. He put great time and creativity into your body, personality, family background, interests, etc. He didn’t miss a single detail. Everything He did in you was unique and perfect.
“For it was you who created my inward parts;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
I will praise you
because I have been remarkably and wondrously made.
Your works are wondrous,
and I know this very well.
My bones were not hidden from you
when I was made in secret,
when I was formed in the depths of the earth.
Your eyes saw me when I was formless;
all my days were written in your book and planned
before a single one of them began.” – Psalm 139:13-16
How do you understand God’s love in hard times?
Read through the Psalms. We are not exempt from troubles in this life. Why? Because we live in a sinful world and have sin in our hearts as well. It is by God’s grace that we are saved from that. It is not by any merit of our own. The Lord tells us that we will have troubles in this life. “I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. You will have suffering in this world. Be courageous! I have conquered the world.” – John 16:33
The world doesn’t like Jesus because of sin. But, by the death and resurrection of Jesus, we can have life and experience the love of God throughout all circumstances. God has given us His Spirit to help us through the hard times we face. He gives us His love and protection. He puts eternity in our hearts so that we can look forward to the beautiful place we will dwell with Him someday.
The older we get, the more we realize how quickly time goes. Our lives don’t last long. They will come and go. But to those who have a relationship with Jesus, we will have a sinless eternity filled every moment with the love of God. So, even when life is difficult and time seems to stand still in the hurts of the moment, we can trust in God’s love for us and know that His love will conquer all. Our pain will end and His love will heal all wounds.
So what are we supposed to do with this love?
“…Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,” and “your neighbor as yourself.” – Luke 10:27
“As the Father has loved me, I have also loved you. Remain in my love.
“This is my command: Love one another as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this: to lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you.
“…This is what I command you: Love one another.” John 15:9,12-13,17
By the power of Holy Spirit at work in your life, He will give you more and more of God’s love as you grow in Him. The more you devote your life to Jesus, the more you will live out this command to love God wholeheartedly and to love others as yourself. Laying down your life for others will become a natural progression for the Lord and His kingdom. Devote your love and time to Jesus and He will work out His love in and through you too.
