God's love

Sunday, June 14, 2015 (8:34 a.m.)

Blessed Father,

Bless You. Praise You. Thank You.

You provide us with Your love (1John 4:7) so that we will in turn love one another. It all sounds so simple when sung in verse by the children of Psalty the Singing Songbook's recordings.

♫Beloved, let us love one another For love is of God And anyone that loveth is born of God and And knoweth God. He that loveth not (clap, clap, clap) Knoweth not God for God is love. Beloved, let us love one another. First John, four: seven and eight♫

Easy. Fun. Children singing us Your command. Oh, but not so foolproof in carrying it out.

I like the synonyms found for simple. Uncomplicated. Straightforward. Clear. Idiot-proof. Goof-proof. Piece of cake. Child's play. A cinch. A breeze.

You know far better than all that loving as You call us to love is anything but as easy as these words and phrases describe.

Father, thank You that we have Your Word telling us over and over, verse after verse that we are to love others as You have loved us (John 13:34; 15:12). Thank You that we get to read it. Study it. Embrace it. Live it.

That is exactly what I am asking (Matthew 7:7) You this morning. Let me live Your Word. Your apostle John wrote to the early churches to explain “a life of intimate sharing of ourselves with God and with each other” (Illustrated Bible Handbook).

The Living Bible paraphrases this section (1John 4:6-8) of Your living Word to say, “But we are children of God [not of this world]; that is why only those who have walked and talked with God will listen to us. Others won't. That is another way to know whether a message is really from God; for if it is, the world won't listen to it.”

Blessed Father, I confess to You right now. When I realize I am not being listened to, I tend to clam up. I do not want to waste my breath or others' time. Change this in me if that is Your will.

Continuing with John's insightful discourse, “Dear friends, let us practice loving each other, for love comes from God and those who are loving and kind show that they are the children of God, and that they are getting to know Him better. But if a person isn't loving and kind, it shows that he doesn't know God – for God is love.”

It's this Truth that I want to put into practice regularly. I don't love as You would have me love. Mine is far more conditional. Thank You that we have You, Your Son and Your Holy Spirit to work in and with, by, through and for us to Your end.

The Life Recovery Bible comment tells us, “Recovery depends upon God's gifts, and the most important among them is the provision of a Savior. The Father loves us enough to have sent His Son to save us. As we grow to be more like Him, we also grow in our ability to love others with sacrificial love. Many of us feel the recovery process would be greatly expedited if only we could see God. But God is usually seen only through His people as they love one another. That is why it is so important for us to restore relationships with the people we have harmed. That is also why we need the fellowship of believers – because we desperately need the love they offer.”

Yes, Father. Open me up. Not only to the love You offer, but to that which You would have me freely give to others. I love You and I sincerely long to love as You would have me love. Thank You. I love You. Amen.

(636 words ~ 9:34 a.m.)