God’s Love

We have spent the past year separated from one another in ways that most of us have not experienced before. At the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, many of us received an influx of calls, contacts and text messages from family and friends, near and far. Some of us even experienced “blasts from the past” hearing from people we have not been in contact with for years. Many of us were surprised by the fulfillment gained from these connections. The influx of communication felt good and provided a sense of being loved. I believe most of the outreach came with good intentions and the promises to stay in touch were genuine. Sadly, for some, the calls have dwindled or stopped, the reconnecting conversations have discontinued and the excitement of rekindled friendships have fizzled. For some, this has raised questions about how much we were or are loved. While connection and contact with others is important, connection with The One who will never leave nor forsake us is crucial.  

When people fall short of our expectations, we have the great assurance that God never will. God loves us and desires to spend time deepening our relationship with Him. I am grateful for that relationship and know I am loved by The Father in ways that exceed my wildest dreams. I want to encourage you to take some time to focus on God’s amazing love. One of God’s greatest gifts to us is His amazing love. God loves you; He always has and He always will. It is because of God’s love that we live and breathe. It is because of God’s love that we are who we are and have what we have. It is because of God’s love that we have the right to be called His Daughters. Our Heavenly Father loves us so much that He left us a written record, the Holy Bible. The Bible is God’s love letter to His children. In His Word, God tells us of His great love and shows us how He has demonstrated His love for us since the beginning of time.  

The word love is used repeatedly throughout The Bible and is its overall theme. Love is a verb that requires choice and action. According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, choice is defined as “the act of picking between two or more possibilities.” Action is defined as “the accomplishment of a thing usually over a period of time, in stages, or with the possibility of repetition.” Aren’t you glad that God chooses to love you? Aren’t you glad that God repeatedly shows His love toward you over time and in stages? Aren’t you glad that God is love and His love never fails? God chose and chooses to love us and we should never lose sight of the magnitude of His love. John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” God demonstrated His love for us by trading His heavenly garments for human flesh, coming to earth, living among humankind, and then freely sacrificing His life for you and for me. The Father loves us so much that He gave His only son with the full knowledge that not everyone would choose to accept Him.  

Sisters, God loved you from the beginning of time-even before you were formed in your mother’s womb (Jeremiah 1:5). God loved you before anyone knew you, even before you knew yourself and has never stopped loving you. It is impossible for The Father to stop loving you because God is love and His love is unconditional (Lamentations 3:22). Nothing you have done can disqualify you from being a recipient of God’s great love. There is nothing you can do to make God stop loving you. Please do not fall victim to the lie of the enemy that seeks to cause confusion and attempt to separate you from our Heavenly Father’s love. Romans 8:31-39 provides the antidote for such lies. Absolutely nothing can separate you from God’s love. The love of God is perfect and endures forever. His love for us cannot and will not end.  

For as long as I can remember, I have felt God’s presence and love for me. As I have grown in my faith, I have been consistently blessed with the privilege of peace that I could not explain. The Father has allowed me to feel His peace during the mountain top experiences of my life as well as in the lowest of lows. Sometimes I hear God’s whisper reminding me that I am His. Sometimes I feel the warmth of His strong arms holding me. Sometimes my spirit is flooded with the words of scripture or a song of praise. Each of these experiences allows me to feel God’s love and reminds me that God is concerned about the details of my life. I know I am loved by God because I see and feel Him working things out for good.  
  

Sisters, I encourage you to spend time focusing on the depth and breadth of God’s love for you each day. Study His Word, search for examples of God’s love and consider how those examples can be applied in your life. God wants to shower His love upon you. Open yourself to God’s love and receive the blessings His great love brings. Embrace the blessings of God’s grace, favor, freedom, kindness, mercy, presence, and protection. His love for you will never end and His blessings will abound.  

I invite you Under the Church Hat for this month’s exercise:    

Start a “I Know God Loves Me” journal chronicling the ways He has shown His love for you. Add to your journal weekly.  

Write a prayer of thanksgiving for the ways God has shown His love for you.  

In less than 250 words, write your testimony telling the ways has shown His love for you.  

Be intentional about sharing your testimony of the ways God has shown His love for you with someone this month.  

Choose a passage of scripture from this devotion to meditate on throughout the month.