Big Love
Sometimes it is difficult to find words to adequately express love.
I once had a neighbor who told me a charming story of how she and her granddaughter would play the “I love you more because _________________” game. This good natured competition consisted of a contest of who could come up with the best description of the reason why one’s love was bigger than the other’s. My neighbor finally conceded that her darling granddaughter was the winner because she exuberantly proclaimed: “I love you more because I’ve loved you all of my life and you have loved me for only part of your life!”
Regarding our relationship with God we would need to say that He has loved us all of our lives but we have loved him for only part of our lives.
1 John 4:19 (Amplified Bible)
19We love Him, because He first loved us.
There are many wonderful attributes to God’s love:
• It is everlasting and draws us near
Jeremiah 31:3 (New American Standard Bible)
3The LORD appeared to him from afar, saying,
"I have loved you with an everlasting love;
Therefore I have drawn you with lovingkindness.
• It is sacrificial
Galatians 2:20(b) (New American Standard Bible)
…I live by faith in )the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.
• It is reliable and we are secure in it
Romans 8:37-39 (New American Standard Bible)
37But in all these things we overwhelmingly (conquer through Him who loved us. 38For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is (in Christ Jesus our Lord.
• It is God’s very essence
1 John 4:8 (New American Standard Bible)
8The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love.
The Psalmist poured out his heart to describe the vast love of God
Psalm 36:5-7 (New American Standard Bible)
5Your lovingkindness, O LORD, extends to the heavens,
Your faithfulness reaches to the skies.
6Your righteousness is like the mountains of God;
Your judgments are like a great deep
O LORD, You preserve man and beast.
7How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God!
And the children of men take refuge in the shadow of Your wings.
Here is a link to another one of my favorite worship songs: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hWJWKadxYME&feature=related
I once had a neighbor who told me a charming story of how she and her granddaughter would play the “I love you more because _________________” game. This good natured competition consisted of a contest of who could come up with the best description of the reason why one’s love was bigger than the other’s. My neighbor finally conceded that her darling granddaughter was the winner because she exuberantly proclaimed: “I love you more because I’ve loved you all of my life and you have loved me for only part of your life!”
Regarding our relationship with God we would need to say that He has loved us all of our lives but we have loved him for only part of our lives.
1 John 4:19 (Amplified Bible)
19We love Him, because He first loved us.
There are many wonderful attributes to God’s love:
• It is everlasting and draws us near
Jeremiah 31:3 (New American Standard Bible)
3The LORD appeared to him from afar, saying,
"I have loved you with an everlasting love;
Therefore I have drawn you with lovingkindness.
• It is sacrificial
Galatians 2:20(b) (New American Standard Bible)
…I live by faith in )the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.
• It is reliable and we are secure in it
Romans 8:37-39 (New American Standard Bible)
37But in all these things we overwhelmingly (conquer through Him who loved us. 38For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is (in Christ Jesus our Lord.
• It is God’s very essence
1 John 4:8 (New American Standard Bible)
8The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love.
The Psalmist poured out his heart to describe the vast love of God
Psalm 36:5-7 (New American Standard Bible)
5Your lovingkindness, O LORD, extends to the heavens,
Your faithfulness reaches to the skies.
6Your righteousness is like the mountains of God;
Your judgments are like a great deep
O LORD, You preserve man and beast.
7How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God!
And the children of men take refuge in the shadow of Your wings.
Here is a link to another one of my favorite worship songs: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hWJWKadxYME&feature=related
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