“As you can see there’s a gift on the table,” announced the speaker. “Would anyone like it?”
The large group of conference attendees looked at each other, but no one responded. “Certainly, he wouldn’t give it to me,” thought Suzie.
“Does anyone want this free gift I am holding?” The conference speaker asked again.
Looking around, Suzie realized no one was responding so she decided to take a chance. Timidly, she held up her hand. “Ahh,” said the speaker. “We have a taker. Come on up.” Not one to bring attention to herself, with trepidation, Suzie slowly walked to the front.
All eyes were on her as she opened the box. “A puppy!” Suzie cried as she lifted the puppy from the box. “Aww,” responded the audience. “Now, said the speaker, if you take the free gift of this puppy, and open up your heart to all he has to give, you will find his unconditional love and loyalty.”
“I will!” said Suzie as she embraced the puppy.
Isn’t that the way with any relationship? Whether it is a puppy, a person or even God, we have to open our hearts to receive the love that is offered.
WHAT IS LOVE?
Webster’s dictionary defines love as:
“A feeling of warm personal attachment or deep affection.”
I’m sure Susie and her new puppy will quickly find love for each other. But how about God’s love for us?
God is love,
1 John 4:8
That means God’s very nature is love. When He acts, He acts out of a warm personal attachment and deep affection for us.
Do we believe God has a warm personal attachment
and deep affection for us?
Not always. We may love God, but we aren’t always sure He loves us.
God’s gift of love is like the conference speaker’s gift. Just as the audience saw the gift, we see God’s love in the scriptures or in other’s lives. Like the conference audience was hesitant to take the speaker’s gift, we are sometimes hesitant to take the gift of God’s love.
WHY?
How often do we think God loves others more than us? How often do we feel we have to earn God’s love? For one reason or another, sometimes we don’t think we could or should receive God’s gift of love.
But God loves us all,
even those who don’t love Him.
God’s love isn’t like a human’s. His love is so amazing that He loves us all the same, even loves those who don’t love Him. So even if we don’t have a warm personal attachment to God or a deep affection for Him; He still loves us.
This is love:
not that we loved God,
but that he loved us and sent his Son
as an atoning sacrifice for our sins,
1 John 4:10.
God’s love
is based on God’s nature
not our nature.
God is love and God’s nature is love. We can’t earn God’s love and there is nothing we can do to lose it.
GOD’S LOVE IS A GIFT WE SIMPLY HAVE TO RECEIVE.
For I am persuaded that neither death nor life,
nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come,
nor height nor depth,
nor any other created thing,
shall be able to separate us from the love of God
which is in Christ Jesus our Lord,
Romans 8:38-39 CJB
But God, who is rich in mercy,
because of His great love with which He loved us,
Ephesians 2:4
God’s merciful love is a free gift.
Unconditional.
No strings attached.
His love for us is perfect and vast beyond our imagination
When by faith we open our hearts to embrace God’s free gift of love, we can receive His unconditional love, loyalty and all He has to give.
That Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith;
that you,
being rooted and grounded in love,
may be able to comprehend with all the saints
what is the width and length and depth and height—
to know the love of Christ
which passes knowledge;
that you may be filled with all the fullness of God,
Ephesians 3:17-19.
REFLECTION
Have you received God’s gift of love?
PRAYER
Heavenly Father, as I write Romans 9:38-39 and say it aloud, open up my heart to receive all of Your love. In Jesus name. Amen.
BY FAITH RECEIVE GOD’S GIFT OF LOVE
Comment!
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*For information on making Jesus Christ your Savior, email me or visit, http://www.peacewithgod.net/
Photo komomdo (hairy dog), Margarita Marushevska
Photo terrier tug of war – Bonnie Kittle
Photo lab in box, Stephen Anderson
Photo dog with cone, Tim Mcerston
Photo dog running, Marie Pier Fillion
