God’s Amazing Love

Happy is he who has the God of Jacob
for his help, whose hope is in the
Lord his God.   — Psalm 146:5

How has God loved us?  There are those who feel if God really loved us He would never allow wars, sickness or death.  Others believe God loves us no matter what we do or how we live.  After all, were not bad like some we see on the nightly news.  Conflicting opinions abound along with confusion of who God really is, let alone how He loves.  The Bible is the best place to learn about God’s love.
I know that some will scoff at that statement because of belief the Bible is part myth, part allegory, with some truth in the mix.  Then there are those who don’t believe it at all, and vehemently try to discredit its worth.  There are also people who have never read one word of it, but still spout an opinion on its content.
The Bible is today, as it was in the past… banned, burned or beloved.
It has been more widely read, and more frequently attacked than any other manuscript.  The Bible still outsells every best-seller; is translated into more languages than any other book, and has even been carried to the moon.  No other book in history has its endurance record.
Chuck Colson stated in his book ‘Loving God’… “Literary classics endure; Philosophers mold the thoughts of generations; modern media shape current culture; yet nothing has affected the rise and fall of civilization, the character of cultures, the structure of governments, or the lives of this planet, as profoundly as the words of the Bible.”
So what does the Bible say about God’s love?
According to Psalm 146:8 God loves righteousness.  “The Lord opens the eyes of the blind; The Lord raises those who are bowed down; The Lord loves the righteous.”
Psalm 145:20 lets us know that God hates wickedness. “The Lord preserves all who love Him, but all the wicked He will destroy”.
Destroy?  Where is His mercy here?
Mercifully we find it in Ephesians 2:4-7 “But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ . .
God showed us what sacrifice His love for us required of Him in 1John 4:10.  “In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be an atoning sacrifice for our sins.”
He sacrificed His own Son for me?  Why would He do that?  He did it so I would have a choice to accept or reject His love as John 3:16 explains… “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.”
At this point one might question, “Where do I find this amazing God who loves in this way?”  Well Proverbs 8:17 tells us to seek Him.  “I love those who love me, and those who seek me diligently will find me.”
If I do this, what’s in it for me?  Zephaniah 3:17 explains what loving God will do for you!  “The Lord your God in your midst, The Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness.  He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.”
What is required of me if I pursue this relationship?  According to John 14:21 it requires loving obedience.  “Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me.  He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him.”
Considering all these things, God’s love is not only amazing, but very different from the worlds definition of love.  1 Corinthians 2:9 gives us a glimpse into what plans God has in store for those who love Him.  “But as it is written: No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived, what God has prepared for those who love Him.”
Is this for a short period of time before the guarantee runs out?  Not according to Jeremiah 31:3!  “The Lord has appeared of old to me, saying: ‘Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore with loving kindness I have drawn you.”  God’s love for us is forever!
How has God loved us?  I have given you a small glimpse into what that entails, but to learn more I urge you to get a Bible and search for yourself.  I promise you will not come away empty-hearted!              Syb Brodie

“And now abide faith, hope, love, these three;
but the greatest of these is love.  1Cor.13:13