“Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!” (1 John 3:1)
When the sun rose this morning, and when its warm and vibrant shining rays broke through the dawn … just one of an infinite number of ways and expressions of God’s love was being shown. When the rains come, whether in a light mist, steady rain or even in a downpour … these are but expressions of God’s love!
God’s love is not just words written down on so many pages … but it was demonstrated in the very deepest of sacrifice … “His only begotten Son” whose death upon the Cross of Calvary made it possible for each of us to have hope beyond this life!
God is Love, and His love is very different from human love. God’s love is unconditional, and it’s not based on feelings or emotions. He doesn’t love us because we’re lovable or because we make Him feel good; He loves us because He is love. He created us to have a loving relationship with Him, and He sacrificed His own Son (who also willingly died for us) to restore that relationship.
There are words throughout God’s Book that serve to touch our hearts, move our emotions and convict us to obedience. Words God chose to be preserved, read, believed and practiced and this Book of God will always be relevant!
There are words to songs that can serve to remind us of past days, events, relationships. And there are songs that are written to teach us not to be self-seeking or self-serving. This life is not meant to be about us … it is meant to provide opportunity to acquire faith that is living and active replete with obedience and a desire to honor and glorify our Heavenly Father ( 1 Corinthians 6:19, 20).
The words of the song entitled How Deep The Father’s Love is one of those songs. The entirety of God’s wonderful plan of salvation that includes both His divine will and our own obedience to it began with the love of God!
It is because of God’s love that He would be interested in loving such unworthy people as we are! It is beyond our limited and finite minds to fully grasp … yet it is so because the Bible tells us so.
God in His rich love, grace and mercy has made salvation possible for each and every one of us if we are willing to accept His invitation and obey His will!
We must remind ourselves each and every day just how much He loves and cares for us. He has given us the opportunity to become members of His family … to address Him as our Father and for us to be called His children!
The Father’s love is described in the words of another great song entitled The Love of God: “The love of God is greater far than tongue or pen can ever tell. It goes beyond the highest star and reaches to the lowest hell … Could we with ink the ocean fill and were the skies of parchment made … were every stalk on earth a quill … and every man a scribe by trade … to write the love of God above would drain the ocean dry … nor could the scroll contain the whole … though stretched from sky to sky.”
Because God loves us He has prepared a wonderful and incredible future for His own! It is called Heaven and I so want to go there … don’t you? It is true that if we miss Heaven then we’ve missed it all!
Jesus spoke to His apostles at a time when they needed to be strengthened and encouraged. His words found in John 14:1-3 …
“Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In my Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And, if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.”
“Why should I gain from His reward? I cannot give an answer” (but He has given us the true answer … the hope of salvation in the blood of Jesus Christ). “But this I know with all my heart – His wounds have paid my ransom.”
My hope has been strengthened by these thoughts and I pray yours has as well! Thank you Lord!
Bill Fairchild, Jr
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