DEVOTIONAL SERIES ON LOVE (part-42)

WHEN IT SEEMS THAT NOBODY LOVES YOU, GOD DOES!

BIBLE PASSAGE:
This is how God showed His love among us: He sent His one
and only Son into the world that we might live through Him.
(1 John 4:9)

MEDITATION:
Have you ever thought about, and realized that each of us was born into sin.
In other words, we have a natural tendency to gravitate toward sin. God is
good; we are not. God is righteous; we are not. God is holy; we are not. God
is sinless; we are not. And the list could go on and on.

So there is a glaring question,
    “With such a great chasm between God and us,
      how could we ever become friends with an almighty God?”
Of course there is nothing we can do to reach out to Him, so unless He
reaches out to us, we will never be a friend (or adopted child) of His.

The only possibility of spanning the abyss between God and us, is a bridge
built with love. Fortunately for mankind, God has this kind of love. As a
result of His love, He sent His only Son to die and cover our sinfulness so
He would be able to see us as His friends, and not as His enemies or aliens
of any type.

We deserved hell, but in spite of the fact that we resisted God, that we
rebelled against God, that we sinned against God, and that we were
enemies of God…the Bible says God loved us anyway. And His love
is an everlasting love, that was shown in His willingness to give His
Son to die on the cross for our sins.

We can all agree that a love of this magnitude is hard to fathom. Some of us
have trouble showing love to others we like, and it can be nearly impossible
to show love to those we dislike. Aren’t you glad that God has the kind of
love He does for you and me?

However, there is another reason God sent His one and only Son.
God knows the struggle we have with enjoying life when sin is
always competing for our attention. Because of His love, God
wants us to enjoy life as it should be.

So, for those who have given their lives to the Lord, the Bible tells
us that we can live our life through Jesus. Think about what that
means – our minds have been renewed! Our words, our actions,
and our attitudes can now be influenced by the Lord and not by sin!

When we live our life through Jesus, we can enjoy living at a new level.
Not only that, but our lives will have a positive impact on those around
us. Why? Because we will naturally want to minister to their needs out
of a heart full of love.

We discover the joy of lifting the spirits and encouraging others. We
become a venue for God to show His love to others. We understand
what Paul meant when he said,
    “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit.
      Rather, in humility value others above yourselves,
      not looking to your own interests but each of you
      to the interests of the others.”
      (Philippians 2:3-4)

ACTION:
Have you given your life to the Lord and become a friend of God?
Are you living your life through God’s only Son, Jesus?

Pray,
“Heavenly Father, each time I read or hear about Your love
for me, I am humbled. To think that You, the Almighty God,
would love me is overwhelming. I cannot imagine sending a
child of mine to cover the sins of those who want me to stay
out of their lives. Help me to not only understand Your love
more, but to also allow Your love to flow down from above
and out through me to impact the lives of others. Thank You,
Jesus, for agreeing to be a living sacrifice that created a bridge
between me and our Heavenly Father. Because of God’s plan
and Your expression of love for mankind, I can become a friend
and an adopted child of the Father, and for that I am grateful.”

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