Everyone loves a good love story! Probably because loves stories do not play out like real life! The fairy tales we were read do not exist, and even knowing that, we still read them to our children. The fabrications of rescue and life lived happily ever after, set us up for a sure fail, and the enemy points the finger to our shortcomings as to why we never obtain the prize!
But there is one love story that is true and attainable, and the only requirement for us to receive it, is acceptance!
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16 KJV
Yes, He loves us! He loves you and He loves me! He IS indeed love! It's His love that sets us apart from the rest of the world! And the best part, we can't earn His love, it is freely given!
“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 creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38-39 KJV
And when we realize (truly fathom) how He loves us, we reciprocate!
“We love him, because he first loved us.” 1 John 4:19 KJV
He shows us His love in so many ways; too numerous to count! So how do we show our love for Him?
“If ye love me, keep my commandments.”
John 14:15 KJV
“And now, Israel, what doth the Lord thy God require of thee, but to fear the Lord thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul,” Deuteronomy 10:12 KJV
But do we? To our shame, don't we actually love everything in the world more than we love God? We put everything above Him! We make time for the things we want/have to do, and even have time for entertainment, but hardly have time to spend reading His Word! But the biggest competition for God's love is the love for another! (boyfriend, spouse, children, grandchildren)
When we love someone or something more than God it is called an idol! Many think idols to be stone or wood, but most often they are our flesh and blood! Those we love we pursue and cling to, with everything in us!
“Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.”
1 John 2:15 KJV
We show God everyday who/what we love above Him! We never consider the pain we cause Him, like a lover scorned! We turn our back on Him pursuing that which will never satisfy or endure!
“For thou shalt worship no other god: for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God:”
Exodus 34:14 KJV
The further away we move from His love and our relationship with Him, the more difficult our life becomes! His hedge of protection from the evils in this world is gone because we have left it; we've walked away looking for something other than Him! So He tries to bring us back into relationship!
“For whom the Lord loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.”
Proverbs 3:12 KJV
Discipline is hard! It hurts! And the more we resist, the more it hurts!
“For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.”
Hebrews 12:6 KJV
But because of His great love for us; when we come to our senses and turn in repentance, He is there with open arms to receive us back!
We are all adulteresses! We all are harlots for we have bestowed our love on everything and everybody to the exclusion of God! Yet, He is merciful and forgiving when we confess our sin and repent!
“Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.” Luke 7:47 KJV
I am "her"; for I was forgiven much and because of it, oh - how much I love Him!
You who have grown up in church and never done anything "wrong", yet love the world more than God are actually is worse shape than we who came off of a barstool! We knew we were sinners! Do you see your sins?
“If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” (I John 1:8 NKJV)
Examine yourself!
Is He the principal purpose of your life?
Do you love Him with your whole heart, or is that place reserved for your children or grandchildren; or your pets?
Is He or has He ever been your First Love?
Do you remember the first time you fell in love? All you thought about was them! You doodled their name! You called, wrote love notes, made dates! You craved their attention; sought it; set everything else on hold for them; determined to spend your life with them!
God wants to be your First Love!
Jesus even calls us on it!
“Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.”
Revelation 2:4 KJV
You have just be caught in adultery! Do you feel the shame in your heart? What are you going to do?
Repent! Turn back to The One Who loves you and thinks you're to die for!
Fall back in love today, with Jesus The Lover of your soul, for you are not promised tomorrow!
Even so - MARANATHA!
From 8/2/16
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