Daughter in Waiting Ministry

In Chapter 28 last week, I highlighted the first characteristic that defines God’s love which is patience. According to 1 Corinthians 13:4-13, God’s love is also described as being:

• Kind
• Hopeful
• Enduring 
• Bearing
• Believing
• Rejoiceful with the truth 

And, His love is described as not being:

• Envious
• Boastful
• Arrogant
• Rude
• Irritable
• Resentful 
• Rejoiceful in wrongdoing 
• Insisting in its own way
• Able to end

Best of all, God’s love is described as being sacrificial.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”

John 3:16 (ESV)

When I first surrendered to God, it was hard for me to accept His love. I felt undeserving and unworthy of it. I felt I had to earn it from Him which led me into a short period of legalistic thinking. I didn’t fully grasp at the time that there’s nothing any human being can do to ever earn God’s love that He freely gives us through His mercy and grace. God led me out of this period of legalistic thinking by teaching me about His character and by showing me His heart towards humanity. 

Love that is freely given should be freely received. God’s love wants us to grab it and to hold onto it. I grab onto God’s love through His Holy Spirit. When I grab onto God’s love and hold onto it, I’m patient, I’m kind, I’m hopeful, and I have endurance. I reflect those characteristics of love that God freely gives us. When I don’t grab onto it, I’m envious and irritable. God’s love changes my perspective. His love reflects His light all around me.

And the word of the LORD came to me, saying, “Jeremiah, what do you see?” And I said, “I see an almond branch.”

Jeremiah 1:11 (ESV)

God has asked me the above question many times on my walk with Him. I love this question, because my answer to it makes me aware of any doubt or unbelief I have. This question leads me to observe how I view His love in my life, the lives of others around me, and the world. What I see reflects how I view His deity, His heart, His character, His works, and His plans. It reflects how I personally view His love for me. 

So, this week, I ask you the same question. In this holiday season, when the world celebrates the birth of His Son, what do you see? 

When you look at your life, the lives of others around you, and the world, what do you see? Do you see God’s love? Can you taste and see that He’s loving? Can you taste and see that He’s good? Can you personally testify of His goodness? Whether you answer these questions with a resounding yes or no, share your answers with Him. If you answered no, my hope is that you can ask Him this week to help you receive it. My hope is that you can ask God to help you see your life and the world through the lens of His love. Ask The Holy Spirit, our Helper, to give you spiritual eyes to see God’s love and to help open up your heart to receive it.

It’s important that we personally grasp onto the love that God has for us, because God’s love anchors us. When we don’t receive His love, it’s easy for our hearts to harden to scripture, to feel alone, unseen, or condemned. God’s love frees us from these things. It gives us a new hope, a new song, a new light. 

My hope is that we can always, at any given time, declare what Apostle Paul said in the book of Romans. That, on any given day, we can boldly, loudly, and proudly say these words: God loves me and nothing can separate me from His love.

“What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died–more than that, who was raised–who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 8:31-38 (ESV)

Sincerely,

Anne

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Comment below: what’s your favorite scripture describing God’s love? Let’s use those to meditate on this week 🙂