Today’s Scripture: But the person who loves God is the one God knows and cares for. 1 Corinthians 8:3 NLT Tyndale
We have the capacity to love or be “in love” don’t we? Have you ever experienced this in your flesh? You love someone but you are not IN love with them? Are you IN LOVE with God? There were many years I knew I loved God but I was not IN LOVE with Him.
Just as in our fleshly relationships loving is good but being in love fills us with the spirit of love. It is a whole new level isn’t it? When two people are in love there is a passion and all consuming desire to be with that person. It is no different with our love relationship with the Father. As we spend time with Him and love Him the sparks fly.
This scripture begins with “but” because Paul is reminding us that the knowledge and understanding we try to make sense of God will always let us down. 8:2 states “Anyone who claims to know all the answers doesn’t really know very much.” When all our answers are stripped away and our beliefs shaken it is love that endures. Love endures but being in love with God brings everything to life.
Today’s Prayer: Dear God, I love you. Thank you for stripping away all that I thought I knew and for taking away all else I have found security in. You are all I have and all I can count on. Thank You for loving me and caring for me. Thank You for showing yourself faithful over and over. I know very little but I know You love me and I love You. Thank You for the comfort, the hope and the passion in Your love. Amen
Tom Raines
Christian Affirmations 4 Life
Tom,
Nice post! There is no doubt that God’s love for us Remains constant while our love for Him yearns to grow to its full potential. Our experiences through His rescue beckon us to fulfill our desire to love Him with all we are.
Thanks and God bless,
Michael
Michael, first thanks for visiting! “love Him with all we are.” It is there we find true love isn’t it?!
>>>”Thank you for stripping away all that I thought I knew and for taking away all else I have found security in.”
AMEN!
Thanks Dustin, He has a way doesn’t He?!
you gotta wonder Tom how come it sounds so strange to so many to say, “I love you God.” I also agree with Dustin’s comment. You and Duane Scott’s other writer, Keviana, must have commiserated for today. 🙂 http://duane-scott.net/i-love-god-by-keviana/
Thanks Bill, I linked over to Kevian’s message. She has a beautiful way with words and says this better than I. Funny how God uses us all and makes sure His message gets out to those who can hear…bless you!
Yeah! I can recall several times when my Google Reader was filled with probably 15 different blogs that wrote about the same topic! 😆
God does do some funny things!
God is amazing isn’t He Brandon! Have no doubt, His message will be delivered!
It gives one cause to stop and ponder why the “in love” isn’t always present. In much the same way that my earthly relationships, particularly my marriage, ebb and flow, so do my feelings for Jesus. The biggest difference though, is that when I get too close to Him, when I’ve had a particularly wonderful experience or realization, I always seem to have a time of separation or withdrawing as well. Almost like a rebalancing? It has been like this since high school days and I must say that I find it to be one of the most difficult challenges of life.
Hey buddy, thanks for stopping by! I think you gave the key phrase ” when I get too close to Him”. Getting close is the key and I don’t think we can get too close. His Spirit is inside of us and can separate our soul and spirit. That’s pretty close isn’t it?! I pray we will just stay too close all the time. In the embrace of the father I never want to turn away so I can be pushed around by the world around us….stay too close my brother! Maybe we can get together in the near future.
We are constantly in the presence of God, we just have to recognize it. We also need to realize He is ‘in love’ with us. I give God, my Heavenly Father my whole heart, He is first in my life!
“We also need to realize He is in love with us.” ABSOLUTELY Kimberly, GREAT point. He IS and He is first! Thank you!!
“But the person who loves God is the one God knows and cares for.” 1 Corinthians 8:3 NLT Tyndale
I am in love with this Scripture. Notice, it says “…the one God KNOWS…” Again, it is so not a matter of us knowing Him, but of Him knowing us.
“The LORD confides in those who fear Him; He makes His covenant known to them.” Psalm 25:14 springs to mind. He makes His covenant known to us because we fear Him. He confides in us with His covenant, His secret. Amazing.
How wonderful it is to be truly known by our Father!
I admit I struggle with loving God, because my version of love is so unlike His. Yet, He makes up for all my failures to love Him so deeply by completing all the work on The Cross for me, for you, for those He loves. Again, amazing.
Yes Donald, it is amazing the one and only true God knows us completely. Because He first loved us, we can love like no body’s business!