I want to take some time to talk about this love that God has for us. It’s something that I can’t seem to get over. It’s actually something I will never get over. There’s this song by Bethel Live called “Closer”. It says, “Your love is so much sweeter than anything I’ve tasted. I want to know Your heart.” I don’t think they could of said it any better.
A lot of us have trouble fully grasping how much God really loves us. I know I do. To think that someone endured crucifixion with me in mind… That’s absolutely crazy. But that’s our God. He’s so absolutely and utterly crazy about us.
Psalm 139:1-6 says, “God investigate my life; get all the facts firsthand. I’m an open book to You; even from a distance, you know what I’m thinking. You know when I leave and when I get back; I’m never out of your sight. You know everything I’m going to say before I start the first sentence. I look behind me and you’re there, then up ahead and you’re there too – your reassuring presence, coming and going. This is too much, too wonderful – I can’t take it all in!”
God knows our pain, our failures, our mistakes. He knows our heart…no matter how much we think we can hide from Him. But yet, He still thinks of us as treasure – as so precious and worthy of this love that He has for us. His true and crazy love.
Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: while we were still sinners Christ died for us.”
All throughout the Bible we can read about Jesus forgiving the “notorious” sinners. You see, God didn’t just love them in their repentance and faith, He loved them in their sin. Their ugly sin. There’s nothing that any of us could do that could make God stop loving us. We get so entirely caught up in right and wrong, in “oh they’re not living right”, and in rules that we totally forget the point of Christ. Love. When we over-analyze and over-complicate, we miss out. We miss out on a life filled with grace, forgiveness, and love.We make Christianity so complicated but Jesus laid it out quite simple.
Mark 12:29-31 says,“ Jesus said, ‘The first in importance is, ‘Listen, Israel: The Lord your God is one; so love the Lord God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence and energy.’ And here is the second: ‘Love others as well as you love yourself.’ There is no other commandment that ranks with these.’”
So basically what Jesus is saying here is, “I love you. Love me. Love others.” That’s Jesus’ entire message summed up into about seven words. I don’t know about y’all but when God spoke that to me, I had breakthrough. Jesus doesn’t make it complicated, we make it complicated.
I challenge you to truly and honestly focus on love. The point of Christ. It has the power to change your perspective and change your heart.
Madison Wilborn
OneWay Season 3 Intern
www.onewaysm.org
www.facebook.com/onewaynewcaney
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