Have you ever wondered how much God loves us? Why would Jesus die for us? It can be difficult to imagine the boundaries of God’s love for us. When does it end and how far will He go to reach for us? Without a proper understanding of His love for us, we cannot reach the same intensity of loving God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength.
We love Him, because He first loved us.
1 John 4:19
When God speaks, He proves what He says through His actions. When the children of Israel refused to go into Canaan’s land, God was upset at them for not believing Him (Num. 14:11). Why? He didn’t just promise them good things and say encouraging words. He proved beyond doubt that He was God Almighty through many miraculous deeds. God does the same when He tells us that He loves us. He gave many examples of what He has done for us out of love. Here are some of the signs He has shown for us to believe.
God sacrificed for us
I recently read Matthew 27 in preparation for Easter Sunday and the strength of the love of God was shown clearly to me. The people mocked Jesus, slapped Him, stripped Him, inflicted great pain on Him and He stood in silence. The biggest example of His love is His display on the cross. Jesus came to be a perfect sacrifice for us. The miracles, the healings, and the wonders were all secondary in His plan. If He didn’t die, we could not be saved. Jesus is our only hope of salvation, and He knew that. So, with a love found only in God, He accepted the whips, thorns, and nails of the people He loved.
“While we were yet sinners…
…Christ died for us.” (Rom 5:8) I know we just talked about the cross, but there are so many layers of love in the cross. Christ died for us —before we ever committed to Him. This is love unmatched, that He would give His life for people who did not know Him or follow Him. God is so wholly devoted to us, that He committed to us, regardless of our response to Him. God gives us unconditional love.
He made us His responsibility
We are the children of God, according to God. He has placed Himself as our Father, placing us under His care. He tells us to “Cast [throw, heap] all our cares on Him” (1 Pet. 5:7) and He will supply our needs (Phil. 4:7). God doesn’t waste words. He is sincere in everything He says. God has made many promises regarding protection, provision, and loving care in His Word (which is why He wants us to read it). The example of God’s love through His promises is that He doesn’t have to do any of it. Salvation from death, hell, and sin is a mighty blessing. But, He doesn’t stop there; He piles on more blessings than we can receive. We can take for granted how much God does, out of love, that isn’t a requirement for salvation — it’s extra goodness from God.
God’s love is unmatched
The magnitude of God’s love cannot be replicated. It is impossible for anyone else to love you as God does. Allow me to elaborate. Can you think of anyone else who is omnipresent (existing everywhere)? Or who has the resources of heaven and earth at hand? How about a watchman who never needs to sleep? God promises to “never leave us [let us slip] nor forsake us [abandon us]”, and that “He will be with us always.” God knows our innermost thoughts and our hearts thoroughly. He knows our true self and still, He loves us. He knows every day of our lives, from the first to the last, God is a friend ’til the end. The truest truth is: no one can love you like Jesus can.
So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love…
1 John 4:16a ESV
God is love.
I recently studied World History and the beliefs of ancient cultures. In many ancient cultures, gods were not their friends. If you read ancient epics, like the Epic of Gilgamesh, the gods they believed in were moody and irresponsible, and humans were mere entertainment. People would sacrifice to appease their wrath, which was so unlike what I knew. I realized that I had taken God’s righteousness and love for granted, thinking that’s what ought to be. But it’s presumptuous to think that an Almighty God has to be loving and good. Scripture tells us that He is a Just Judge, the Holy One, and He is love. Since that’s all we’ve known of God, it’s hard to imagine Him being anything else. God chooses to be kind, honest, and righteous — no rule says He has to be. I am grateful for the loving nature of God.
Conclusion:
There isn’t anywhere else you can find someone so dedicated to you as God is. Two commandments summarize God’s law; one is to love the Lord with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength (Matt. 7:37). Another fact about God is that He doesn’t ask us to do something He hasn’t done. He says to forgive others—He forgave us. He says take up your cross — He took His first. Therefore, we can conclude that God loves us with all His heart, soul, mind, and strength. He has given Himself so completely to us and He has proven His love to us. It’s a trick of the enemy to place doubt in our minds about God’s dedication to us. It’s necessary to understand His love so that we may value His works correctly, knowing the place of love that they came from.
Author’s note:
This helped me to trust God more since I know how much He invested in me. He’s not willing to let me perish, as much as loving parents don’t wish for their child to come to any harm. He has done so much to restore a relationship with me, showing me that I am not a burden to Him. I am His desire and He cares for me with joy.
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