2-10-2022

 Good Morning All,

    1 John 4: 7-9; ^“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him”

    In the late 60’s, there was a song by Judy Collins entitled “Both Sides Now.”  This is a ballad about a person growing up and how at first you see everything through rose colored glasses, but as you get older, you see things a little more clearly. There is a portion of the song that is rather poignant and very telling. 

           “I've looked at love from both sides now from give and take, and still somehow.

                      It's love's illusions I recall I really don't know love at all.”

    This is really a very accurate description of the relationship that we have with God. It is also why we struggle sometimes. We really have not looked at love from God’s side. We have always looked at love from our sides. We see love as conditional. We all have a point where we would say to another person; “I can’t love you anymore.”  It might take a whole lot, but we all have that point. We tend to think that since we are this way then God must be the same way. There has to be a point where God says, “that’s it, I quit!”

    We really need to look at love from God’s side. The apostle John tells us all about the love of God; it was made manifest in Jesus. God sent his only Son into the world to die, to die a horrific death, for people who do not deserve this kind of love. This love is beyond our understanding. Even though we do not understand or comprehend it, we have it. We only see love from our view and not from God’s view. This is what is so great about God’s love for you; you do not have to understand it; you only need to enjoy it. Take it to heart with the faith that God gives to you. You are truly loved by God; there are no strings, no conditions, absolutely no need to earn it. God loves you beyond anything you can ever imagine.

   It is hard for our limited ability; but God’s love for us is beyond anything and everything that we can ever comprehend. This world and the devil like to try and make it an illusion, but God’s love is real and for you. There is no earning this love, but this love will sustain us and carry us and comfort us in all needs and trials.  It is God’s love that will ultimately let us stand before His throne with all the saints and worship Him forever in glory. God is love; this is His nature. His desire is to show His wondrous love to us. Enjoy it as His gift to you.

 Dearest Father, your love for us is beyond our understanding. Give us the faith to trust what we do not know or understand. Help us to rely in this love and give us the courage to respond to others with this same love. Guide us by your Spirit to share Your love with those we meet. In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret