Today’s Devotion
Topic: He First Loved Us!
Text: 1 John 4: 19
19 We love because He first loved us. Amen
It gets very tempting sometimes to feel God is not enough or has not done enough to merit all the much we ascribe to Him. For “how is it that we pray and fast, labour and suffer, give and are spent, all for His sake and yet He wouldn’t care about all we desire, and grant them?” we lament.
In the face of adversity, we lose all patience with God. We would rather look elsewhere for solutions than to wait on Him. Our reason? He is too slow in His ways and we do not have all day.
But you see, that we are alive is a product of His love, mercies and faithfulness. Why do we easily forget that? And how are we able to pretend we do not also know that, the only reason we are able to love, give, care for one another and labour for Him, is because He first loved us, and gave Himself a ransom for the propitiation of our sins? Honestly, it is this beautiful love God demonstrated that inspires our own love towards Him and one another.
For “this is how God showed His love among us: He sent His one and only Son into the world that we might live through Him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. (1 John 4: 9- 10).
As a matter of fact, even if God decides to do nothing else for mankind, that special love demonstrated on the Cross is more than enough to merit our life time love-commitment to Him and mankind. For “greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15: 13).
That single act of love is responsible for our salvation, redemption, reconciliation with God, deliverance from the power of darkness and the hope of eternal glory spent with Christ. Amazing!
Jesus paid all our debt so we will owe no one nothing, except LOVE. “And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.” (1 John 4: 16). “He has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love his brother and sister” (1 John 4: 21). How much have we loved to justify our impatience with the Lord?
Remember where you were till the Love of Christ brought you home. A sinner, wretched and condemned as unworthy. Remember the chains that had you bound till Jesus made you free. Remember the infirmity that plagued your body till Jesus healed you. Remember how God brought you out of a horrible pit; from the miry clay, and set your feet upon a rock and established your goings. (Psalm 40: 2, KJV)
Do you now see how His love come lifting when all others wouldn’t even look your way? Isaiah 54: 10 declares, “Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,” says the Lord, who has compassion on you.”
Should trials and temptations get us confused about the love of God then? “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us” (Romans 8:37). Begin to pray right now. Be grateful for JESUS and ask for grace to love Him more.
This is a message of love from God to you. Click and listen: https://youtu.be/QhPTOKj6zjc. Meet this amazing musical group live in concert come December 27th, at CANIS MAJORIS EVENT CENTER- AWOSHIE. 3PM SHARP. IT IS GOING TO BE EXCELLENT. See “how beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news and say to Zion, “Your God reigns!”.
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