Perfect Love~ Tuesday Display Chain

Each Tuesday Misi, of Gable House Musings, chooses a theme and invites bloggers to play along with her "Tuesday Display Chain". The theme this week is "True Love". Here's mine...

I’m not one to be preachy about my faith. I am a huge believer that the way you live your life is a spiritual act…that you worship God in the way you approach everyday things. I have however, decided to be brave and share a bit of my personal testimony today in honor of LOVE. I hope you won’t run away or skip over this part, but if you do, that’s OK…we can still be friends.

(The following passages of scripture are written in italics and paraphrased by me from memory.)

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

  

Each time I read these words I am overcome with emotion. It overwhelms me to know that I am loved so absolutely…so perfectly. I didn’t always feel this way…there was a time that I believed love was earned. I believed that loved was based on merit, on accomplishments, on behavior. And certainly no one could love ME…with all my screw ups and flaws.

 I don’t think I truly understood love until I studied the scriptures and began to understand who God is. I came to know, and believe, that this perfect love is not about who I am, but who He is.

“My eyes are weak
I can only see a glimmer of Your gold
And through it all You've given me
A peace that overflows
Oh how I know that You are good
You're so good to me, so good to me, You're good

You are good.” (bleach)

One day I got a love letter from my Abba. It helped me get to know Him even better.

He raises the poor from the dust, He lifts the needy from the ash heap To make them sit with nobles, and inherit a seat of honor; For the pillars of the earth are the LORD'S, And He set the world on them. (1 Samuel 2:8)

And I began to get a glimpse of who God is…The foundation of the world BELONGS to Him…and he chose me.

I read...

Though your own mother may forget you, I will not forget you! See, I have written your name on the palms of my hands. (Isaiah 49:14-16) 

He has my name written on His hand…a reminder that I belong to Him. And always will.

And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God's love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow--not even the powers of hell can separate us from God's love. (Romans 8:38)

He wrote: Don’t worry, be happy. OK, that's not exactly how He said it... “Be content with what you have; for God Himself has said, "I will never, never let go your hand: I will never never forsake you." (Hebrews 13:5) 

Never, never…under any circumstances. No matter what I do, or don’t do.

He has my back…just like he did with the Israelites in the desert, when they refused to listen and failed to remember His miracles. They became stiff-necked and rebellious. But He is forgiving, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and ABOUNDING in love, and even when they were ungrateful and whined “What? Manna, AGAIN?” He did not desert them. (Nehemiah 9:17)

The LORD is compassionate and merciful, slow to get angry and filled with UNFAILING love. (Psalm 103:8)

Did you read that? His love never fails, even when I do!

Some days I’m a mess…I give Him a reason to get up in the morning.

Therefore the LORD longs to be gracious to you. He waits on high to have compassion on you. For the LORD is a God of justice; How blessed are all those who long for Him. (Isaiah 30:18) Some versions say, “He RISES to show you compassion.” 

Any goodness found in me, any love I show others, is the direct result my Abba's love for me. Without Him, I would not understand the sacrificial love of my husband, the unconditional love for our children, the generous love of friendship, or even the stewardship of nature and animals. Everything I know about love, I learned from Him.

 I leave you with these words from the book of Corinthians, some of the most famous, and beautiful ever written.

If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing.

Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.

Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love. (Corinthians 13)

 

If you'd like to hear more about this amazing love, feel free to contact me at the email address on my sidebar.

See the other Tuesday Display Chain participants at: http://1890gablehousemusings.blogspot.com/

Until next time...