What Love!

For the last few days, I've been thinking a lot about a statement I heard just recently: God knows you best, and He loves you most. It seems to be such a profound revelation, yet it is such a simple truth. "Jesus loves me, this I know," but do we really know it? It was God's heart's cry that called out in the book of Ephesians that we "May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge..." (Ephesians 3:18-19). God is the one who created us with this very purpose in mind. He longed to express His perfect, unfailing love to someone. He desperately longed to pour out on you and me His goodness!

I had a friend to bring to my attention the qualification of true love. She noted that love was not love, in its truest sense, unless there was the risk of rejection, as in the case with Jesus loving us. He gave his life knowing that many would still reject his great sacrifice, yet he was willing to take the risk!

Love, in order to be classified as love, must, first of all, be a choice. It can not be forced. Jesus could have at any time chosen not to fulfill the Father's will, but he loved too deeply. Number two: love, if it is to be classified as such, must be unfailing. The Bible tells us that love never fails (1 Corinthians 13:8). No, it never grows old, nor obsolete. It never, ever ends. This is the one thing that causes true love to endure rejection without folding. Finally, it is unconditional and unchanging.

Think about the statement I've been meditating on: God knows you best, and He loves you most. Just close your eyes and let it sink in for a moment. How many of you reading this blog can say that you've actually experienced a love as such? It only takes a little bit of information to deter most people from wanting to have anything to do with us, better yet to know us most. Just imagine, God knows all our weaknesses and shortcomings, all our character flaws, all our spots and wrinkles, yet He continues with passion and zeal to love us continually through it all, every incident, every mistake, every problem! The Bible even expresses the idea that God not only loves us, but is in 'hot pursuit' of us! (1 Corinthians 1:9;Philippians 3:12; James4:5)

Wow, what love! I can't seem to get over it. Just thinking of it brings me to tears. Such a zealous, hot love far outweighs that of any lover. Your pet can't provide such love for you. Only with God's grace can a husband ever begin to think of loving his wife 'as Christ loves the church'. Even the love of a mother or Father pales in comparison. Yes, even parents have forsaken their children (Psalm 27:10), but God's love will never fall short. It can reach us in the deepest depths of utter hopelessness. Never will any be able to separate us from the love of our God (Romans 8:35-39). It is this love that reached into the belly of hell and raised Jesus up from the pit (Ephesians 4:9; Psalm 16:10)! This love is simply indescribable!

Again, take a moment to reflect on this truth. Close your eyes. Breathe in deeply. Let it out slowly and say, "God knows me best, and He loves me most."

Sing, O heavens; and be joyful, O earth; and break forth into singing, O mountains: for the Lord hath comforted his people, and will have mercy upon his afflicted.
But Zion said, The Lord hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me.
Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee.
Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me. Isaiah 49:13-16