Tuesday, February 12, 2008

Amazing Love!

As a worship leader, I love Valentine's Day. While many either see it a wonderful time (when they are connected with a loved one) and others see it as a miserable time (when they are missing a loved one), Valentine's Day is an annual reminder to me of God's true love.

With Valentine's Day approaching this Thursday, the obvious road, then, is to take a look at our Father’s love. Thanks to Shane Yancy over at Nailscars.com who was looking up the definition of love online. Here are some of the top responses.

Love: (n)
  1. a profoundly tender, passionate affection for another person.
  2. a feeling of warm personal attachment, as for a parent, child, or friend.
  3. sexual passion or desire.
  4. a personification of sexual affection, such as Eros or Cupid.
  5. a strong predilection, enthusiasm, or liking for anything: such as a love of books.
  6. in the game of Tennis, a score of zero; nothing.
Is it any wonder that our culture gets so confused about love? The word of God, on the other hand is very clear:
  • 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. John 3:16
  • Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. John 15:13
  • God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit... Romans 5:5
  • God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8
  • ...neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:39
  • But because of his great love for us, God, … made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions Ephesians 2:4-5
  • I pray that you … may have power … to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ... Ephesians 3:17-18
  • How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! 1 John 3:1
  • This is love: not that we loved God, but that he [first] loved us. – 1 John 4:9
I am overwhelmed at the idea that God's love for us is unwavering and unchanging, and all His thoughts toward us are through the lens of His amazing love!

Hebrews 11 tells us that He is not ashamed to be called our God. In His perfect and amazing love, He is not ashamed of us. He loves us. And He is proud to be our Father.

Happy Valentine's Day!