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the love of God [+] Tuesday E-Devotion

Sounds like a church or Sunday School kind of answer, God is love.  We have heard it for years.  But do we believe it?  I honestly think that when we come face to face with God's love that our lives with be wrecked, or at least changed, in big ways.
 
What is God's love like?  One of the best places to view the characteristics of God's love is 1 Corthinians 13 where we hear things like His love is patient and not demanding.  It is enduring, faithful and never gives up on us.  His love is the greatest of all we call faith.  But do we really believe that?
 
Jesus lived this out for us in the four Gospels.  He healed people.  He lifted people.  He gave people meaning all the time rocking the world of the status quo and religious leaders.  Jesus lived out God's love.
 
God did the same in the Old Testament where we see Him being just and the judge but also the God of mercy and seconds chances.  He doesn't give up on people.
 
It is time we understand this love this.  What does God say about His love?  Why would His love reverb through our lives or send reverb through the people we encounter?
 
1 John 4:17-19 (nlt) --- And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world.  Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love. We love each other because he loved us first.
 
On the other side, what does our love look like?  It is flawed, imperfect and always changing.  It is conditional in every way.  But God's loves is unconditional.  No matter what, He always love us.  Awesome.  Life changing.  Empowering and energizing.
 
The key verse from our reVerb series is this: 1 John 4:12 (nlt) --- No one has seen God at any time; if we love one another, God abides in us, and His love is perfected in us.
 
The love of God is changing us.  Especially if we let it.  I leave you with the lyrics to "The Love of God" by Mercy Me
 

The love of God is greater far
Than tongue or pen can ever tell
It goes beyond the highest star
And reaches to the lowest hell
The guilty pair, bowed down with care
God gave His Son to win
His erring child He reconciled
And pardoned from his sin

Could we with ink the ocean fill
And were the skies of parchment made
Were every stalk on earth a quill
And every man a scribe by trade

To write the love of God above
Would drain the ocean dry
Nor could the scroll contain the whole
Though stretched from sky to sky

Hallelujah

O love of God, how rich and pure!
How measureless and strong!
It shall forevermore endure
The saints' and angels' song
 
 

[+] Please Pray for Jabo Brimm's family, Yvonne Elgin's dad, who passed away this morning. 

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