Finding Love
“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or anguish, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Even as it is written, for thy sake we are killed all the day long; we were accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:35-39 (ASV)
We all want to be loved. Children want love from parents and parents want love from their children. We want love from our spouses, family members and friends. Sometimes, however, we do not feel that love or feel separated from it by events, situations, changes, distance, illness or death. But, as the apostle Paul tells us in the verses above, no one or no change or no distance or no situation can separate from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus.
Yes, we are loved completely, deeply, unconditionally and individually by our Father in heaven and Jesus Christ, our Lord. Probably the most familiar verse in the Bible is John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have eternal life.” When we see it on signs, bulletin boards and cards, we think “loves the world” means collectively, everyone as a group, and it does, but it also means individually. The Bible records many events in which God or Jesus showed their love to one single individual. Not a king, not a country, but to one person who needed love and help.
Consider these individual people who were loved and blessed.
Yes, God loves the whole world, but he loves each of us as individuals too. What greater love could we seek? When we feel that we are not loved, we should look around at all the blessing that God’s love has bestowed on us as individuals—the people in our lives, our homes, the food on our table, our jobs, our health. These did not come from “good fortune” or a “lucky break” but were and are gifts of love from our all loving God.
Additional Scriptures:
Isaiah 41:13, Jeremiah 31:3, Zephaniah 3:17, Ephesians 3:19, 1 John 4:19
Songs to remind us:
God is Love, Jesus loves me this I know, The love of God, In Heavenly Love Abidin
We all want to be loved. Children want love from parents and parents want love from their children. We want love from our spouses, family members and friends. Sometimes, however, we do not feel that love or feel separated from it by events, situations, changes, distance, illness or death. But, as the apostle Paul tells us in the verses above, no one or no change or no distance or no situation can separate from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus.
Yes, we are loved completely, deeply, unconditionally and individually by our Father in heaven and Jesus Christ, our Lord. Probably the most familiar verse in the Bible is John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have eternal life.” When we see it on signs, bulletin boards and cards, we think “loves the world” means collectively, everyone as a group, and it does, but it also means individually. The Bible records many events in which God or Jesus showed their love to one single individual. Not a king, not a country, but to one person who needed love and help.
Consider these individual people who were loved and blessed.
- Hannah, who longed for a child, recorded in 1 Samuel 1-2. She was blessed with her son Samuel and 5 other children.
- The man with leprosy, recorded in Mark 1:40. He was blessed by being cleansed of his leprosy and therefore allowed back into the temple, his home and family circle.
- Jurius, whose daughter was dying, recorded in Luke 8:4. He was blessed by her immediate recovery.
- The paralyzed man let down through the roof, recorded in Luke 5:17. He was blessed and able to walk instantly.
- The man blind from birth, recorded in John 9. He was blessed and able to immediately see.
- The widow of Nain whose son had died, recorded in Luke 7:11. She was blessed as he was brought back to life.
Yes, God loves the whole world, but he loves each of us as individuals too. What greater love could we seek? When we feel that we are not loved, we should look around at all the blessing that God’s love has bestowed on us as individuals—the people in our lives, our homes, the food on our table, our jobs, our health. These did not come from “good fortune” or a “lucky break” but were and are gifts of love from our all loving God.
Additional Scriptures:
Isaiah 41:13, Jeremiah 31:3, Zephaniah 3:17, Ephesians 3:19, 1 John 4:19
Songs to remind us:
God is Love, Jesus loves me this I know, The love of God, In Heavenly Love Abidin