GOD IS LOVE

He is where we get our love from.

God grieves at our ways because ours are ways of domination and not love.

His way is love, truth, righteousness, care, mercy, forgiveness, patience, hope. He only gets angry when we treat those around us with anger, hatred, contempt, intolerance, and unforgiveness.

He loves………………..he just loves.

The pain and suffering in the world are due to

1/ Our willingness to listen to Satan’s lies more than God’s commands.

2/ Our absolute resistance to asking God humbly for help. (Humbly being the important word here).

3/ Mankind’s poor behaviour.

4/ Our desire to be our own God and go our own way. (A theme that has been advertised quite a lot in the last few years).

We abide on a living, breathing planet – beautifully made, by the hands of God. God made a place for mankind to live in perfect peace, security, and abundance, but we didn’t, and still don’t, appreciate it. Then Adam’s disobedience (or bad choices as we would say nowadays), brought in struggling, pain and hardship. Not just for mankind, but for the whole of creation. (Romans 8:18 -22).

Why? You ask. I don’t know. I just know that this is how God works. He made the laws, we broke them and live with the consequences. It may be that he cannot live with our choice of behaviour and moves away from us, effectively removing his hand of protection. (See Genesis 6:5-7). I don’t know, that’s just a possibility. I just know that his love flourishes in us when we turn to him, but without him, we are empty shells constantly looking for ‘that thing’ to fill the gap that God leaves.

But, even though he is dismayed at mankind, he still loves us, and he wants us to love not only him, but all his creations – including our ‘neighbours,’ no matter how difficult that may seem! He loves love. He loves it when we show love to those around us, to his creations and to himself. I imagine him just glowing with pride when we do unconditional, kind and loving things for someone else. Much like we do when our children do something we are proud of.

The best love he has shown is that even though we were sinners and did not know him or understand him, (even though he created us), he gave us Jesus. And rather than lose all his children, he gave us full forgiveness for our wrongdoing through Jesus on the cross.

What a hardship and sacrifice it was for Jesus. But he did it for us!!

Through his Son, we are loved, healed and forgiven – free of charge. (Romans 8:1)

The song is right – amazing love, amazing grace.

This is how I understand my God.

Read for yourself, see what you think