This week I just wanted to share with you why I think the Bible is a huge love letter from God. First, nothing is more important to us than something written down. Sure, we love to hear family and friends tell us they love us, but there is just something special about having it ‘in writing.’ Second, the most significant reason for having something written is so we can go back and reread it over and over! In that way, we can relive the feeling we got when we first read it, and enjoy the moment all over again.
God is no different. He loved us enough to put His thoughts in writing, and He hopes that we will go back and read them over and over. So let’s read a little on the subject of love from our heavenly Father’s perspective.
12. And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-39
11. No, the wisdom we speak of is the mystery of God—his plan that was previously hidden, even though he made it for our ultimate glory before the world began … That is what the Scriptures mean when they say, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.” 1 Corinthians 2:7, 9
10. But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! Galatians 5:22-23
9. For husbands, this means love your wives, just as Christ loved the church. He gave up his life for her to make her holy and clean, washed by the cleansing of God’s word. He did this to present her to himself as a glorious church without a spot or wrinkle or any other blemish. Instead, she will be holy and without fault. Ephesians 5:25-27
8. I want them to be encouraged and knit together by strong ties of love. I want them to have complete confidence that they understand God’s mysterious plan, which is Christ himself. Colossians 2:2
7. Keep on loving each other as brothers and sisters. Hebrews 13:1
6. Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. 1 John 2:15
5. We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. 1 John 4:16
4. “If you love me, obey my commandments.” John 14:15
3. But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!). Ephesians 2:4-5
2. “You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy. But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! Matthew 5:43-44
1. Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ Matthew 22:37-39
While these are some of the most notable Scriptures on love, none of them would have been possible without this one:
“For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him. John 3:16-17
For this week, pick one of the Scriptures listed and read it with this thought in mind -God so loved me! Perhaps it will inspire you to come up with your own top 12!
Blessings!
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.