“We love him because he first loved us”–1 John 4:19

 

It is wonderful to know and love the Lord, but we need to understand why it is so. It’s because “he first loved us.” One writer said,”Some people imagine that Jesus loved us because He knew we would love Him and come to faith in Him. But He loved us before that, and even before the worlds were created, when our only existence was in the mind and heart of God, Jesus loved us. He loved us when we were still sinners.”

 

Our love for Christ comes from His love for us. Our love is our response to the reality of His love for us. It is only after the revelation of His love for us that we respond in love for Him, and that is a work of the Holy Spirit. We don’t draw God to us, He draws us, by His love, to Himself. We have no grounds upon which we can ever boast of our love for Christ. All the glory goes to Him who “commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”(Romans 5:8)

 

“Isn’t the love of Jesus something wonderful?”

“We love him because he first loved us”-1 John 4:19

 

We who know the Lord love the Lord. There is no question about that. As Charles Spurgeon said,”There is no exception to this rule; if a man loves not God, neither is he born of God. Show me a fire without heat, then show me regeneration that does not produce love to God.” He was right, but some folks don’t seen to get it.

 

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard people say,”I love the Lord”, and that is great–we ought to proclaim our love for Him. But in some instances their testimony just doesn’t ring true. When some people say “I love the Lord”, they mean,” I don’t care about the church and I’m not involved in Christian service, I just love the Lord.” Oh really? Are you sure?

 

When a person truly loves Christ it will affect his attitude and actions. Here’s the proof—“If a man love me, he will keep my words:—- He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings–“(John 14:23-24). So, what about it—do you really love the Lord? Is there evidence that you love God? If not then you have reason for great concern. We will be judged by the truth, not our testimony. Think about it!

 

   One man said to another, “A man once offered me ten thousand dollars, and I didn’t take it.”

   “Why didn’t you?”,asked the other fellow.

   “Because I didn’t know it was ten thousand dollars”, he answered.

   The gentleman who offered him ten thousand dollars had actually given him some advice that if taken would have resulted in great profit. He refused because he did not believe the man. It was not until later that he, regretfully, discovered his mistake. He missed an opportunity that was to never come his way again.

   Even so, many folks have missed out on salvation, blessings, and eternal rewards all because they refused to believe God’s Word. That man merely lost money. These miss out on that which is imperishable. Don’t be a fool—trust God today. You will never know what you will miss if you don’t. This could be your last opportunity—don’t waste it!

 

 

One day, a young, new preacher was walking with an older, seasoned preacher in a garden. Feeling uncertain about God’s plan for his life, the younger man asked the older man for some direction.

 

The veteran preacher picked a rosebud from a nearby bush and asked the younger man to open it without tearing any petals. The young man wondered what a rosebud could possibly have to do with knowing God’s will for his life and ministry, but attempted to open the rosebud anyway.

 

It wasn’t long before he realized how impossible this task was. Noticing his difficulty, the older and wiser preacher said:

 

“It is only a tiny rosebud…a flower of God’s design;

But I cannot unfold the petals with these clumsy hands of mine.

 

The secret of unfolding flowers is not known to such as I.

God opens this flower so sweetly, then in my hands they die.

 

If I cannot unfold a rosebud, the flower of God’s design,

Then how can I have the wisdom to unfold this life of mine?

 

So, I’ll trust in Him for leading each moment of my day.

I will look to Him for guidance each step of the Pilgrim’s way.

 

The pathway that lies before me only my Heavenly Father knows.

I’ll trust Him to unfold the moments just as He unfolds the rose.”

 

No matter what age you are, it can be frustrating to figure out God’s will at times. But we serve a God who knows how many hairs are on our heads…and His plan for your life is perfect! Instead of worrying about what tomorrow or the next day holds, take one day at a time and trust in the Savior for His faithful guidance. Pray that God would help you focus on today, not tomorrow. And ask Him to give you wisdom as He reveals His plan for your life one day at a time.–From Senior Living