Devotion by Josephine Lim (Zone Supervisor)
Most of us are familiar with the Great Commandment that Jesus gave to His disciples—simply put, to love God wholeheartedly and to love people fervently.
How do we live out this commandment unless we ourselves have experienced His love for us?
1 John 4:19 says that we love because He first loved us. We need to know that God loves us; and this knowing has to be experienced—not just head knowledge. It is when we have experienced the Father’s love, will there be lasting change in our lives.
The word “know” (“ginosko”) means to know by experience, or to become known. This word often describes the kind of knowledge involved in building an intimate relationship with a person. In fact, ginōskō is tied so tightly to relationships that it is used to describe the sexual relations between a husband and wife (Matthew 1:25; Luke 1:34).So we are to know (ginosko) God and rely on His love for us.
People often respond to Jesus because of His love and kindness towards them. We may have started coming to church for various reasons like the music or the fellowship. But ultimately, when we experience God and receive a touch from Jesus, it is His love that causes us to stay in this faith. God loves us not because of how good we are, or for the works we have done; He loves us because it is in His nature. He doesn’t just give love or show us love. He is Love.
What is love, really? Where do we find it? There are many definitions out there, but here are three of them.
- Philia: Friendship Love
- Eros: Erotic, Passionate Love
- Agape: Unconditional Love
We do not want to just understand or know about love in our minds, we want to experience real and true love. For that, we must go to the author of love, from whom love originated. God is LOVE.
Eph 3:17-19
17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
We may find love from different ones, such as our parents, our spouse, and our friends. But ultimately, only God’s love can fully satisfy us. Other loves may be wonderful, but they are not perfect, and they all pale in the presence of the Lord’s love for us.
When we experience God’s love, we become confident because we know that there’s nothing we can do to make God love us more and nothing we do can make Him love us less. His love for us is constant and unwavering.
1 John 4:18a
18 There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear,
At some point in our lives, we have been hurt or disappointed by someone we love. Loving and trusting others is risky. Once you have been hurt, it becomes harder to open up to others.
In contrast, God’s love is truly unconditional. He never fails nor betrays. You do not need to hold back in your relationship with God, because He is totally trustworthy.
When you feel let down by others, remember this: though man may fail you, God never will.
As ministers of God, we need to come to the Lord’s presence daily to enjoy His love and to experience His love. It is out of this experiential relationship that gives us the confidence to love the unloved, to reach out beyond our natural capacity.
Romans 5:5 NKJV
5 Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
God wants to have a dynamic and loving relationship with us! Jesus promises that He will always be with us through the presence of the Holy Spirit (Matt. 28:18-19; John 14:16).
Take some time to pray in tongues and allow the Holy Spirit to fill your heart with the Lord’s love. Lets be drenched by His unconditional love for us daily.