“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you.” John 15:9 ESV
Just as God the Father loves His Son, Jesus loves His people. But in what ways? God loved Jesus without beginning, and that is how Jesus loves His followers. “I have loved you with an everlasting love” (Jeremiah 31:3). You can pinpoint the beginnings of human affection; you can easily find the beginning of your love to Christ. But His love to us is a stream whose source is hidden in eternity. God the Father loves Jesus without change. Christian, take this as a comfort: there is no change in Jesus Christ’s love to those who rest in Him. Yesterday you were on the top of Mount Tabor and you said, “He loves me”; today you are in the valley of humiliation, but He loves you just the same. On the high mounts of Mizar and Hermon you heard his voice, which spoke so sweetly with notes of love; now on the sea (or even in the sea), when all His waves and billows crash over you, His heart is still faithful to the choice He made in ancient times. The Father loves the Son without end, and that is how the Son loves His people. Dear Christian, you don’t need to fear death, for His love for you will never cease. Rest confident that Christ will go with you even down to the grave—and that up again from the grave, He will be your guide to the hills of heaven. Finally, the Father loves the Son without measure—and the Son bestows the same immeasurable love on His chosen ones. The whole heart of Christ is dedicated to His people. He “loved us and gave himself up for us” (Ephesians 5:2). His love passes all knowledge. Oh! We indeed have a constant and precious Savior, one who loves without measure, without change, without beginning, and without end, even as the Father loves Him! There is much spiritual food here for those who know how to digest it. May the Holy Spirit lead us into its nutriment! - C.H. Spurgeon Morning and Evening
Dear Reader:
In this life, when truth be known, deep down you are seeking a love that is true, honest and real. You seek a love that does not betray but forgives, and embraces. One that heals and is full of comfort. Such a love is not found in the hearts of man. Such a love is not found in all creation. It's found in Christ Jesus alone.
The people in all of civilization since Adam and Eve have sought to restore the lost fellowship with Jesus. But sin has always been in the way.
Sin is a deceiver. Sin tells us there's nothing wrong. Sin tries to make us believe that we are good, right and pure.
Because of sin we cannot truly understand what being good, right and pure really is. Scripture itself says that without faith it is impossible to please God. Faith in oneself is not faith. Faith must be in Christ Jesus alone for Salvation.
My friend, it's time to stop running.
I came to Christ at a very young age. Even with that, to some degree running was still happening. I was often getting ahead of Jesus in my walk with Him. Like a child who gets excited about thinking they understand what's going on and where we were going. That was me. I often would get ahead of Him and the consequences caught up with me. There were many dark times in my life. Times that regret was a constant companion. Times that only He and I knew about. I thought I understood. Thought that the way was clear. Never understood the dangers that were ahead.
I was indeed looking for love. His love. I just struggled for years to get back to where I should have stayed. The Spiritual Surgeries were indeed painful and often prolonged.
I am one with a mind that naturally troubleshoots problems. That is indeed a gift from God, however, in my early years I didn't know how to use it properly. I wasn't ready for life, even though I was given a 10,000 foot view of where I was to be serving.
My choices took me along a lot of what you read about in Psalms 23. My life also has had parallels to Joseph. Joseph, as you might recall, was a dreamer. He had vivid dreams from God that he likely should have kept to himself. But even in his hubris God turned it for His good. That God's love would be shown to His chosen people in latter times. Joseph's dreams eventually did come true. They eventually played out. In my life, very similarly, what I was shown decades ago has began to play out.
My friend, life isn't about us, when we come to Christ. We are indeed to show the love of God to others. We also must carry with us the forgiveness of Christ. Both towards others AND ourselves. I used to have a lot of pent up anger. It took a very long time to realize that I was angry at me. I wasn't able to love me as Christ did because of my sin and failures. I saw my sinful decisions that happened. I saw what sinful choices that I didn't stop happen and the more it did the madder I was at me. I began believing that I was a failure for Christ. A day came when Jesus set me straight. I cried a lot. It really took days, if not a week, to find peace again once I was shown what Jesus showed me.
We all look for love in this world. Quite often in all the wrong places. In other people, in things, or achievements. We bury ourselves in what we do in order to fool ourselves into believing we are satisfied with life.
My friend it's time for you to stop running.
If you aren't a believer or if you are. The oft overlooked aspect of the four Gospel accounts is this: the Disciples WALKED with Jesus. To learn from Jesus they were WITH Jesus. They came to know Him not by any other means. There are real examples within those accounts of the times a few tried getting ahead of Jesus. Didn't work out so well.
If you are looking for love, real love, in anyone or anything else, my friend you will be disappointed. Love honestly isn't the feeling you think it is. Love indeed is a person. It's embodiment is contained in Jesus Christ. His love was and is so whole, complete and true that He willingly left the Throne of God to come here to endure the worst mankind could throw at Him. Be tortured and humiliated on a cross, and endure all the sin of mankind heaped upon Him. To then raise up from the dead 3 days later. Conquering sin, death and the grave. Reclaimed His Throne. Having made it finally possible for you and I to know the love of God in our lives in a real and personal way.
Are you looking for love in all the wrong places? You need to be real with yourself.
We, with a sin nature as we have, lie to ourselves about countless things.
Look to Jesus for the love you are looking for. It takes faith. Even the faith the size of a mustard seed.
My friend, a time is soon coming when the end of all things will begin. When the opportunity to be saved and to leave here before judgment comes from God.
Let today be the day you find what you have been looking for all your life.
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