What is love? We have all told someone at one point in our life, ‘I love you,’ whether it was your parents, children, siblings, friends or your spouse. We say these words when we feel an intense feeling, deep affection to the people around us. The English dictionary explains the word love as ‘an intense feeling of deep affection.’ There are obviously different types of love depending on who we share those words with. The love of a husband or wife towards each other will be different from what they feel towards their children. The same it will be for friends, we all love according to our relationships and bonds.
In all the different types of love you will feel or have, there is a love that is bigger than life itself – and that is the Love of God for God is love. Why do we say that God is love? Well, we each have personal attributes and personalities that are linked to us. Some people are normally just kind hearted people, its their personality, its who they are. Well, God has a lot of attributes that are linked to Him and cannot be equated to ours – His are much better because He doesn’t go against who He is. He’s personality and attributes all add up to His character. When you read the Bible you will realize just how many verses talk about God’s love, but there’s one particular one that I absolutely love the most it is found in John 3:16 “for God so loved the world that He gave His own beloved Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” Am sure some people may ask, ‘why did God have to send His Son to die? What was the purpose?’ Well lets take a walk down memory lane shall we?
In the beginning God created the Heavens and earth and everything was picture perfect. Then God created human beings in His own likeness and blessed them saying, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground,” Genesis 1:28. After the creation of man, God put him in the garden of Eden and gave him a command, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die,” Genesis 2:16-17. But we all know how the story ended, Adam and Eve were deceived by the devil who came in the form of a serpent and they ate the forbidded fruit – they rebelled and went against what God had told them not to. Out of that came punishment and death as we read in Genesis 3:13-19. However at the height of the reading of all these punishments, God reveals His plan to save mankind which we read in verse 15, “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; He will crush your head and you will strike His heel.” Just when man had disobeyed and had gone against the will of God, God showered His Love for mankind by revealing to us His future plans of restoring this broken relationship.
When we read the books of Exodus, Leviticus and Numbers in the Bible we understand that God is Holy and He required the Israelites to sacrifice animals to purify themselves from their sin. However, after Jesus Christ died on the cross, we no longer need to offer animal sacrifice because His blood is better and perfect than the blood of bulls. God hates sin, but He loves the sinner, that is why He is gracious and patiently waits for us to turn our lives around and accept His invitation to salvation and into His Kingdom through Jesus Christ the Saviour of the world.
God’s love for His people cannot be described on paper, it honestly can’t its indescribable but King David gives us a snippet when he writes in Psalms 36:5-7 “Your unfailing love, O Lord, is as vast as the Heavens; your faithfulness reaches beyond the clouds. Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, your justice like the ocean depths. You care for people and animals alike, O Lord. How precious is your unfailing love, O God! All humanity finds shelter in the shadow of your wings.”
Pause! Have you ever done something wrong which leaves you feeling so ashamed of yourself and you wonder if God would ever forgive you? And because you have already condemned yourself, you continue living in the life of sin far away from God or His mercy. But because God is merciful and kind He still finds a way to bring you back to Him – this is how He has showed us mercy generations upon generations and we come into His Kingdom. We rightfully deserved to be punished for our sins and transgressions, but because of His love, He welcomes us back home where we truly belong. We have all heard stories of how God saved a witch, a drug addict, murderer, rapist, the list is endless and He does this because that is who He is – God is Love. Apostal John writes in John 3:17 “For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.” In other words, Jesus didn’t come to judge and give us our duly deserved punishment no, He came to reconcile us back to our first Love. In Eden, sin came into the world, but on Calvary, Love and reconciliation was reinstated, “For you are the fountain of life, the light by which we see” Psalms 36:9
The Bible is full of stories of men and women who fell and went against God’s Will, but still God showered them with His love and mercy. Moses was Israel’s first great leader who lead the nation as they left Egypt all through the desert where they faced all sorts of hardships until they reached Mount Nebo where the Israelites were just about to enter into their promised land. However Moses did not enter the promised land because he disobeyed God when they had camped at Kadesh and we read of this story in Numbers 20. The people didn’t have water to drink and The Lord told Moses to speak to the rock and it would pour enough water to satisfy the whole community and their livestock. However, Moses raised his hand and struck the rock twice with the staff and water gushed out and because of this act of disobedience the Lord said, “because you did not trust me enough to demonstrate my holiness to the people of Israel, you will not lead them into the land I am giving them!” However, God still allowed Moses to continue to lead the people and he also allowed him to see the land He promised the Israelites from the top of Mount Nebo, indeed God is gracious.
Jonah was sent by God to preach to the people of Neneveh, but he thought they were too unrighteous to be forgiven and Jonah ran away. We all know the story, Jonah was swallowed by a big fish, was there for 3 days and 3 nights and taken back to his mission – to proclaim God’s good news. God could have destroyed Jonah in the belly of the fish but He didn’t, He was gracious enough to still use him to proclaim His message of love and forgiveness upon a city that was termed evil according to man.
King David is one of my favourite Bible characters and the Bible refers to him as “a man after God’s own heart,” but David slept with another man’s wife and when she became pregnant, he gave orders for the man to be put on the front line of the battle field and he died. David was remorseful of his evil actions and asked God’s forgiveness and because God is full of love for his people, David is listed in the genealogy of Jesus Christ, as per God’s declaration in 2nd Samuel 8:11 “the Lord declares that He will make a house for you – a dynasty of kings!”
Rahab was a prostitute who hid the spies that were sent by Joshua in her home and because of her kindness and fear of God, she was spared together with her family when the walls of Jericho came tumbling down. God did not look at her career, but looked at her heart. Rahab was the mother of Boaz who is also listed into the genealogy of Jesus Christ. God uses imperfect people to show His love and mercy upon the world.
I could go on and on about the many Bible characters that God showed His love and kindness to, what about you? What is your story and where has God delivered you from? How has He showed you His love and mercy? I sure have seen God’s love and mercy upon my life to the point I am speechless and full of gratitute. I got pregnant out of wedlock, lived a life of rebellion not wanting anything to do with God because as far as I was concerned, He was done with me and I was done with Him. However, God in His own love and mercy brought me back to Himself. He has saved me from near death experiences not once, not twice but thrice, He has protected me from the evil plans of the devil, He has given me a family and provided for us, He has given me a vision and purpose for my life and I am eternally grateful. I honestly cannot pen down everything God has done for my life and I am sure I am not the only one. We each have our own stories where we have seen God’s Love, mercy, faithfulness, provision, protection, kindness, healing and its time we told our stories so that The King of King’s and Lord of Lord’s may receive all the Glory and Honour that He truly deserves – we are who we are because He lives.
Because God is love, “let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love” 1st John 4:7-8. Once you know and get to experience God’s love, then you are able to extend His love onto others, because you have seen a love so great. When you experience His love, your actions will be according to what His Word says and you will want to please Him instead of pleasing the world.
We are able to forgive those who have hurt us, because we have been forgiven of things that we cannot speak off in public. 1st John 4:16 “and so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.” “Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died – more than that, who was raised to life – is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us” Romans 8:34. “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?” Romans 8:35 indeed no one can separate us from the Love of God.
Don’t be a skeptic or a non believer who thinks that God is not real! If there is one fact that is real and will remain true from everlasting to everlasting it is God! He remains the same and so does His Love – you cannot separate one from the other. Embrace His love for you and receive Him as Lord and Saviour. He will never condemn you and His arms are wide open waiting for you to come home, for He is patient. Heaven rejoices when a soul comes to the Kingdom, today, may you be that one soul that receives Him.
God Bless!!
Cynthia Gitonga Blog 