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Love Shows

            It’s spring and love is in the air.  You can see it in the tender care the protective parents portray to their newly hatched ducklings.  It is evident from the high ratings of the dating shows that dominate television.  All souls long for true love, though I highly doubt it will be truly experienced after a television dating show.

            The Bible tells us: but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8).  True love is shown.  Our Easter celebration is a festivity of the love God showed to us through the death of His Son that paid for the sins of all who believe.  There is no greater love found anywhere on this earth than the love of God the Father and His willingness to send His Son.  Jesus showed His love for God as His Father by choosing to obey Him and go to the cross.  Jesus did it for love; primarily His love for His Father and also His love for us. 

            God has shown His love.  It is true love.  Jesus gave His love by dying on the cross.  The Holy Spirit pours out God’s love on us.  We won’t fully experience true love until we love God back.  We must respond to His love to make it true love in our souls.

            How do we respond to His love?  We love Him by obeying His commands.  Just like God the Father, and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit demonstrate love through the actions they take, we too are told to demonstrate our love for the Father.

               This is when love springs from the core level of our soul.  It is humanly impossible to love in the manner God asks of us.  Oswald Chambers wrote: The love of God is not merely sentimentality; it is the most practical thing for the saints to love as God loves.  The springs of love are in God, not in us.  True love will cause you to acknowledge that you could have never done what you did on your own. 

            When you first start out loving God, it may not feel like true love in the way we naturally think love would feel.  At first it is hard to give up the first fruits of your paycheck knowing full well that the bills for the month are still piling up.  It is only at the end of the year when you find out that you are better off financially—living more within your means—that you feel the sweetness of true love.  It doesn’t feel like love when God asks you to forgive that person who has done you wrong (even after you lovingly share the wrong and they remain smug and silent, minimizing the blow you feel you received).  It still stings from time to time when you think of the person or when you are in their presence.  Slowly, as you allow each encounter to increase your decision to love and trust God and His direction of forgiveness, one day you realize that even without their validation you feel totally loved by God.  It doesn’t feel like love when God asks you to trust Him in spite of allowing you to face the harshest of circumstances—death, rape, job loss, wrong accusations, seeming indifferent to your constant prayers for resolution.  As you daily deliver your soul to the love and care of God in spite of the severe realities of this world of woe, you become grateful for the gift of tears to release your sorrow and the unwavering character of God, believing that Christ is the only way to rectify all that is so wrong with this world.

            Love is in the air.  True love springs from God.  True love is focused on obeying God.  True love is never experienced in your soul until you love God back.

Copyright © 2013.  Deborah R. Newman www.teatimeforyoursoul.com  All Rights Reserved.

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