Long ago the LORD said to Israel: “I have loved you, my people, with an everlasting love. With unfailing love I have drawn you to myself,“~Jeremiah 31:3.
The same words God spoke to Israel He speaks to me and to you! God loves with an everlasting love. According to the dictionary everlasting means.
1. Lasting forever; eternal: everlasting future life.
2. Lasting or continuing for an indefinitely long time.
3. Incessant; constantly recurring.
4. Eternal duration; eternity.
We tend to think of life in relation to time. We live in a realm of time and space. It is challenging to think of eternity; never-ending, ceaseless, infinite, and without any limitation. We are limited. God is not limited by time, space, or anything. He loves every person with a love that is almost incomprehensible.
People spend their lives looking for unconditional love. Searching for someone to bring out the best in them. They search for wholeness, life, hope, encouragement, and for someone to be a witness to their lives. Many search for love in the arms of a person. There is nothing wrong with wanting to be loved by a person. The problem comes when there is an expectation of perfect love from a person. It will not happen. All human beings are limited, and God never intended for people to replace Him. I am convinced God allows people to disappoint us from time to time so we see that He alone can love perfectly.
If love is always available, then why don’t more people feel loved?
Relationship leads to confidence…
When we first encounter someone, we don’t believe they love us either. We grow to understand their love through relationship and experience. We grow to understand their love through relationship. God invites us into relationship with Him through His Son. It’s a personal relationship. It’s not a distant relationship, but a close relationship. Think of it this way. A child never meets their Father. They read about him. They receive letters from him that say he loves them. They listen to other people talk about how great their father is and how much he loves them, but they have never met him and have no personal relationship. It would be highly unlikely the child would have great confidence in the father’s love for them. God invites every person to be in close relationship with Him. It is not like the old testament days where no one but a purified priest could come into His presence. Any person can have access to God through His Son.
- Because of Christ and our faith in him, we can now come boldly and confidently into God’s presence,~Ephesians 3:12.
- Now all of us can come to the Father through the same Holy Spirit because of what Christ has done for us,~Ephesians 2:18.
- Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me,~John 14:6.
I highly recommend the entire book of Ephesians to read about all Jesus paid for.
What we believe and see can limit what we feel…
Aside from relationship there are so many other things in the world that are aimed at leading us to believe God doesn’t love us. God is blamed for almost every tragedy that happens, and if He is not blamed for causing it, He is often blamed for not stopping the horrible events. There are people who scream, “God is punishing you for your sins.” People teach God is always angry, critical, a cruel task master, or child abuser.
For some, circumstances have made God seem unloving. People say, “If God loved me, then this would not happen, or my life would be better, or this relative would not have died.“
I don’t have all the answers why God allows certain things to happen. I can say these verses have helped me along the way with some extremely challenging circumstances.
- The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full,~Jesus (John 10:10).
- I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world,~Jesus (John 16:33).
- And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose,~Romans 8:28.
If this life here on earth is all there is, then it would seem unfair on so many levels. This life is not all there is. There is eternity which far exceeds the life anyone lives on earth. Most average people will not live to be 100 yrs old. Eternity is forever! God will make wrongs right. There will be justice. There will be no pain, sickness, death, or sin in heaven.
The wonderful thing is also that God sent His Holy Spirit to abide with His people. So He comforts, guides, provides wisdom, delivers, heals, unites believers, speaks, and does wonderful things here and now. Some people have neglected the work of the Holy Spirit, but He is very much alive and at work in the earth. We are not without hope, an Advocate, a Helper, a Sustainer, or Healer. This life is not meant to be suffered through, though there will be suffering. We have Someone, the greatest Someone, who promises to be with us every step of the way.
There is no one and nothing more powerful than God. And God loves His children. If it’s not good yet, He promises to work it for our eventual good.
You are loved sweet friends and pure, unconditional love is always available for you!
P.S For more in-depth study please join me on http://morena242.wordpress.com for an identity in Christ Series.
Love in Christ,
Erin
God=Love 
I was a 15yr church member,Spirit filled and I needed help after my husband attempted to murder ME.the new pastor told me I was not good enough to be a member anymore and said I needed to stop coming there.I was hurting,I made mistakes,I knew GOD had forgiven me.the 1st time the pastor thought I was drunk because the medication I took slurred MY speech.
This was when things began to get bad in my life.I was rejected by the church and I didn’t know that nothing would ever be normal again.
All I now hear are preachers talking about Cereal Christians(nuts,fruits and flakes) WHERE IS THE COMPASSION,LOVE AND EXAMPLES WITH PEOPLE IN THE CHURCH.I WAS TOLD TO LEAVE..SO I DID …I HAVEN’T GONE BACK.YET,I LOVE GOD AND WANT TO PLEASE HIM.
HOW?
Linda,
I’m so sorry for your experiences and pray God brings tremendous healing to your heart. I will say God loves you so much and it’s not based on your behavior. He is love. He overflows with compassion. He loves us more than any earthly parent ever could. People can only love you with the love they have received from God. There are many Christians who have yet to experience the height, depth, width, and breath of God’s love. Since they haven’t fully received it, they can’t give it away. A naked person can’t give you a shirt. So, our role is to seek unconditional love from God. We seek Him and not through people. People are flawed and do not love perfectly. The only perfect human was Jesus. All others have sinned according to Romans.
You are deeply loved (John 3:16). You are cherished by God! You are the apple of His eye. How people treat you is a reflection of who they are and not an indication of your value or worth!
Praying God leads you to a loving, compassionate, Gospel centered church.
Love in Christ,
Erin