God’s Everlasting Love

Jesus was asked which commandment was the greatest commandment in the law and He replied:

“‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’  This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’  All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”  (Matthew 22:37-40 NIV)

We are just at the end of celebrating the Christmas season and rejoicing in the love of God which prompted Him to send His son Jesus into the world, in human flesh, to live and die as one of us.  During Jesus’ ministry He spoke of the great love God has for each of us.   The Bible tells us over and over again of the unfailing love of God.  Some of us, however, are not aware of this great love.  We see God as a harsh task master who waits on the outskirts of our lives ready to punish us for any wrong that we do.  This could not be further from the truth.  That little baby who was born in Bethlehem came into the world because God loved us.  He came not to judge the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.  Old Testament prophesies told of the love of God for His creation and what He planned to do in order to remove sin from mankind as far as the east is from the west.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.  For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.  (John 3:16-17 NIV)

When Jesus was a few days old, a righteous man named Simeon, moved by the Spirit of God recognized the child Jesus when Mary and Joseph brought Him to the temple to carry out the rituals of the Jewish law.  Simeon rejoiced when it was revealed to Him that He was seeing the Lord’s Messiah and he worshipped God saying:

“Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you may now dismiss your servant in peace.  For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all nations: a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel.” (Luke 2:29-32 NIV)

God loves each one of us so much that He planned the events of Jesus’ birth, death, and resurrection in order that we might have eternal life.   As incredible as it may seem God loves each one of us and wants to live with us forever. 

Today, let’s reflect on God’s love and determine to love Him in return with all our heart, soul and mind.

The Lord appeared to us in the past, saying: “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.”  (Jeremiah 31:3 NIV)

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