Tuesday, September 6, 2022

 

Tuesday, September 6, 2022


Psalm 18:1-31

Obadiah 1-14

1 John 4:12-21


We love because He first loved us.


This is a blessed truth that will hold us safe through any adversity. It is simple enough to understand, but nearly impossible to actually live out.


God first loved us; therefore we love one another. The first statement is not reliant on the second. Whatever God does is out of our control: our responsibility is to respond with trust.


Reading through the prophets can make it sound like we are responsible for making God love us through our actions. But even the prophets agree with John: God is responsible for who God loves; yet we are held responsible for our actions. This totally flips on its head any human-designed economic style exchange of goods and services when it comes to how God treats us. God's love to us is not our reward for being good boys and girls. God's love to us is a basic function of God behaving like God. We can spurn that love, or scoff, or laugh at it, or throw it away. That is on us, not God.


From this perspective, the commandment to love one another does not seem so difficult, or burdensome. God already loves us; therefore love one another. Not: love one another, so that God will love you. This is why we can hold on to God's love with confidence no matter what comes our way. God never changes, God is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow.

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