God Love.
Psalm 103:8-13
The reason I named this, God love, is because you have to know God love, before you can love God and others appropriately. If you’re ‘one’ that says, “I know God loves me but….” Until you truly understand that nothing can separate you from Gods love, confusion dominates. His love is deeper, wider, and longer than any other verb.
Love is a verb, it’s a word of action. Therefore, love is the most powerful emotions we have. The actress Joan Crawford once said “Love is a fire but whether it warms your heart or burns your house down, you can never tell!”
“Love can motivate, give pleasure, hurt even destroy. It can make us do bold, even stupid things.” P.H
During the 17th century, Oliver Cromwell, sentenced a soldier to be shot for his crimes. The execution was to take place at the ringing of the evening curfew bell. However, the bell did not sound. The soldier’s fiancé had climbed into the belfry and clung to the great clapper of the bell to prevent it from striking. When she was summoned by Cromwell to account for her actions, she wept as she showed him her bruised and bleeding hands. Cromwell’s heart was touched and he said, "Your lover shall live because of your sacrifice. Curfew shall not ring tonight!”
Psalm 103:8-13NIV ”The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. 9 He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; 10 he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. 11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; 12 as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. 13 As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him;“
Which of the following statements from each pair are you more easily able to identify with?
God is distant and angry.
God is close and kind
God is impatient and frustrated with me, wishing that I would get my life together already.
God is patiently cheering me on and is eager to celebrate every small victory with me.
I have messed up too many times for God to care about me anymore.
My past mistakes have not disqualified me from being fully loved and accepted by God. (In fact, my shortcomings are the very thing that qualified me for salvation and adoption into the family of God).
God is withholding good things from me as punishment for my mistakes.
God‘s goodness is evident in every area of my life, even in times when I have failed.
Maybe you say I don’t really fit into A or B, but somewhere in between… -Become a doer of God’s word.
According to Paul and Jesus, Satan is the god of this world. 2 Corinthians 4:4 Satan wants you to live in limbo. -He comes to steal, kill and destroy. John 10:10.
If you had one word to describe God it would have to be, love.
Ask yourself this question, “Am I willing to freely love those around me, or do I first require that people earn my love?”
You really can’t identify with God‘s love until you begin to love. No exceptions. Love is the key, love opens spiritual and physical doors.
Romans 5:8TPT ”But Christ proved God’s passionate love for us by dying in our place while we were still lost and ungodly!“
While being lost and ungodly, Jesus stepped up and died. Here’s the key,
Matthew 26:39TPT ”Then he walked a short distance away, and overcome with grief, he threw himself facedown on the ground and prayed, “My Father, if there is any way you can deliver me from this suffering, please take it from me. Yet what I want is not important, for I only desire to fulfill your plan for me.” Then an angel from heaven appeared to strengthen him.“
Jesus fulfilled His Fathers will so we might know His love, and in return, love like He loved!?
Love is, Slow to suspect- quick to trust. Slow to reprimand- quick to forbear. Slow to belittle- quick to appreciate. Slow to condemn- quick to justify. Slow to offend- quick to defend. Slow to demand- quick to give. Slow to provoke- quick to conciliate (stop someone from being angry or discontented). Slow to hinder -- quick to help. Slow to resent- quick to forgive. -The Challenge.
Titus 3:4-7ESV ”But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.“
You become heirs of Jesus Christ plus eternal life.
Because of Jesus, you have been declared righteous. God poured out on us richly through Jesus!
What does this mean to you, Paul wrote, From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh, 2 Corinthians 5:16.
What does it mean to you, that love covers a multitude of sin? Proverbs 10:12.
This would be my prayer for you. I would love for you to practice reflecting on information and revelation.
What does this mean? It means to practice, reflecting on new information or revelation? Looking deeply, and carefully about what has been revealed to us about God, or about ourselves.
Love is one of the most powerful emotions we have. The actress Joan Crawford once said, “Love is a fire but whether it warms your heart or burns your house down, you can never tell!” Love can motivate, give pleasure, hurt even destroy. It can make us do bold, even stupid things.
During the 17th century, Oliver Cromwell, sentenced a soldier to be shot for his crimes. The execution was to take place at the ringing of the evening curfew bell. However, the bell did not sound. The soldier’s fiancé had climbed into the belfry and clung to the great clapper of the bell to prevent it from striking. When she was summoned by Cromwell to account for her actions, she wept as she showed him her bruised and bleeding hands. Cromwell’s heart was touched and he said, "Your lover shall live because of your sacrifice. Curfew shall not ring tonight!
Learning is good, but the learning needs to lead us to doing. We could read books, listen to sermons, and memorize Bible verses regarding love, whether it be of God‘s love toward us, or of the command and ways to love others, but if we do not take the time to pause, and reflect on how this information is meant to be implemented, and practiced in our daily lives, then we run the risk of being like the Pharisees– full of knowledge about God, yet empty of his character.
Again, “A hearer only filled with knowledge but empty on love and character.”
The first chapter of James warns us of the danger of learning without practicing what we’ve learned. Hearing, learning, will either lead to doing, or deception.
James 1:22-25ESV ”But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. 24 For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. 25 But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.“
Now back to, God love. There are several key points in, Psalm 103:8-13.
1. The Lord is, compassionate, gracious, slow to anger and is abounding in love, Vs. 9.
Listen, You will not read in the gospels where the Lord isn’t compassionate, gracious, slow to anger and abounding in love! PH
You will never meet someone more full of compassion and love, Psalms 145:8-9.
2. God does not accuse or harbor anger. Vs. 10
You might think why doesn’t God pass judgment and harbor anger? God love.
“I believe God refuses to accuse because He sees and knows the finished product.” P.H
Philippians.1:6ESV ”And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.“
Listen, God created you, so you have to know the good work done in you is not completed yet. -But God is faithful.
Get this, As a believer you will never be treated for what you deserve. Neither will you be repaid according to your iniquities.
3. As high as the heaven is above the earth so great is His love for us, Vs 11.
Listen to the apostle Paul’s description of love. Romans 8:1 ”There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. —That’s love; God love!
Again, Romans 8:35ESV ”Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?“
Romans 8:37-39ESV ”No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.“
Notice verse 37, Nay, In all these things…. We are more than conquer’s.
4. Here is love. Vs 12. Your sins have been removed, as far is the east is to the west.
In love and mercy, the Lord has removed His people's sins from them. He doesn't simply move our sins onto our doorstep or a mile away; God moves them as far from us as the east is from the west.
Vs 12b… so far has He removed our transgressions from us.
5. Just as a Dad or Mom has compassion on his/her own son or daughter, so your Heavenly Father has compassion on you!
If you child is sincere and trying as a parent you would try to do everything and anything for them. However, God removed our transgressions while we were wretched.
Benediction. -That’s God love!
