"Lighting the Fire"
Jotting – Week 38

GO!

Go with God’s Love

In the Concordia Publishing House book Fingers Tell the Story, there’s an action rhyme that goes something like this:

How much does Jesus love me?
This much? (with index finger and thumb close together)
No!
My Jesus loves me sooo! (with arms stretched wide)!

Oh, yes, Jesus stretched out His hands on the cross to die for us–and to welcome us to Himself. “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us!” (Romans 5:8)

Jesus Himself tells us, “The Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me, and have believed that I came forth from God” (John 16:27).

Paul wrote often about God’s love: “Our friends, we know that God loves you and has chosen you to be His own. For we brought the Good News to you, not with words only, but also with power and the Holy Spirit, and with complete conviction of its truth”
(1 Thessalonians 1:4-5a).

And again: “We are bound to give thanks to God always for you, beloved by the Lord, because God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth” (2 Thessalonians 2:13).

When I look at my husband, my children and children-in-law, my grandchildren, I often have such a spirit of love welling up in me and I have to think, If I can love those close to me so much that it overwhelms me, how much greater God’s love is for us all. He chose to give His Son, His only Son to die for us so that we might be His children. He longs to have us come to Him with our needs and our joys. He wants our love–all our love, which, even then, is minuscule in comparison to what He has given us.

The apostle John wrote, “The command that Christ has given us is this: whoever loves God must love others also” (1 John 4:21). God’s love flows from us to others. When we know, when we realize the unconditional love that comes to us out of God’s great heart, undeserved, sometimes shunned, often ignored, we can only wonder in awesome silence or bursts of joyful praise. But God’s love isn’t meant to be kept in secret or hidden in our hearts. As a cup is filled with water and overflows, so our hearts, full of God’s love, overflows to others.

Make a list of people you love–and of those who love you. Do you desire for them the gift of God’s love and forgiveness? Do you want to see them and greet them in heaven when you arrive there? Look at the list you’ve made. Draw a happy face next to the name of each person you know for sure is going to heaven. Are there names remaining? Then GO! GO now! Ask them what their hope for eternity is. Tell them the Good News of Jesus who came to live, to suffer and die for them and to be raised from the dead. Pray for them as you go. Let them know you want to see them in heaven someday. Tell them once; tell them twice; tell them as often as necessary so they too can believe and experience God’s rich grace and forgiveness.

Make a list of neighbors, coworkers, of others you care about or are acquainted with. Pray for opportunities to tell God’s Good News to them. Pray for the Holy Spirit to open your heart and guide your words. Pray to love them with God’s love. Then tell them too of your desire to greet them in heaven. Tell them of the Savior’s love. GO! Go now!

Make a list of those with whom you have had a troubled relationship or angry words. Again, pray for them–and for the Spirit of God to touch you with the power of heavenly love that can forgive and reach out. God loves them and He will give you His love that overcomes all barriers and obstacles. Tell them of God’s love for them in Jesus. Tell how God has forgiven you and you want that same forgiveness for them. Tell them and forgive them. GO! Go now!

Carry God’s love with you wherever you go. If some spills along the way as you wait in a grocery line or pick up children from school, if some escapes while explaining your plumbing difficulties or the mechanical failures of your car, if some gets away in committee meetings or over business lunches, if some breaks out as you drive behind someone who just won’t move over from the fast lane or rides tail on your bumper, then let it go, let it flow out and touch others because God’s love for you will never run dry, never be used up, never hide when you need it to give away. How much of God’s love can you give away today, this week–as you are going?

Pray: Dear Father in heaven, You love us with an everlasting, never-ending, overwhelming love. As we go today, this week about our job, our chores, our outings or events, give us a full measure of Your love to give away to others. Give us opportunities to tell others of that love You have for us in Jesus. Go with us, dear Lord, go with us with Your love. In the loving name of Jesus. Amen.