This ole thing...

As I was planning my first concert for last year, a good friend asked me what does " God of love" mean to me? I responded with the email below:

From: T Lisa 
To       : ****

"God of love" sometimes people think that God is cruel,  or mean, or not real. ..because if there really was a God- why would he allow certain things to happen?

The theme God of love means that the ultimate motive behind what God does, is everlasting, unfailing, unchanging love. He is One who loves us regardless of the circumstances or how they may appear. It's difficult to wrap your mind around it, because life doesn't work that way and  no one else is like him.

 Unearned affection? Most of the time you  have to do sometime to get something in return. God loves us so much, we didn't do anything to get it- he just gave. Even when God is chastening us or allows suffering, its because he loves us and he has a point to the pain. In blessings, he shows his fatherly love. Think about  parents who want their children to feel loved and they give them good things, they want their kids to know they're loved. ....but if that same child puts their hand in on the stove - the parent may reflexively push their hand away, or even allow them to get burned, so they would learn that that stuff hurts...THAT'S LOVE TOO!

Sometimes  we think when God allows pain and sadness it's because he has abandoned us or He doesn't love us anymore. Sometimes we think he has forgotten about us, but that is not the case because that would be mean, but God IS love. He's simply a God of love.  Love  through our trials and love  in our tribulations, love  in our sorrow, and love in our victories.  Love when you're up and love when we're down. We can't really fathom this kind of love because it's way past our HUMANNESS, and we 're definitely not God. But we were made in his image to love,  be loved and show love, but most of all- to receive His love. 

John 3 16- God showed us his ultimate love  for us  when he sent his son Jesus as a gift, by allowing him to go to the cross for our sins. God loved the children of Israel- he loved them when they were slaves in Egypt and struggling under harsh treatment. He also loved them when they were in the wilderness and went through a period of long waiting for his promise to go to the special land, God loved Mary when she got caught in the very act of adultery, and he forgave her.

God loved David when he was a little boy and and being anointed to be king, and he loved him after He had an affair with the woman Bathsheba. She got pregnant and the child died and David went through a time of repentance. God loved him even then, before and after the repentance.

God loved Abraham while he was holding his son Issac as a sacrifice and was about  the kill him. He was loving him even when he was testing his faith.  God loved Saul when he was walking in Damascus and persecuting the people of God. Because he was killing Christians- God could have zapped him, but instead he took away his sight and reveled himself  to him and even gave him a new name!

While I was dealing with a broken heart and I would try to understand the purpose or reason for what seemed like torture, he loved me.  Also, when I turned my back on him for my own pleasure. He loved me when my bones were broken, and I was suffering and screaming. 

God is the very essence of love, so He can't be cruel. He is just love, so much so-  that even when he brings blessings  or allows hardship- it's all  driven by love