Thoughts on Loving God

Whispering Danny shared a special bond with an amazing woman, Louise Douglas. In today’s YouTube video, he recounts the day Louise’s husband died. It’s a story you’ll want to listen to and will appreciate deeply.

In my blog post, let’s think about “Love Stories to God.” What if we challenge ourselves to see if we truly love God?

I’ve served God through church work since 1968. Now in retirement, I find myself pondering – beyond my service, do I also love Him?

Could it be that I haven’t met the requirements of the most important commandment?

Jesus said, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the greatest and first commandment” (Matthew 22.37-38).

This commandment is also a wonderful opportunity. What could be more amazing than loving the Greatest Being of all?

John is right. We can’t love God unless He loves us first. Praise God, we can love God, “because he first loved us” (1 John 4.19).

To understand if I love God, I must first consider how He has shown His love for all humans.

The Gospels are a wonderful place to start exploring God’s love for us. Let’s begin these reflections with the Sermon on the Mount.

The Sermon on the Mount starts with a list of who is blessed. It’s fascinating to consider that Jesus, being the most blessed person, is closely related to these people.

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5.3)

As we consider Jesus’ love for us, let’s reflect on his willingness to embrace poverty for our sake.

Paul noted, “For you know the generous act of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich” (2 Corinthians 8.9).

As I think about my possessions, I realize Jesus lacked many things. He didn’t have a shower, air conditioning, or even a bed. He had no house, bank account, car, or computer – all items that I somewhat take for granted.

Jesus chose to become poor, so people like me could build a relationship with the most Magnificent Being of All. True wealth is found in living a life of love with God.

I often wonder why I am more drawn to working for God and collecting possessions, instead of simply loving God and living in that love.

These are thoughts I want to explore and then act upon.

Jesus Wept

Once, I was in a Sunday school class where kids were saying Bible verses. I didn’t know a single verse and a boy next to me suggested, just tell them Jesus wept (John 11.35).

When it came my turn I said, “Jesus wept.” The children giggled, leaving me red-faced. Yet, those two words hold a deep truth about God’s love.

God blesses those who are sad, and from the second Beatitude, we understand that he feels our sorrow too.

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted” (Matthew 5.4).

Isaiah perfectly captured this aspect of God’s love for us.

He was despised and rejected by others;
a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief (Isaiah 53.3).

The old hymn is true: “Nobody knows the troubles I’ve seen, nobody knows but Jesus.”

He knows our sadness, hurts, and pains. And most importantly, he cares for us.

Jesus gives blessings to those who mourn. Perhaps we should bless him too, as He feels sadness about what happens among people.

Paul shared that the Holy Spirit feels sadness about what’s happening in our world.

“Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness, for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with groanings too deep for words” (Romans 8.26).

Can I understand the Lord’s feelings? If I step outside my thoughts and emotions and start to think and feel like Jesus, maybe I’ll learn to love him as he does.

Humility

Understanding the Sermon on the Mount can be challenging. For instance, we might wonder, what is the meaning of meekness?

“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth” (Matthew 5.5).

A clearer way to understand “meek” in this verse is as an individual whose life has been humbled.

Jesus fully understands those who have been humbled by life, as he himself chose a path of humility.

Paul wrote a well-known song about Jesus’s humility.

He humbled himself
and became obedient to the point of death—
even death on a cross. (Philippians 2.8)

John said we love God because he loved us first. We cherish Jesus because he chose to live humbly and poor, deciding to share our suffering.

I hope you will join me in thinking about the two great commandments and how you relate to God through them.

YouTube Video

Rudy Ross, Whispering Danny, and I discuss the Bible daily on YouTube. It is on the Bob Spradling channel.