LOVE.  By Rhonda Wenzel Kamps.

“The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering and abounding in goodness and truth…” (This is God’s expression of love found in Exodus 34:6.)

Love is compassionate.  The Hebrew meaning is “to love from the womb”.  That tender love of a mother with her helpless child.  It is the depth of love that is beyond description. It is the depth of God’s love for us that He sent His son to be the sacrifice so that He could fulfill  what needed to be done so that we could spend eternity with Him.  God is merciful and gracious, even though we are undeserving of this deep love. Consider the cost He paid to love you.

John 15:12-13

“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has not one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.”  ~ John 15:12-13

“These things I command you, that you love one another.”  ~ John 15:17

Love is longsuffering…we all yearn for healed relationships.  Enduring hurts, wrongs, grief, and the deep pain that comes with loving someone from a distance.   Can we see the deep love God has for us?  He waits patiently. He endured the cross out of love.

What is God asking of us?  John 13: 35,

“By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Seeing others how God sees us.  Longsuffering, enduring loving others well despite the hurts, this is Love.

Love is a commandment!  How are you living that out?

What is God pressing in your heart to do? Are you doing it out of love? Being compassionate? Focusing on the cross in the longsuffering?

Take time this season to reflect on the love God has for you.  Sit, reflect, and bask in it. God is longing for you to enjoy  His gift. So, my friends, this Christmas season and always enjoy all of God’s love.