Hearts Aglow With Responsive Love
And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.
1 John 4:16
What does love look like?
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Augustine pictured love this way: “It has the hands to help others. It has the feet to hasten to the poor and needy. It has eyes to see misery and want. It has the ears to hear the sighs of men.”
Basically, love looks like Jesus!
Love talked about is easily turned aside. Love demonstrated is irresistible. And love modeled is the best way to learn how to love in return. “We love because he first loved us” (1 John 4:19). That’s why John used the word “love” more than 30 times in his letter—and why this thought from A. B. Simpson is both appropriate and timely.
WALK WITH A. B. SIMPSON
“The secret of walking closely with Christ, and working successfully for him, is to fully realize that we are his beloved.
“Let us but feel that he has his heart set upon us, that he is watching us from those heavens with tender interest, that he is following us day by day as a mother follows her babe in his first attempt to walk alone, that he has set his love upon us, and in spite of ourselves is working out for us his highest will and blessing, as far as we will let him—and then nothing can discourage us.
“Our hearts will glow with responsive love. Our faith will spring to meet his mighty promises, and our sacrifices shall become the very luxuries of love for one so dear.
“This was the secret of John’s spirit. ‘And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.’ The heart that has fully learned this has found the secret of unbounded faith and enthusiastic service.”
WALK CLOSER TO GOD
How much does God love you? The evidences are obvious: Calvary’s cross, the empty tomb, the indwelling Comforter.
How much do you love God? The evidences should also be obvious. Count them with gratitude for God’s goodness to you.
