by Lt. Colonel Renea Smith
Territorial Secretary for Personnel
Hanging on the wall in my office is a picture of a sweet, smiling, little boy. His name is Charlie, and he is charming, fun, adventurous and daring. At 3, he wields great power over his “Paw and Grams.” When Charlie enters the front door, my husband and I smile broadly and shout “Charlie!” Immediately, a little bundle of energy runs straight into our outstretched arms.
The love we feel for this little boy is immense. When we speak his name, our eyes light up and our faces crinkle with joy. We feel a strong, emotional response. It’s love! Could any grandchild be as perfect as this one?
God always has spoken clearly to me through relationships, especially my family relationships. The love I share with my parents and siblings, with my husband and our two sons, with Charlie and his parents, reminds me of God’s great love.
While the love humans have for one another may be intense, it is far outdistanced by God’s boundless love for us. If I tried to measure my love for my family, though it might seem great to me, it would only be a fraction of God’s love for them.
In 1 John 4:8, God’s very essence is captured in the words, “God is love.” God acts out of love. His motivation is love. He created everything out of love. He teaches us and disciplines us out of love. His plan of salvation resulted from His love.
Songwriter Frederick Lehman penned: The love of God is greater far than tongue or pen can ever tell; it goes beyond the highest star and reaches to the lowest hell; the guilty pair, bowed down with care, God gave His Son to win; His erring child He reconciled, and pardoned from his sin. Oh, love of God, how rich and pure! How measureless and strong! It shall forevermore endure—the saints’ and angels’ song.
Today, hear these words from God’s heart to yours:
“I have loved you, my people, with an everlasting love. With unfailing love I have drawn you to myself.” (Jeremiah 31:3, NLT)
“But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.” (Romans 5:8, NLT)
“…nothing can ever separate us from his love. Death can’t, and life can’t. The angels won’t, and all the powers of hell itself cannot keep God’s love away. Our fears for today, our worries about tomorrow, or where we are—high above the sky, or in the deepest ocean— nothing will ever be able to separate us from the love of God demonstrated by our Lord Jesus Christ when he died for us.” (Romans 8:38-39, TLB)
