Divine Love
“I have loved you, my people, with an everlasting love. With unfailing love I have drawn you to myself. “ Jeremiah 31:3 (NLT)
From 1970 through 1982 I watched my mother take care of my dad after his stroke. There was hardly a day that went by when she did not wish that things could be different. However, she put on a brave face and still smiled. She was a strong woman! Cynthia Ruchti (Mornings with Jesus) shares her own discovery of divine love.
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This morning, I caught myself entertaining a ridiculous thought. For weeks, I’d been caregiving for my husband after a mishap that landed him writhing on the ground instead of where he’d been on the roof of our house, repairing rain gutters.
The caregiving included my taking on all his chores as well as mine as he healed from what turned out to be minor repercussions that still necessitated long hours in his recliner.
Two days earlier, I’d “encouragingly” said, “Your goal today, should you choose to accept it, is to become self-sufficient.” This morning my mind was prepared to say, “Honey, you can’t have all five love languages every single day. That’s just not possible.” Good thing Jesus stopped my mouth from saying what my mind was thinking.
When I consider the divine love, I’m shown on good or bad days, when I’m self-sufficient and when I am excessively needy, when my pain is my own doing and when it’s due to someone else’s actions or words, I’m speechless. Jesus’ unfailing love can be counted on daily. Everlasting. Faultless, Never keeping score.
And whose examples should motivate me in my love relationships on this earth. Love isn’t expressed with flowers or notes of sentiment or with an even exchange of “I showed you this much love today, so tomorrow you owe me, right?”
No. It’s loving like Jesus. My ridiculous thought became a plan to show my husband all five love languages every single day.
FAITH STEP: Think of a way to express Jesus’s amazing, unfailing love to someone else today.
Heavenly Father, thank You for loving us—even when we are unlovable! Please teach us to love others as You do and never to grow tired of doing Your will. AMEN.