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Showing posts with label The love of God. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The love of God. Show all posts

08 December, 2014

God is Love


James Smith, 1842
"God is love!" 1 John 4:8
Believer, the author of your present affliction, is Jehovah (Amos 3:6); it comes at the command of the Lord Almighty, who is excellent in counsel and wonderful in working. But though He afflicts you, His heart is not, and cannot be turned against you — for He has revealed himself in His word, as LOVE. He does not merely tell you that He loves you, but that He is LOVE ITSELF — infinite, eternal, unchangeable love. Fury has no place in Him; His anger is turned away from you, by the sacrifice of Jesus; and He has sworn by himself, because He could swear by no greater — that He will not be angry with you; but in blessing, He will bless you. His love is immutably fixed upon every sinner who . . .
looks to Jesus for salvation; 
relies upon His precious promises; 
and trusts in His glorious propitiation.
You have . . .
loved His name; 
adored His perfections; 
aimed at His glory; and 
endeavored to do good to His people.
These are evidences of your love to Him. You have loved Him — because He first loved you.
Your present affliction flows from His love; though occasioned by your sin — or called for by the circumstances in which you are placed. For He does not afflict willingly, nor grieve His redeemed children without cause. But while He puts you to pain, while He lays His rod upon you — He loves you with an inconceivable love! There is nothing but love in His heart toward you! Every affliction is absolutely necessary, and could not be dispensed with. He must afflict you — or neglect you. He will never fail you nor forsake you, and therefore he lays His rod upon you. The discipline may be sharp — but the design is truly gracious. He seeks your good — the good of your immortal soul; and designs only your welfare — even your sanctification.
Do not think that He has turned against you, or that He never loved you — these are unworthy thoughts. He intends to . . .
remind you of your follies, 
bring you to reflection, and 
lead you back to himself from whom you have probably wandered.
Or else He intends to prevent your falling into some real evils, to which you were fast hastening. He intends, in a word . . .
to conform you to Jesus; 
to answer your prayers; and 
to show you, your absolute need of His presence, power, and love.
It was Divine love which chose the trial. It was Divine love which sent it. And the God of love is waiting to hear your confessions, your prayers, and your complaints.
Believe that He is love; believe that your sickness flows from love; and go to Him with this assurance, and entreat Him to sanctify it — and then remove it. But seek its sanctification before its removal.
Sanctified afflictions are among our choicest blessings! They . . .
wean our hearts from earth, 
direct our affections above, and 
give energy and fervor to our prayers.
Many have had to say, "It is good for me, that I have been afflicted! Before I was afflicted I went astray — but now I keep your precepts." The Lord watches over you in love, while you are in this furnace — He is about your bed. Do not forget the God of love is present with you — present to . . .
hear your groanings, 
number your pains, 
mark your tears, 
listen to your prayers, 
and bless you indeed.
You may not have the comfort of His presence — but you have the benefit of it. Endeavor to realize that God is with you — with you as a kind and gracious Father, watching over you to do you good.
By this affliction, He calls you . . .
to self-examination; 
to surrender yourself afresh to Him; 
to seek your happiness alone in Him; 
to cast all your cares upon Him; 
to make known your request to Him!
He says, "I will be very gracious unto you at the voice of your cry. When I hear you — I will answer you." His eye is fixed upon you for good! He is full of compassion, and plenteous in mercy unto all who call upon Him in truth. Call then upon the Lord, in this day of trouble; He will deliver you — and you shall glorify Him.
Beware of indulging hard thoughts of Him, or of conceiving of Him otherwise than He has revealed Himself to you in His word. He says to you, "I AM LOVE!" Dare not then, to indulge any thought of Him which would contradict Him; but believe His word, and expect Him to illustrate and confirm this truth in His dealings with you.

01 August, 2013

The Love Of God!

James Smith, 1860 excerpt from: Fruit From the Tree of Life
Food and Medicine for the Soul

What subject can be compared to the love of God? What subject is so sweet, so profitable, so full of wonders!

God, loving his people.
The infinite, loving the finite.
The Creator, loving his creature.
The Most High God, loving a worm.
The Holy One, loving the unholy.
The Sovereign, loving his rebellious subject.

The Eternal God, loving poor sinners in his Son. For God puts us into Christ, and there he blesses us, saves us, and loves us with an infinite love.

I want to think over, to meditate for a little while, on the love of God this morning. Holy Spirit, it is yours to enlighten the mind, and to direct the heart into the love of God. O direct my heart into this glorious subject, and shed abroad the love of God in my heart, that tasting its sweetness, and feeling its power - I may write from experience on this delightful theme!

God loved his people first. No one ever loved God, or wished to love him - but as the effect of his own love. We love him -because he first loved us. He loved all of his people before time began, as he says, "I have loved you with an everlasting love."

God's love was fixed upon, and flowed out to his people freely. That God loves his people is clearly revealed, and powerfully proved; but WHY did he love them? How did he come to fix his love upon them? How did he come to reveal and communicate that love to them? This he has not told us. He has assured us that it was not for anything in them, or done by them. He loves freely. He loves - just because he will love, or because it pleases him to love.

His love is great beyond expression or conception. No one can possibly conceive the greatness of God's love, and if it cannot be conceived, then it cannot be expressed. It is as vast as eternity, and as infinite as his own divine nature. How wonderful, that God should love one like me - and love me with such a love!

His love is fraught with every blessing, and is the fountain from which flows every good. Yes, in the love of God is comprised and comprehended, every blessing that can be conferred on sinners in time, or be enjoyed by believers in eternity.

The love of God is as unchangeable as his nature. He is without variableness - and so is his love. His works may change, do change, must change; but he is the same, and as he is, so is his love. It ever was, what it is; it is, what it ever was; and what it is, it ever will be.

His love is eternal in its duration. Once fixed, it is fixed forever. Having loved his own - he loves them unto the end. No object of his love is ever lost. No one cared for by him, will ever perish. He is able to keep us from falling, and we are kept by his power, through faith unto salvation.
God's love is sweet and powerful, and it wins over all its objects to itself. God is loved - because he loves. The sweet power of his love, as displayed in the gift of his Son, and as shed abroad in the heart by his Spirit - wins us over to himself, and we love him - but never feel as if we loved him enough.

Oh, that I could enter into the love of God more fully! Oh, that I felt the love of God more powerfully! Oh, that I could love God more heartily and constantly, in return for his love to me! Oh, to illustrate and commend the love of God in my temper, conduct, and conversation with my fellow-men!

Nothing will make me happy - but this love.

Nothing will make me holy - but this love.

Nothing will give me strength and energy for duty - but this love.

If I realize that God loves me, loves me infinitely, loves me eternally - then I can do anything for God, I can suffer anything from the hand of God.

God's love to me, is like . . .
light in darkness,
manna in the wilderness, and
a sweet song in the night.
God's love to me, is . . .
my joy in sorrow,
my solace in suffering, and
my life in the midst of death.

God's love to me, will make me happy anywhere, satisfied with anything, and raise me above the most trying circumstances of time. O may this love comfort me in my lonely hours, in seasons of sickness and sorrow; and may it inspire me with courage, in every conflict with the foe.

Father of mercies, God of love, may I know and believe the love you have to me! Precious Lord Jesus, you are the proof and exposition of the Father's love! May I study you more, know you better, that so I may rejoice in your Father's love! Heavenly Comforter, it is yours to reveal, unfold, and impart the love of God to poor sinners; do more clearly reveal, more fully unfold, and more plentifully impart - the love of God to me, that I may be filled with all the fullness of God!


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