by Elizabeth Haarberg

You can listen to today’s devotion by clicking on this SoundCloud link.

We love because He first loved us.

“When we don’t find love in a situation, we can put love in the situation, and then we will find it!” Ralph Martin – Fulfillment of All Desire

Jesus was not created when He was born on Earth. He, the Holy Spirit, and the Father have always been. The curve ball came when Jesus came to Earth. Jesus came to present the heart of God to everyone. He came to live, love, and die all for us.

“For God so [greatly] loved and dearly prized the world, that He [even] gave His [One and] only begotten Son, so that whoever believes and trusts in Him [as Savior] shall not perish, but have eternal life.”
John 3:16 AMP

The quote at the top of the page magnifies the Bible verse. He came to insert love into the world. He only knows how to love. He is not capable of offense, defense, bitterness, anger, and jealousy. His only mode is love. He came to pour out His heart on us, and when He left the Holy Spirit came to finish what was started. 

With the help of the Holy Spirit, we carry the torch of Love to everyone we meet. Being aware of challenging situations, and being intentional on bringing God’s love into the environment, can alleviate the potential of disappointment when we encounter difficult people. The bottom line is we can’t change people, but we can be armed with God’s love to bring a best case scenario for that particular moment.

We are coming up on a wonderful season, but it is a potentially difficult season for some. God gives us a tool belt of weapons. They are peace, prayer, love, kindness, patience, and much more.

“But the fruit of the Spirit [the result of His presence within us] is love [unselfish concern for others], joy, [inner] peace, patience [not the ability to wait, but how we act while waiting], kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such things there is no law.”
Galatians 5:22-23 AMP

It’s our job to receive the gifts He gives, and surrender the difficult situations to Him through praise. He always works it out for us if we partner with Him.

Copyright Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado