The FIRST Love is God’s Love.

With Valentines Day approaching I thought I would be amiss to ignore the discussion of love.

What comes to mind when you think of love? When I think of love I think of devotion, sacrifice, patience and endurance. These terminologies that we love to call out but don't necessarily walk out. I decided I would break love down into 3 parts:

1. God's Love

2. Self-Love

3. Romantic Love

We talk more about Romantic Love than the other two I have listed. However, I think acknowledging Gods Love & having Self Love is necessary if we're ever going to experience the Romantic Love that we all long for.

According to Bible Study Tools . com love appears in the Bible between 400 - 700 times depending on which version of the Bible you're reading.

BibleStudyTools.com

In the New Living Translation love is listed with 759 times while the King James Version is found to have 442. Either way, with 400 or 700 we can see love throughout the Bible. So, what does that say of us? If God speaks of Love over and over throughout his word, then obviously this is important (dare I say foundational) to him.

When I thought about scriptures that show Gods love I thought a scripture many of us know:

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son.

-John 3:16

Whether you've been in church your whole life, or just a little while... you've heard that scripture. Well, I wanted to take love even deeper than that. I wondered how and then I was watching the first episode of "The Chosen" and immediately saw it.

To keep it short, there was a woman named Mary of Magdala who was battling demons. Jesus found her and touched her hand although she ran, he followed her and called her name. When he got her attention, he called out Isaiah 43:1 to her.

...Do not fear, for I have redeemed you [from captivity]; I have called you by name; you are Mine.

In the show it is so beautifully soft the way God loves on and heals this woman and I thought of us. God doesn't force his love on us. He doesn't demand our love before he loves us and he doesn't change with the weather. He loves us and he calls us HIS.

"You are mine" made me think of the Valentines Day candy we got as children.

What we're looking for in love is someone to value us enough to want to keep us as they're own. I want to bring to your attention today that no matter your relationship status you are somebodies, and he loves you already. He gently tugs at the strings of your heart to bring you closer to him, but he isn't going to force you.

God loves you and he loves you unconditionally, transparently with eager devotion and joy. As this week of love and romance intrudes, don't forget the 1st love: God's Love.