Jesus Loves Me?

Christians and non-Christians alike have various reactions to the phrase “Love of God.” Unfortunately, one of the most common pictures people get is a vague image of Jesus with a lamb on His shoulders and a toddler on His knee. Along with this image comes the notion that He is so harmless and inoffensive that He couldn’t hurt a fly. “Don’t you know Jesus loves you? Awwww…”
 
I’m not going to argue today about whether or not Jesus loves you. What I am going to challenge is your idea of what that love entails – and whether you really want it.
 
In Exodus 15:13, Moses sang to the Lord, “In Your unfailing love You will lead the people You have redeemed. In Your strength You will lead them to Your holy dwelling.” He is declaring this after witnessing God sweep an entire army to their deaths in the Red Sea when Pharaoh tried to keep His people from coming to Him.
 
This is not the pansy love of a god afraid of what people think about him. This is the God who has made a covenant of relationship with His people, and means to keep it.
 
In Psalm 42:7-8, David declares to the Lord, “Deep calls to deep in the roar of Your waterfalls; all Your waves and breakers have swept over me. By day the LORD directs His love, at night His song is with me – a prayer to the God of my life.”
 
This is a God who overwhelms in power and strength, conviction and passion. A God who has been known to reach down out of heaven just to pull someone closer to Himself (Enoch, Elijah). The God before whom people could only fall facedown at the overpowering glory of His appearing (Daniel, Ezekiel, John). The God whose physical presence was so awesome His own people were afraid coming too close would kill them (Ex. 20:18-19).
 
This isn’t love for the timid. This is an ongoing encounter that will challenge every belief you’ve had about love, tear down every wall you’ve ever built, destroy every preconception about being “saved” – and completely wreck your ability to be satisfied with anything else. This is a relationship with a God Who freely admits His jealousy and is often described as a consuming fire (Dt. 4:24).
 
Are you ready? Do you really want it? Because this is the love of God: “Love is invincible facing danger and death. Passion laughs at the terrors of hell. The fire of love stops at nothing – it sweeps everything before it. Flood waters can’t drown love, torrents of rain can’t put it out…” (Song of Solomon 8:6-7).
 
Yes? You’re sure? Then step out. Ask Him to really show you His love today. Tell Him in no uncertain terms that you want to be overwhelmed. That you’re not afraid to be knocked off your feet, have everything in your life turned upside down, be completely consumed. When you find your feet again, let me know what happened…

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