RENTLESS LOVE

Unconditional?

“The LORD your God will inflict all these curses on your enemies and on those who hate you, who persecuted you. “And you shall again obey the LORD, and observe all His commandments which I command you today. “Then the LORD your God will prosper you abundantly in all the work of your hand, in the offspring of your body and in the offspring of your cattle and in the produce of your ground, for the LORD will again rejoice over you for good, just as He rejoiced over your fathers; if you obey the LORD your God to keep His commandments and His statutes which are written in this book of the law, if you turn to the LORD your God with all your heart and soul. Deuteronomy 30:7-10 (NASB)

Love is seen in our world today as acceptance. Acceptance of anything one chooses to do regardless of the morals used or lack thereof. The standard for right and wrong is no longer blurred; it has all but been erased! We now live in a world where what used to be right is wrong and what used to be wrong is becoming totally accepted. Moreover, if someone chooses not to accept today’s version of “right”, they are seen as haters.

When we consult the Bible, we get a much clearer picture of what love is, but hang on, it is not the typical understanding of today. We are told in I John 4:8 (NASB) that, “The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love.” He continues in verse 16 with “We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.” It is extremely easy to walk away with the idea that the love of God for us is unconditional and that we must unconditionally love everyone else, even what they do. However, you would be wrong!

God tells Israel in Deuteronomy 30:8-9 “And you shall again obey the LORD, and observe all His commandments which I command you today. “Then the LORD your God will prosper you …” Moreover, Jesus in comforting His disciples in John 14:15 says, “”If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.” While the love is God is unconditional meaning He always wants the best for us, but He demands something from us. If we choose to disobey Him… If we choose to do it our way… there are consequences. God’s love, or at least His blessings on us is conditional.

It seems so simple when you think about it. Every design in life has a purpose. We build our houses to a certain standard because we expect them to be safe, secure, and last a lifetime. We were created to last an eternity. Instead of trying to change the standards by which we live, let us live by the standard by which we were created!

Today’s Prayer

Dear Lord,

I thank You for loving me. I can never stray so far as to escape your love. I also understand that every choice I make has consequences. Help me to live my life so that my consequences will always be your blessing! In Jesus Name, Amen.