His Not Yours, I

John 5:²⁰ “For the Father loves the Son and shows him everything he is doing. In fact, the Father will show him how to do even greater works than healing this man. Then you will truly be astonished.” (emphasis added).

In today’s anchor scripture, we see Jesus boast in His Father’s love for Him and that is big. “The Father loves the Son…”, just like a boy on the playground says, ‘my daddy loves me’. God’s love for you is more important than your love for God. Your love for God is important and it is not either-or, the two have to be in place. Our love for God is important but God’s love for us is more important. In fact, our love for God can only happen and flow from God’s love for us. Any love that we have for God that does not flow from God’s love for us, is totally meaningless. If you check David’s life, one of the things that set David apart is, David was so immersed in God’s love for him. When you are immersed in God’s love for you, your love for God will be evident.

God, Himself testifies about David that he is a man after God’s heart, this is a man that loves Me. But it could only happen because David was so into God’s love for him. One of the things I am grateful to God for is that I have a name that reminds me every day of God’s love for me. God loves me, that is my name. Honestly, I have never really struggled with God’s love for me, not once. Maybe it can be traced to my name, but not once have I doubted God’s love for me. Even when I did not know God, I knew He was always going to show up and He always did. John is known as the Apostle of love. In fact, John refers to himself as the one whom Jesus loves. Throughout the Book of John, you would find that he refers to other people by their names. But when he gets to himself, he would say the one that Jesus loved. John was so intoxicated with Jesus’ love for him.

This is so important, stay with me. John 13:^23-25 “One of his disciples—the one whom Jesus loved—was reclining next to him; Simon Peter therefore motioned to him to ask Jesus of whom he was speaking. So while reclining next to Jesus, he asked him, “Lord, who is it?” (NRSV, emphasis added). Even Peter could not ask that question; Peter is known for his love for God, John is known for God’s love for him. God’s love for you will grant you access into places where your love for God will fail you. God’s love for you will grant you access to recline on the chest of Jesus and ask questions about things to come. It is beautiful. The other disciples would be jealous, don’t you think so? But John did not care about that; people that relish in God’s love for them really don’t care what everybody else thinks. Do not worry yourself about what every other person thinks. The love is available for everyone; take your own and do not worry about my own.

John 19:^26-27 “When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing beside her, he said to his mother, “Woman, here is your son.” Then he said to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his own home.” (NRSV, emphasis added). God commits the most precious things He has to people that are convinced about His love for them.

Prayer [song]: Your love is kind. Your love is patient. You fill my heart with so much peace and joy. You’re amazing. You make my life feel brand new (2x). Jesus, You love me too… Amen!