God's Love Letter
Our romance started at college in my junior year. I was struck with love. I had a crush on her from the moment I set eyes on her. We did not have mobile phones, let alone messaging, texting, or email. It was all snail-mail in the 60s. When I was away from her during vacation times, I cherished her letters. I read them and reread them, over and over.
When I, for the first time, fell in love with God, I couldn’t get enough of reading His love letter, either. It was a “first love†experience similar to what I had experienced at college. Now, many years later, I ponder over my present experience. Am I still excited to read and reread His love letter to me? I must say that my love for Him has matured and I cannot imagine not spending time with Him for even one day.
I have gleaned seven gems from God’s love letter. If you have not yet fallen in love with Him, read one each day and reread them each week, and you may just find yourself with an irresistible urge to read all 66 of His love letters bound together in one book, called the Bible:
1. He gave His one and only Son to die in your place so that YOU may live!
For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16 NIV).
2. He adopted you into His family. Everything He owns is YOURS!
See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know Him (1 John 3:1 NIV).
3. He promises to love YOU forever and always be faithful to you!
I have loved you with an everlasting love. That is why I have continued to be faithful to you (Jeremiah 31:3b NET).
4. He asks YOU to pass on to others the love He gave you!
This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down His life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters (1 John 3:16 NIV).
5. He had a crush on YOU even before you met Him!
But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8 NIV).
6. He desires a relationship with YOU that is so close, constant, and committed, that nothing will ever separate you from Him!
For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:38-39 NIV).
7. He wants YOU to love like He loves!
Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God (Ephesians 5:1-2 NIV).
PS: As a bonus, I have discovered a serendipity of His love for me. It has a side effect. His love for me has helped my love for the lady I met at college, who is now my wife, to grow and mature into a deeper intimacy and lasting love that will continue till death do us part. I don’t have to write letters as often. I can simply spend time with her (without the TV, computer, phone, or any other distraction), and tell her, “I love you!â€