What’s love got to do with it?…turns out everything.
I wanted to share a happy note for Valentine’s day weekend.
“This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. God didn’t go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again. Anyone who trusts in him is acquitted; anyone who refuses to trust him has long since been under the death sentence without knowing it. And why? Because of that person’s failure to believe in the one-of-a-kind Son of God when introduced to him.” John 3:16-18 MSG
Yvonne and I often spoke of the story of the “Prodigal Son”, or rather, a story of a father who had two sons as Yv liked to remind me. Yvonne liked to spend time with this parable, she had a way of explicating the deeper meaning. Years ago, dear friends of ours from England, Yopi and Daniel, turned us on to an English author & speaker, Adrian Plass.
Adrian tells of how the father held up his robe to run to his son and then hold him tightly, Adrian’s take was as the father held his son so tightly that it muffled the son's plea of what a failure he had become. Yvonne and I both grew to love this wonderful take on God's indifference concerning our tired, sometimes well rehearsed stories of self disapproval & shortcomings. Through Yv’s revelation we both grew as a couple to relate to the father the most. As we often discussed the story over time we related to other truths along the way as life often takes us. Our beloved Pastor Jim, who married us shared this nugget during our pre marital course, often our view of God is based on our earthly fathers. Yv and I had and thankfully have loving dads which helped with opening the door to our hearts for God to dwell. The story of Jesus and His relationship with the Father is a perfect representation for us of perfect love and how we are able to love.
“We love Him, because He first loved us.” 1st John 4:19 KJV
“Our love for others is our grateful response to the love God first demonstrated to us.” 1 John 4:19 TPT
These verses remind us of what is true and pure. God loves us so much more than we could ever comprehend with our earthly mind. The prodigal’s father shows us this insight to God’s heart for each of us.
These nuggets from the word give all of us that choose to believe such a rich insight to what love truly means and what can become the main focus of every believer as we journey through all of life, holding on to what's in our hearts.
I am often reminded about how thankful I am for first meeting my sassy, beautiful, Irish lady and how she so graciously and lovingly led me to know Jesus and become free from myself. She gave me the best a man could have, Yv was truly a Proverbs 31 bride.
Thank you all for the care and generosity you have bestowed upon me & our family. I personally have been so loved and encouraged by our family of God.
Love,
Grady O’
