Wednesday, November 08, 2006

still amazed by "first love"

i read a book recently entitled "in the name of jesus" by henri nouwen. in this book he refers to God's unconditional love for us, his love that seeks us before we are concerned with him as God's "first love."

everywhere i turn i'm reading things that remind me of God's incredible love for us as we are. this is not a sloppy love that gives credence to half-hearted christianity, but rather a burning love for us that, when encountered, sets our hearts ablaze, also. you cannot know the truth of God's "first love" and not immediately desire to know this God more. i believe anyone who hears the message of God's love and says to himself, "yeah, i know - 'jesus loves me.' nothing new here..." hasn't really heard the message of "first love."

here are some quotes that apply:

from "secrets of the secret place" by bob sorge... "[God] doesn't enjoy you any less because you struggle. he knows your weakness. he sees your failures, but yet he owns you as his child and enjoys you even when you fall! he loves it when you pick yourself up and keep stepping forward again into his arms. how comforting to know we can bring the entire package of our inadequacies and shortcomings into his presence and know that he lovingly embraces us and delights in us! he enjoys us at every stage of the maturity process."

psalm 8:4-5 NLT "what are mortals that you should think of us, mere humans that you should care for us? for you made us only a little lower than God and you crowned us with glory and honor."

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