"The love of God has been poured out
in our hearts by the Holy Spirit
who was given to us."
Romans 5:5
He often hugged his ten year-old daughter and always said, "Honey, I sure do love you." One day she asked, "Dad, what have I done to make you love me so much." He replied, "Honey, you don't have to do anything to make me love you. I will always love you. One of these days, when you become a mother, then you will understand."
Years later, after being married for a couple of years, she had her first baby. While still in the hospital, she said to her dad, "Now, I understand." He said, "What do you mean?" She smiled with a tear rolling down her cheek, and said, "You told me that when I became a mother, I would understand why you love me so much." Dad had a few tears of joy, saying, "Honey, I will always love you, and now you have given me someone else to love that way."
Years later, after being married for a couple of years, she had her first baby. While still in the hospital, she said to her dad, "Now, I understand." He said, "What do you mean?" She smiled with a tear rolling down her cheek, and said, "You told me that when I became a mother, I would understand why you love me so much." Dad had a few tears of joy, saying, "Honey, I will always love you, and now you have given me someone else to love that way."
We can't really understand God's love for us until we experience it. The Holy Spirit pours out Father God's love into our hearts. We can hear sermons and songs about the love of God and still not really understand. God's love comes to us always and only as a gift. That means we can never earn nor deserve God's unconditional love. He is not waiting for us to become good enough to love us. Quite to the contrary, He loves us while we are still sinners and proved His love for us in the cross of Jesus. He gave us His only Son, and that's the gift of love.
Have you really experienced God's love? You may mentally accept the thought that God loves you, but that is not experiencing God's love in your heart. In a word, there is a vast difference in knowing about the love of God and actually knowing God's love. Only the Holy Spirit can put God's love into our hearts as the gift of the Father. That love becomes a real experience to all who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. Receive the gift of love.
Prayer: Father, may the Holy Spirit continue to pour out Your love into our hearts in Jesus name. Amen.
