Love and Affection With God

Love and Affection With God (John 15:12-15)

John 15:12-15, “This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.”

Jesus, who is God, keeps the planets on course in their orbit around the sun; He keeps everything from disintegrating into chaos. This is great news for us because it means there is nothing too difficult for Jesus. He can help us with every problem. There is no wayward child, no sickness, no financial problem, and no troubled marriage too difficult for Him. Therefore, Jesus, who is God, can help with any problem.

Have you ever felt you would like to have a relationship with God like the great saints of the Bible? The most amazing and most marvelous truth in the world is God wants to have an intimate relationship with you and me. God has given us the Bible so we may know how to come closer to Him and have an intimate relationship with Him.

Does God ever seem far away? If so, we might wonder how involved in our life He actually is. At such times, we should rely on the truth of Scripture and the Gospels are a good place to start. Jesus’ life testifies to the divine desire for intimacy. He consistently reached out to strangers, inviting them to draw near to Him. He spoke words of encouragement to His followers. At the same time, He taught them the profound truths He had received from His Father (John 7:16) and held them accountable for their actions. And Jesus invited certain people to accompany Him for deeply personal experiences, such as the transfiguration and His last prayer retreat in the garden of Gethsemane (Mark 9:2; Matthew 26:36-37).

The Saviour’s sacrificial choice to die in our place made it possible for us to join Him in God’s family. The Holy Spirit, each believer’s indwelling companion and guide, also witnesses to God’s closeness and detailed knowledge of those who are His. Yes, God has made intimacy with Him possible. But all too often, we hold back. Distracted by earthly concerns, we put limits on His involvement in our life and set family and friends as higher priorities. Let’s commit to placing the Lord first and pursuing Him with our whole heart (Mark 12:30).

He lets us know that our relationship is further blessed by the fact that He promises us that we will enjoy an intimate relationship with His Father, also. Jesus tells us that because of our friendship, we are brought into a place where we will receive answers to our prayers. This is a great comfort as we travel through this world! Because we are in this relationship with Jesus, we are reconciled to the Father, and as a result, we are invited to come before Him and to make our petitions and requests known (Philippians 4:6-7; Hebrews 4:16). The idea here is that we do not travel through this world without a Helper and without a Friend (Matthew 28:20; Hebrews 13:5). Don't miss the blessing of the deeply personal relationship God offers.

How is God’s love impacting you today? You may be in a trial as a discipline from your loving Father. You may be feeling His sadness over times when only hardship causes you to learn. Don’t overlook what you discover about His love from the trials or discipline you endure. Your ongoing transformation can always be traced back to the things God’s love does in your life.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, You have searched me and known me. You know me so much better than I know myself. Thank You for loving me in and through Your Son Jesus in ways beyond what I can express. You always speak truth into my life, whether I accept it or not. You command, correct, instruct, and guide me, but most of all, You love me as You talk to me. You love me with a love I can spend the rest of time and eternity discovering and will never reach the end. I realize the best way I can show my gratitude is to welcome all You are doing in my life to conform me to Christ’s character. Forgive me for my resistance and reluctance. Thank You for not giving up on me and for disciplining me even in ways You know I won’t like. I realize that is Your love in action, always doing for me what I am neither smart enough nor willing enough to pursue on my own. Please accept today my willingness to endure more readily and love You back more deeply for all You have graciously done for me. Thank You for speaking into my life, Lord. Please continue that good work in me. In Jesus name, Amen.

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