Beautiful Word Devotional #137

Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.

1 John 4:8

Through the centuries, people have said and done all sorts of evil in the name of God. According to this verse, that doesn’t make sense because God’s nature is love. His very essence is love. His modus operandi is love. God is love.

So if someone is speaking or acting hatefully but proclaiming Jesus, something’s not right. Such hatred indicates no genuine knowledge of the one true God.

How did Jesus deal with those who hated? He rebuked them harshly, but he also demonstrated a better way to live. When, for instance, he could have rightfully wiped out all the people involved in his crucifixion, when he could have summoned legions of angels to rescue him, he chose something quite different; He asked that God would forgive them. He recognized that they didn’t know what they were doing. He loved them.

This same ability to love and forgive your enemies is within you through the power of the Holy Spirit. Calling on him, you can love others, however wrong their treatment of you, and demonstrate God’s outrageous love.

Lord, I need your Spirit to help me love and forgive, amen.