by Crystal Bowman
The theme of God’s love is all around us. It’s woven into books, poetry, sermons, greeting cards, song lyrics and more. In Ephesians 3:17-19, the Apostle Paul tells the church in Ephesus, “I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God (NIV).”
It’s impossible for us to comprehend the fullness of God’s love because we are limited by our human understanding. We can, however, begin to grasp God’s love with our finite minds as we observe our world and experience God’s presence.
God’s love is visible. Since the beginning of time, God’s love has permeated everything that exists. His love is evident in His creation as He cares and provides for everything He has made. He sends rain to nourish the earth and quench the thirst of His living creatures. He guides noisy geese as they fly south to escape frigid temperatures. He dots the midnight sky with billions of twinkling lights. And He stretches a multicolored rainbow across the heavens to remind us of His promise.
God’s love is personal. God is our father, counselor, teacher, healer, protector and friend. He is always there to listen to our prayers, comfort us in our sorrow and give us hope for the future. He speaks to us through the Bible, through circumstances, through wise counsel and through the Holy Spirit. God is our closest friend who will never leave us or forsake us. We can depend on Him to be faithful and trustworthy—always!
God’s love is unconditional. God is perfect and holy—and we are not. Even when we are committed to following Him, we fall into sin and can make a mess of our lives. But God’s love and grace are greater than our messes. When we admit our failures and give Him our messes, God can bring beauty out of brokenness. God’s love is not dependent on our behavior and choices, but His blessings are abundant when we live in obedience to Him.
God’s love is sacrificial. One of the most familiar verses in the Bible is John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life (NIV).” The following verse adds additional truth: “God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” We did nothing to earn our salvation. It’s a gift of God’s love, grace and mercy that we receive by believing in Jesus as our Savior. I love these words from an unknown author that are incorporated into the song “I Asked Jesus” by Eddie Holman: “I asked Jesus, ‘How much do you love me?’ He said, ‘This much.’ And then He stretched out His arms and died.”
Good morning, God loves you! As an author of children’s books, I enjoy planting seeds of truth in the hearts and minds of young children. My desire is to tell them that God loves and cares for them very much. My newest release is Good Morning, God Loves You—a colorful board book featuring children and adults enjoying God’s creation as the animals, ocean and mountains seem to say, “Good Morning, God Loves You.” This phrase is repeated throughout the pages until the readers get to the final spread. This is where children will learn that we can respond to God’s love by telling Him, “Good morning, God. We love you too!”
And that’s the powerful and simple truth! Though we cannot measure or contain God’s love for us, we can accept His love, embrace His love and respond, “God, I love you too!”
Crystal Bowman is an award-winning, bestselling author of more than 100 books for children. She also writes lyrics for children’s piano music and stories for Clubhouse Jr. Magazine. When she’s not writing books, she enjoys going for walks, listening to music and hugging her eight grandkids. To learn more, visit www.crystalbowman.com.
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