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Leslie Wittenmyer

February 1, 2025

1 John 4:19, New Living Translation

“We love each other because he loved us first.”


Where would we be without love? For God is love. Love is truly the greatest gift we have ever received. It was love to send Jesus, His one and only Son to this earth, fully God and fully man. It was love when Jesus went to the pavement, and then the cross for our sins. It was love that tore the veil, bringing us closer to our Father than ever before!

 

Scripture tells us, “We love each other because he loved us first.” (1 John 4:19, NLT). Because of the love of God, the love our Savior has for us, we are changed…transformed. We are able to see things from God’s perspective rather than our flesh. We are not perfect, that is why we need Jesus. But with His Spirit living inside of us, we are equipped to walk in the spirit, to walk in love, to love as Christ calls us to love. 

 

Scripture also tells us, “No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us… And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect…” (1 John 4: 12 & 17, NLT)

 

These scriptures encourage me! I need to know that I am loved. You need to know that you are loved! There may be times when life brings you to your knees and you feel like you can’t go on any more. Don’t give up! 

 

Christ’s love for you is in the revealing of God’s beautiful creation each sunrise. It's in the smile, hug, or handshake you received today. It’s in the surprise cup of coffee your best friend brought you. It’s in the compliment you received from a complete stranger. It’s in the prayers that are lifted to the throne of grace for you! What’s beautiful is that this gift, this love, is perfected in us as we live in God! This same love we receive, we also give. Because we all need to know that we are loved. And we all need to remember that we love because He first loved us! 

 

I want to challenge us to daily look for the little ways that God shows His love to you. Perhaps we are overlooking His love, our blessing, because we are too focused on everything that isn’t going right. 

 

Scripture tells us, “Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.” (1 Corinthians 13:13, NLT) Let us continue to receive His love and to give His love, because love will last forever!

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