LOVE!

Photo by Simon Berger on Unsplash.

(Tomorrow is Valentines Day!  Let’s celebrate the gift of Love!  Tell someone (especially God) that you love them!!!!!!!!)

God gave us the gift of love.  

Love is universal.  It is known in every language and culture.  It is omnipresent in this world.  It is everywhere at once because God who is omnipresent is love. I John 4:8.  
Love and God are synonymous.  To taste love is to taste God.  
He said, ‘taste and see that the Lord is good!’ Psalm 34:8 
Everyone has tasted love, but few recognize that the love they taste is God Himself!!!  Just a taste.

 Do you love your family?  You are tasting God.
Do you love a friend or significant other?  You are tasting God.
Do you love your cat?  The love you feel is God Himself.
Do you love your Pekinese or parrot?  You are tasting God.

When you feel God’s presence, you will know the difference between a taste and the depth of love He has for you.

He gave you the ability to love so that you might ‘taste and see that He is good’ and love Him in return.  This is His first and greatest commandment.  This is primarily and most importantly what love is for!  Jesus said, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind”.
And He gave us the gift of love to love our neighbors.  This is His second commandment.  He said, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Luke 10:27.

Love God, love yourself and love your neighbor.

But remember, that God’s love was given to you as a gift to be used within His framework. The scriptures make it clear that His love has boundaries.  The framework and boundaries he set in the scriptures are for your own protection.  Learn what they are and live by them for your sake and for His!  1 Corinthians 13:4-8 is the most famous of these scriptures regarding love. He gives you a definition of what love is! 
‘Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 
Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 

Love never fails.’ 

The true meaning and purpose of life is very simple.  God wants to have a loving and intimate relationship with you.  The whole world and everything in it point to one single thing.  It can be summed up in two words.

LOVE GOD!

Love
Loves you
Taste love
Taste God

‘Taste and see
that He is good’

Love Him
He loves you

Love. MRB  

Published by Stu Branston

ABOUT ME! MRB is my professorial nickname. My for real name is Stu Branston, Professor Emeritus, Oral Roberts University. Received a Bachelor and Master of Fine Art in Sculpture from the University of Washington, Seattle. Was a member of the Foster White, the most prestigious gallery in Seattle at the time. One of my sculptures was included in the Collection of Northwest Artists. Won a competition to create and install a sculpture for the Bellevue College, Bellevue, Washington. The sculpture, ‘Psalm 61’, is painted, welded steel. It weighs 5 tons and is 20 feet tall. Was a youth pastor for 5 years. Taught art at Seattle Pacific University for 5 years. Taught art at Oral Roberts University for 26 years and served as Art Department Chairman for 20 years. Retired as Professor Emeritus, 2013. Love to write poetry and photograph this amazing world we live in!

5 thoughts on “LOVE!”

Leave a Reply