free love
“I will heal their defection, I will love them freely.” —Hosea 14:5
The Lord wants to love us without any limitations put on Him. He wants to throw His arms around us, kiss us, and give us presents (Lk 15:20ff). However, we refuse His affection and love. Like adolescents, we think we’re too “grown up” for our heavenly Father to love us so freely and openly.
This attitude of staying aloof from God’s love is not a sign of maturity but of sin. We have defected from His kingdom into the kingdom of the world (cf Hos 14:3-5). We must repent and be healed of our defection to fully open up to the Lord’s love and not be cold and unresponsive toward Him. Lent means “springtime,” a time when the weather changes from the cold of winter to the warmth of spring.
Like the weather, we can change from giving the Lord “the cold shoulder” to having a warm affection for Him. Then we will let the Lord love us freely. As the summer comes, our relationship with Him may even move from warm to hot (Rv 3:15) because of the fire of Pentecost. May our relationship with the Lord heat up.
Prayer: Lord, may I never prevent You from expressing Your love for me.
Promise: “The Lord our God is Lord alone! Therefore you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.” —Mk 12:29-30
Praise: In prayer, Jean made a decision to be kind to a cantankerous neighbor. She saw that woman grow in love in response to her kindness.
Reference: (For a related teaching on Divine Love, listen to, download or order our AV 52-3 or V-52 on our website.)
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