God’s Love: Infinite, Unconditional, Eternal

 

As many prepare to celebrate Valentine’s Day, we think about romantic love, and the joy of committing our lives to our beloved and anticipating the same in return. But true love is not reserved for one day a year, but should be in our hearts continually, regardless of the circumstances. Many couples began their marriage by promising to love one another for better or for worse, in sickness and in health, for richer or poorer, until parted by death.

Most of us believe that we love our spouse, children, and family deeply, as they do us. We hope that should the need arise, we would sacrifice anything for their good – even our life if circumstances demanded it. But we pray to God that we would never have to find out whether our love or theirs would meet that standard.

In contrast, God’s love is infinite, which means He can’t love us any more than He already does, nor could He love us any less. What a relief to know that we don’t need to work at earning His love, for we are saved by His grace through our faith (Ephesians 3:8-9) in the death, burial and resurrection of His son (1 Corinthians 15:1-4) as the only Way to Heaven (John 14:6).

And similarly, we don’t need to walk on eggshells for fear of losing His love when we sin, for if we confess our sins, He forgives us (1 John 1:9). Infinity plus anything, or infinity minus anything, is still infinity.

We can’t begin to wrap our heads around the concept of how much God loves us. God Himself is Love (1 John 4:8). He loved us so much that He gave Jesus, His only begotten Son, to suffer and die in our place (John 3:16) so that those who trust Him would live forever.

Jesus Christ, the sinless Lamb of God, loved us so much that He willingly died for us on the cross to pay the sin debt we could not begin to repay. He loved His earthly mother Mary so much that in the midst of His agony, He arranged for His beloved disciple John to take care of her for the rest of her life (John 19:26-27). He loved those who crucified Him so much that He asked His Father to forgive them (Luke 23:34).

On the cross, Jesus was covered in blood, oozing wounds, sweat and tears, devoid of physical beauty, His human body brutally disfigured beyond recognition (Isaiah 53:2). Not the lovely, frilly sentimentality of a Valentine, but the gut-wrenching, all-consuming fire of self-sacrificing love that knows no bounds.

His death satisfied the demands of God the Father, Who is perfectly holy and just, while His resurrection allowed all who trust Him to live forever with Him in Heaven. How can we begin to comprehend that God Himself, Creator of all, Love incarnate, loved us, regardless of how much or even whether we loved Him? (1 John 4:9)

God has loved each of us since before the beginning of time. He has loved us even while we were His enemies and children of the devil (Romans 5:8). But once we are saved, we become God’s children and friends, and God then loves us as members of His own family (Matthew 12: 49-50).

Because God is Love, His love enters our heart along with the Holy Spirit at the moment of salvation (1 John 4: 16). His love in our heart replaces not only hate, but also fear that keeps us from sharing His love and His Word with others. We love him, because he first loved us (1 John 4:17-19).

As humans, we experience different kinds of love. We may say “I love chocolate!” but that means a craving, preference or desire – not actual love. There are three Greek words for love. “Eros” means physical or sexual attraction. “Phileo” means brotherly love, or love that we have for our family, friends and like-minded people. Generally this type of love means that we have expectations of the ones we love – we treat them well, and we hope they treat us well in return.

But the Biblical word for God’s love is “agape,” which means self-sacrificing love.

The apostle Peter boasted that he would follow Christ even to the death, but when Jesus was arrested and crucified, Peter denied Him three times. But Jesus, because of His infinite love, not only forgave him but gave Peter three opportunities to express his love to Christ once He rose again. Three times He asked Peter, “Do you love me?” using the word “agape,” or self-sacrificing love. But each time Peter replied, he used the word “phileo,” or brotherly love (John 21:15-17).

Jesus told Peter that if he indeed loved Him, he should feed His sheep. If we love Christ, we can show it and please Him by sharing His love and His Word with others.

God loves us unconditionally, not in exchange for anything we could give us, because He needs nothing from us (Psalm 50:10). He loves us even when we sin or rebel against Him. His mercy spares us from the punishment our sins deserve, and His grace gives us blessings we don’t deserve (Romans 5:20-21)

Not only does God love us infinitely and unconditionally – He loves us eternally. He has loved us since before the beginning of time, when He conceived a special and perfect plan for each of us who would become His children (Ephesians 2:10; Jeremiah 29:11).

He loves us throughout our lifetime, saving us through His mercy while we were still sinners, and allowing us to sit in heavenly places with Him once we are saved. God will love us forever, “that in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus (Ephesians 2: 4-7).  

The love of Christ, shown to us in His mercy and grace, lasts forever. Each of the 26 verses of Psalm 136 ends with “for his mercy endureth for ever.” It’s as if God really wants to emphasize that He will love us throughout eternity!

Once we are born again, God gives us eternal life in Heaven and promises to give us glorified bodies at the Rapture, so that we will live with Him and experience His perfect love, joy and peace forever. Once we are truly saved by making a heart decision to follow Christ, we can never lose our salvation nor God’s love (Romans 8:39).

In 1 Corinthians 13, known as the “love chapter,” the apostle Paul describes the attributes of perfect, divine love. It is patient, kind, long-suffering. It is not envious, rude, proud, self-serving, or easily provoked. It “rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.”

Paul goes on to say that of faith, hope, love, the greatest of these is love. Why? Because in Heaven, we will no longer need faith, for our faith will have become sight. We will no longer need hope, for our hope of the Rapture, glorified bodies, and eternal life with Jesus Christ and our loved ones in Him will have been realized.

But love? Praise God, we will experience His infinite, unconditional love throughout eternity!  

Copyright 2026

Laurie Collett

Flowing Triplets: Let Your Light Shine!

 

Flowing triplets of God’s love, lightand living water describe His divine nature and bathe His children in His grace, 

holiness, and salvation.

God’s first recorded words were “Let there be light,” (Genesis 1:3). Light was and is essential to provide the energy to sustain all of His subsequent creation. Light and other forms of radiant energy flow continuously from the sun and other stars, traveling faster than anything in our known universe at the speed of 186,000 miles per second. Light travels in the form of a wave, much like waves we see in the ocean, but the frequency of the sine wave is so high that our eyes do not perceive the waveform.

Based on frequency, light can be divided into the visible spectrum, infrared radiation, and ultraviolet radiation. White light is composed of three primary colors: red, blue, and yellow, which when mixed together in pairs give rise to the secondary colors (purple, green, and orange). When we see a rainbow, the symbol of God’s promise never again to destroy the earth by flood (Genesis 9:13-16), we perceive it as having predominantly three bands corresponding to the primary colors.

Like matter, light and other forms of energy cannot be created or destroyed, because God spoke all that is into existence by the words of His mouth over the six days of His creation (Hebrews 11:3; John 1:3). However, Einstein’s famous equation involving only three terms showed us that energy and matter can be converted into one another. Energy equals matter times the speed of light squared, which is a number so large it is difficult to even imagine (448,900,000,000,000,000 in units of miles per hour).

Light on earth comes from the sun during the day, and from the moon and stars at night (Genesis 1:16), and all these praise the One Who made them (Psalm 148:3). God created these heavenly lights to give signs of His power, seasons varying in temperature and in earth’s growing cycles, and markers of time in days, months and years (Genesis 1:14).

God has used celestial lights for visible and prophetic signs of His majestic power, as in the sun standing still to aid Joshua in battle (Joshua 10:12-13), the blood moon to signify tribulation (Joel 2:31; Acts 2:20; Revelation 6:12), and the star directing the wise men to the Christ Child (Matthew 2:9). In the Great Tribulation, God’s judgment will be evident as the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven (Matthew 24:29).

The sun and moon illuminate the first heaven (Genesis 1:17), or earth’s sky where birds fly; the stars brighten the second heaven of outer space, and Jesus Christ, the bright Morning Star (Revelation 22:16), lights up the third heaven where God the Father resides (2 Corinthians 12:2). The New Jerusalem will have no night, nor will it need the light of the sun or stars, for Christ Himself will be its eternal light (Isaiah 60:19; Revelation 21:23; 22:5).

The goodness, holiness and power of Jesus Christ, Who is the Light of the world (John 8:12; 9:5; 12:46), shine in and on the darkness of sin (Isaiah 9:2; 60:1) just as the sun lights up our planet. But His followers are also the light of the world (Matthew 5:14) and light in the world (Philippians 2:15), for His light shines through us and reflects from us like the moon reflects the sun’s brilliance. We share with the world the light of the glorious gospel of Christ (2 Corinthians 4:4).

The prophet Isaiah, inspired by God, commanded the nation of Israel to arise and shine, for their Light would come in the person of Jesus Christ, and the glory of the Lord would rise upon them. That Light would attract not only the Jews, but also the Gentiles, and kings of many nations (Isaiah 60:1-3). That Light would shine with health, righteousness, and the glory of the Lord (Isaiah 58:8).

John described Jesus as the True Light with life that was the light of men, and that shone in darkness; and that lit every man who came into the world (John 1:4-9). The transfiguration of Jesus, in which His inner circle of Peter, James and John witnessed the brilliance of His glory, was described as His face shining like the sun, His clothing white as the light, and the voice of His Father speaking from a bright cloud (Matthew 17 1-5). This glimpse of Christ in His glory reminds us that He is clothed in light, honor and majesty (Psalm 104:1-2).

Jesus called His followers the light of the world, comparing us to a candle elevated on a candlestick and illuminating all in the house, and telling us to let our light shine before men to God’s glory (Matthew 5:14-16). He told His apostles that while they had His light, they were to believe in the light, so that they would be the children of light (John 12:36).

Because God is light, we should walk in the light, as He is in the light (1 John 1:5-7). God’s Word is a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns, and the day star rises in our once darkened hearts (2 Peter 1:19).

Jesus said that if our whole body therefore be full of light, having no part dark, the whole shall be full of light, as when the bright shining of a candle doth give thee light (Luke 11:36).

Praise God that He is not only our light, but also our salvation and strength! (Psalm 27:1). He is our light in the darkness of evil, radiating His grace, compassion, and righteousness (Psalm 112:4). Once we place our faith in Christ’s death, burial and resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:1-4) as the only Way to Heaven (John 14:6), we have no need to fear, for we shall bask eternally in His perfect light! May His light shine through us!

© 2014 Laurie Collett

Reposted from the archives

GPS

 

Photo by Ximonic, Simo Räsänen, 2010

Back in the day when GPS, or global positioning system, became popular, I had mixed feelings about this new technology that could map your position anywhere on earth using coordinates. On the one hand, it was reassuring to know that my car could be located in the event that I got stranded in an accident in a remote place. Yet it evoked suspicion of Big Brother watching me wherever I went, compromising my privacy even though I had nothing to hide. 

Those were the days when motoring associations still issued trip planners, or booklets with a separate page for each leg of a proposed road trip, giving directions, a map, mileage and fuel costs, and even sightseeing attractions, restaurants, and lodging along the route. Yet to be fully effective, using these required a navigator who would read the (often unclear) directions to the driver, both of whom were too preoccupied with getting from point A to point B to be able to relax and enjoy the journey. 

As computer technology took quantum leaps forward, the directionally challenged such as myself could depend on Alexa, a virtual assistant, whose consistently calm and steady voice would give us directions, allowing us to keep both hands on the wheel and to focus on the traffic and sights we might encounter. 

I remember an episode of the sitcom “The Office” in which the disorganized boss and his obsessive-compulsive employee were taking a road trip. Free-spirited Michael wanted to wing it rather than follow directions, which was the pattern of his life, while Dwight insisted on rigidly obeying every GPS command, even as it led his new car straight into a swamp. 

“Back up 3 feet and proceed to the route,” intoned the pleasant, ever calm voice, while Michael waved his arms in desperation. 

Now that GPS-directed travel has become routine, my husband and I still disagree about its optimal use. When we are meeting our son for dinner downtown, my husband wants to take the usual highway route because it’s familiar and he knows the way. But I prefer him to use GPS, because it sees the whole traffic, construction, and accident situation and can route us around any obstacles or delays. 

Most of the time I win, but as soon as Alexa has us looping through back streets in what appear to be pointless circles, my husband gets aggravated and wants to go his own preferred way. 

“Well, there’s no sense in using Alexa if you’re not going to trust what she says,” I protest. Usually he gives in to the two female voices in the car – mine chiding and a bit impatient, while Alexa maintains her unruffled calm. At least until we pull over for gas or a pit stop, at which point she keeps repeating “Proceed to the route.” Even the most unimpassioned voice can seem annoyingly insistent when the message does not change! 

But Alexa prevails in the end, and we arrive at the restaurant safely, having made the best possible time thanks to a minimum of traffic delays. 

It reminded me that God is our unfailing GPS, our navigational system throughout life, keeping us on the best path even if that involves unexpected twists and turns. Once we are born again (John 3:3-8) by trusting in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:1-4) as the only Way to Heaven (John 14:6), His Holy Spirit enters our heart (2 Corinthians 1:22; 3:3; Galatians 4:6). His still, small, voice is always there, if we choose to listen (1 Kings 19:12; 1 Thessalonians 5:19; Ephesians 4:30). 

How reassuring, and yet sometimes how terrifying, to know that we can never escape God’s watchful eye. Wherever we go, anywhere on earth or even into outer space, we cannot escape His faithful presence. Even more profoundly than the GPS, He tracks our every move, whether we are in the center of His perfect will, seated in heavenly places with Him (Ephesians 1:3; 2:6), or backslidden into the miry pit of this world (Psalm 139:1-10). 

This is a tremendous source of comfort when we are following His plan for our life. It should also be a fearsome motivator to return to Him when we know we are in disobedience, for He will chastise or even scourge His children when needed (Hebrews 12:6-11).  God has eyes and ears everywhere in the universe He created and sustains (John 1:1-3), so nothing escapes His attention. 

If Alexa directs our car into a swamp, she may be relying on outdated or inaccurate information, but God’s wisdom and knowledge are perfect, comprehensive, and complete (Proverbs 2:6; Romans 11:33; Colossians 2:3). If we listen to Him, He will keep us out of trouble and on His best path (Proverbs 3:5-6). As His vision is completely accurate and all-encompassing, His GPS could stand for "God's Perfect Sight." 

Despite her pleasant, almost sultry voice, Alexa is a computer program devoid of will or emotion, and she has no interest in our ultimate destination. Yet our God is a jealous God Who desires and deserves our full attention and loyalty (Exodus 20:5, Deuteronomy 5:9), but Who loves us infinitely (1 John 4:8-9; 3:1, Romans 5:8, 8:39) and wants to bless us with His very best gifts (1 Corinthians 2:9; Ephesians 2:4; 3:19, 5:2; James 1:17). When we yield control of our journey to Him, He gives us the peace that passes all understanding (Philippians 4:7), as well as the blessings of beautiful sights and sounds along the way. 

The choice is ours – we can ignore God’s voice at our own peril, relying on our own flesh to get us to where we think we want to go, or we can follow Him, willingly placing our destiny in His loving, all-powerful hand where we are safe from all dangers (John 10:28-29). 

The bumper stickers that say “Jesus Is My Copilot” have it all wrong. Don’t you want God to be in the driver’s seat?  

© 2020 Laurie Collett

Edited and reposted from the archives

How Does God Love Me? Let Me Count Three Ways.

 

Photo by Sheba_Also 2016

Valentine’s Day started me thinking about perfect Love, the Supreme Lover, and the ultimate Loving Gift. God’s love for us is infinite, eternal, and unconditional, for it has no limits, transcends all time, and requires nothing in return.]

His infinite love reflects His almighty power (Genesis 17:1, 18:14; 28:3, Jeremiah 32:27; Colossians 1:16) to give us all good things (Matthew 7:11; Luke 11:13); His perfect wisdom, to know and do what is best for us (Psalm 139; Romans 8:28; 11:33-36); and His omnipresence, to protect, embrace and comfort us no matter where we go (Psalm 139; Revelation 1:8).

 

 He alone is love itself (1 John 4:8), the source of all blessings (James 1:17), and the light that overcomes all darkness (2 Samuel 22:29; Psalm 112:4; Isaiah 9:2; Matthew 4:16; John 1:5; 8:12; 12:35,46; 1 John 1:5). He made His loving plan for us (Jeremiah 33:2-3) from the foundation of time (2 Timothy 1:9; Ephesians 1:4); He loved us from before we were even conceived (Psalm 139:16;Jeremiah 1:5); and His love is everlasting, continuing throughout eternity (Jeremiah 31:3). We love Him because He first loved us (1 John 4:19).

 

We know His unconditional love through His grace, as He gives us blessings we don’t deserve (Ephesians 2:8); His mercy, as He spares us from the punishment we do deserve (Psalm 109:26; 136:26; Isaiah 30:18; Romans 11:30; Ephesians 2:1-7) and His universal acceptance of all who have faith in His Son’s death, burial and resurrection as the only way to eternal life (1 Corinthians 15:1-4; John 14:6), regardless of their race, sex, or religious heritage (Galatians 3:28).

 

Because His love is unconditional, it is self-sacrificing to the point of death (1 John 3:16), it flows from a servant’s heart (John 13:5-14), and it is unmerited, for there is nothing we can do to earn it (Ephesians 2:8-9). He gave us the perfect Gift of His sinless Son, Who willingly laid down His life for us (John 15:13), empowered by the Holy Spirit (Hebrews 12:2-4). And He did all this while we were yet sinners (Romans 5:8; Ephesians 2:5), rebels against His truth (1 John 4:3), and His enemies (Romans 5:10).

 

The incomprehensible richness of this love is possible only because He is One in Three Persons: our Father (Matthew 6:9); Jesus, our Bridegroom (Matthew 9:15); and the Holy Spirit, our Comforter (John 14:16). Each Member of the Trinity not only exemplifies what each of these relationships should ideally be like with their earthly counterparts, but each is perfect, complete, and ever present to sustain us.

 

God the Father sits on His throne in Heaven (Psalm 45:6; 47:8; Matthew 5:34, from which He rules all things, everywhere, throughout all time, commanding all matter, space and time. Yet He is our Abba Father (Romans 8:15; Galatians 4:6), our Daddy Who loves for us to come running to Him for reassurance, forgiveness, and encouragement (Luke 15:20). We can boldly approach His throne (Hebrews 4:16) with our requests because when our Holy Father looks at us, He does not see our sins, but only the perfect righteousness of His Son Who was the perfect sacrifice reconciling sinners to Holy God (Romans 3:25: 1 John 2:2). 

 

Not only was Jesus that perfect Sacrifice, and now the High Priest Who intercedes for us while sitting at the right hand of God the Father (Hebrews12:2), but He is also our Betrothed, for the church of born-again believers is His bride. He is our Bridegroom (Matthew 9:15), Husband (2 Corinthians 11:2), and Beloved (Song of Solomon 2:3,8-10,16,17). 

 

According to the Jewish marriage custom, a man seeking to marry breaks bread with his beloved and her father, and if she accepts his proposal, she drinks from the same cup that he does. He then returns to his father’s house to build an addition for himself and his bride, and when his father decides the new home is ready, the groom returns unannounced to claim his bride, carrying her off with a great shout in the middle of the night. Therefore, the bride-to-be must keep herself pure and ready, for she knows that he will come back for her, but she doesn’t know when. 

 

When we place our faith in the power of Christ’s shed blood, it is as if we drink of that cup of suffering with Him, and during the remainder of our earthly life we become more conformed to His image through those sufferings and through the power of His resurrection (Philippians 3:10). We are the bride awaiting Christ’s return, and only the Father will determine when the mansion He is preparing for us is ready (John 14:2-3; Matthew 24:36; Mark 13:32). Without warning, at the sound of the trumpet, He will snatch us away to meet with Him in the air (1 Corinthians 15:52; 1 Thessalonians 4:16) and take part in the marriage ceremony and feast (Revelation 19:7-9).

 

We must therefore be like the wise virgins awaiting the Bridegroom’s return, keeping our lamps trimmed and filled with oil, symbolizing being filled with the Holy Spirit (Matthew 25:1-13). Only through the Spirit is it possible for us to remain separated and holy as His bride, preparing for His return.

 

Meanwhile, the Holy Spirit, Who indwells each believer at the moment of salvation (John 14:17), is our constant Comforter, Companion, and Guide (John 16:7). At the moment of salvation, He gives each of us at least one spiritual gift to use to grow the church by sharing the Gospel, to fortify the church by helping, exhorting, and teaching fellow believers, and to glorify God in all that we do (1 Corinthians 12).

 

Throughout our Christian walk, the Comforter enables us to bear the fruit of the Spirit, described in three groups of three (Galatians 5:22-23): the sweet fruit we enjoy of love, joy and peace; the fruit governing our relationships with each other (longsuffering, gentleness, and goodness), and the fruit of self-control (faith, meekness, and temperance). 

 

As our Companion, He is the Friend Who sticks closer than a brother (Proverbs 18:24), for He will never leave us nor forsake us (Hebrews 13:5). How can He leave us, for He inhabits our very body (1 Corinthians 3:16) as His temple! As our Guide, the Spirit constantly draws our focus to Jesus Christ (John 15:26; 16:13-14), teaches us to understand the Scripture (John 14:26), and allows us to know that we belong to God evermore (1 John 4:13-16).

 

Praise Him that He allows us to be children of God the Father, joint heirs with Christ (Romans 8:17) through our relationship to Our Father and as the betrothed of God the Son, and His ambassadors (2 Corinthians 5:20) through the work of the Holy Spirit!  What greater love could there be?

 

1 John 4:7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. 8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. 

 

© 2013 Laurie Collett

Reposted from the archives

Are You In the Flow? Triplets of Love, Light, and Living Water

 

Photo byUoaei1

Are you “in the flow?” When athletes, artists, or speakers experience a peak performance, they often refer to that as being “in the flow.” All of us have enjoyed those rare days when everything seems to flow smoothly, from not hitting any traffic lights, to finding the perfect parking space, to accomplishing our daily goals effortlessly, joyfully, and without obstacles.

In the Bible, the word “flow” describes an ongoing supply of blessings. The Promised Land flows with milk and honey (Exodus 3:8,17; 13:5; 33:3, etc.), and spices flow from His garden of delights (Song of Solomon 4:16). Waters flow at God’s command (Psalm 147:18) to refresh His people (Jeremiah 18:14), and God’s wisdom is like a flowing brook (Proverbs 18:4) 

When God redeems His people, they will flow together to the goodness of the Lord, for wheat, and for wine, and for oil (Jeremiah 31:12), All nations will flow into God’s house in the Millennial Kingdom (Isaiah 2:2; Micah 4:1).

Like all blessings, being in the Divine flow is a gift from God. It results from handing over our cares and burdens to Him (Matthew 11:28-30; 1 Peter 5:7); yielding to His Holy Spirit (1 Thessalonians 5:16-19), and trusting Him to work all things together for good (Romans 8:28). Experiencing the Divine flow is possible only for those who are born again (John 3:3-8) by placing our faith in Christ’s death, burial and resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:1-4) as the only Way to Heaven (John 14:6).

God’s Triune nature is reflected in so many aspects of His character, attributes, and creation, as we have discussed before. The Divine flow is also expressed in triplets of love, light, and living water streaming abundantly from His radiant Being. These surround us in a nurturing, illuminating, outpouring fountain of Himself.

When I think of how God reveals Himself through His creation, through His relationship to us, and through the lives of His fully yielded children, a unifying theme is His freely flowing energy that guides us, saves us, and cleanses us. His self-sacrificing love (John 3:16) gives us eternal, abundant life (John 10:10); His Word is the light that shows us the way (Psalm 119:105); and He is the fountain of Living Water Who has forever cleansed us from our sins (Jeremiah 17:13).

Because God is love (1 John 4:8), light (1 John 1:5), and Spirit (John 4:24), we are commanded to walk in love (Ephesians 5:2), to walk in the light (1 John 1:7; Ephesians 5:8), and to walk in the Spirit (Galatians 5:16,25). The Holy Spirit in Scripture is often symbolized by water, as in the rivers of living water that flow from anyone who believes that Jesus is the Son of God (John 7:38).

John the Baptist noted the transition that would occur from his baptizing believers with water to Jesus Christ baptizing with the Holy Spirit. In the baptism of Jesus, He arises from the water as the Spirit descends on Him, the light of Heaven shines upon Him, and the Father announces His love for His Son (Matthew 3:16-17; Mark 1:8-11; Luke 3:21-22).

Before God even spoke His first recorded command, “Let there be light,” (Genesis 1:3), the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters (Genesis 1:2). God described the light and all the rest of His creation as “good,” reflecting His loving nature in designing His creation to be solely good and not evil.

God hath made the earth by his power, he hath established the world by his wisdom, and hath stretched out the heaven by his understanding (Jeremiah 51:15-16). Although Satan is now the prince of the power of the air Ephesians 2:2), God retains His control over all His creation, including the rain, lightning, and wind (Jeremiah 10:12-13). We have all experienced His infinite power in torrents of rain flowing from Heaven, lightning bolts transforming electrical energy to light, heat and sound, and wind, which, like the Spirit, is invisible but known by its effects (John 3:8).

We appreciate being “in the flow” as we praise God for His power and His wisdom, but especially for His love. We know God only because His love flows from us to one another (1 John 4:7-21), and the world knows we are Christians only when our love flows to them. God commands us to love Him with all our heart, soul, and strength (Deuteronomy 6:5), and Jesus said we are to love Him with all our heart, soul, and mind (Matthew 22:37). Loving God means to fear Him, to walk in all his ways, and to serve Him with all our heart and soul (Deuteronomy 10:12). Our faith in Christ leads us to love Him, which leads God the Father to love us as His children (John 16:27).

We cannot imagine the depths of God’s love and the rewards He has planned for us, for they cannot compare with anything we have seen, heard, or longed for in our hearts (1 Corinthians 2:9). When we love God, Who first loved us and saved us, we can experience His love pouring over us like the flowing melody of joyful music. Zephaniah 3:17 tells us that God will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing!

Praise God that His love flows from all three Persons of the Trinity: the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost (2 Corinthians 13:14). Praise God that His perfect love flowing through us washes us from fear (1 John 4:18), bathing us instead in power, love, and a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7). May we delight in the flow of His love, light, and living water!

© 2014 Laurie Collett

Reposted from the archives

GPS

Photo by Ximonic, Simo Räsänen, 2010

Back in the day when GPS, or global positioning system, became popular, I had mixed feelings about this new technology that could map your position anywhere on earth using coordinates. On the one hand, it was reassuring to know that my car could be located in the event that I got stranded in an accident in a remote place. Yet it evoked suspicion of Big Brother watching me wherever I went, compromising my privacy even though I had nothing to hide. 

Those were the days when motoring associations still issued trip planners, or booklets with a separate page for each leg of a proposed road trip, giving directions, a map, mileage and fuel costs, and even sightseeing attractions, restaurants, and lodging along the route. Yet to be fully effective, using these required a navigator who would read the (often unclear) directions to the driver, both of whom were too preoccupied with getting from point A to point B to be able to relax and enjoy the journey. 

As computer technology took quantum leaps forward, the directionally challenged such as myself could depend on Alexa, a virtual assistant, whose consistently calm and steady voice would give us directions, allowing us to keep both hands on the wheel and to focus on the traffic and sights we might encounter. 

I remember an episode of the sitcom “The Office” in which the disorganized boss and his obsessive-compulsive employee were taking a road trip. Free-spirited Michael wanted to wing it rather than follow directions, which was the pattern of his life, while Dwight insisted on rigidly obeying every GPS command, even as it led his new car straight into a swamp. 

“Back up 3 feet and proceed to the route,” intoned the pleasant, ever calm voice, while Michael waved his arms in desperation. 

Now that GPS-directed travel has become routine, my husband and I still disagree about its optimal use. When we are meeting our son for dinner downtown, my husband wants to take the usual highway route because it’s familiar and he knows the way. But I prefer him to use GPS, because it sees the whole traffic, construction, and accident situation and can route us around any obstacles or delays. 

Most of the time I win, but as soon as Alexa has us looping through back streets in what appear to be pointless circles, my husband gets aggravated and wants to go his own preferred way. 

“Well, there’s no sense in using Alexa if you’re not going to trust what she says,” I protest. Usually he gives in to the two female voices in the car – mine chiding and a bit impatient, while Alexa maintains her unruffled calm. At least until we pull over for gas or a pit stop, at which point she keeps repeating “Proceed to the route.” Even the most unimpassioned voice can seem annoyingly insistent when the message does not change! 

But Alexa prevails in the end, and we arrive at the restaurant safely, having made the best possible time thanks to a minimum of traffic delays. 

It reminded me that God is our unfailing GPS, our navigational system throughout life, keeping us on the best path even if that involves unexpected twists and turns. Once we are born again (John 3:3-8) by trusting in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:1-4) as the only Way to Heaven (John 14:6), His Holy Spirit enters our heart (2 Corinthians 1:22; 3:3; Galatians 4:6). His still, small, voice is always there, if we choose to listen (1 Kings 19:12; 1 Thessalonians 5:19; Ephesians 4:30). 

How reassuring, and yet sometimes how terrifying, to know that we can never escape God’s watchful eye. Wherever we go, anywhere on earth or even into outer space, we cannot escape His faithful presence. Even more profoundly than the GPS, He tracks our every move, whether we are in the center of His perfect will, seated in heavenly places with Him (Ephesians 1:3; 2:6), or backslidden into the miry pit of this world (Psalm 139:1-10). 

This is a tremendous source of comfort when we are following His plan for our life. It should also be a fearsome motivator to return to Him when we know we are in disobedience, for He will chastise or even scourge His children when needed (Hebrews 12:6-11).  God has eyes and ears everywhere in the universe He created and sustains (John 1:1-3), so nothing escapes His attention. 

If Alexa directs our car into a swamp, she may be relying on outdated or inaccurate information, but God’s wisdom and knowledge are perfect, comprehensive, and complete (Proverbs 2:6; Romans 11:33; Colossians 2:3). If we listen to Him, He will keep us out of trouble and on His best path (Proverbs 3:5-6). 

Despite her pleasant, almost sultry voice, Alexa is a computer program devoid of will or emotion, and she has no interest in our ultimate destination. Yet our God is a jealous God Who desires and deserves our full attention and loyalty (Exodus 20:5, Deuteronomy 5:9), but Who loves us infinitely (1 John 4:8-9; 3:1, Romans 5:8, 8:39) and wants to bless us with His very best gifts (1 Corinthians 2:9; Ephesians 2:4; 3:19, 5:2; James 1:17). When we yield control of our journey to Him, He gives us the peace that passes all understanding (Philippians 4:7), as well as the blessings of beautiful sights and sounds along the way. 

The choice is ours – we can ignore God’s voice at our own peril, relying on our own flesh to get us to where we think we want to go, or we can follow Him, willingly placing our destiny in His loving, all-powerful hand where we are safe from all dangers (John 10:28-29). 

The bumper stickers that say “Jesus Is My Copilot” have it all wrong. Don’t you want God to be in the driver’s seat?  

© 2020 Laurie Collett