Love and the Property of "Adhesion"

"How deep the Father's love for us; How vast beyond all measure, That He should give His only Son, To make a wretch His treasure...." (The Mandate 2006)

Today, Valentine's Day, is a day dedicated to love. How could we not spend a few moments here together in gratitude over the greatest love ever shown to humankind?

This day will be filled with all manner of demonstrations of love; little Valentine's cards exchanged on the elementary school playground; deliveries of boxed chocolates and flowers; dinners at fancy restaurants; poems written; rings given; vows exchanged... but of all these expressions of affection, however genuine and sincere, none can compare to that first and greatest love... the love the Father has for us.

Love comes from God. We read in 1 John 4:19, "We love because He first loved us." It was He (God Himself) who taught us what love truly is.

He has loved us with an everlasting love. (Jeremiah 31:3)

He loved us even before birth. (Jeremiah 1:5)

He loved us while we were yet sinners. (Romans 5:8)

He loved us when we wandered away. (Matthew 18:12)

He loves us into our old age. (Psalm 23:6)

God's love is the truest, purest form of love there is, and as well as each of the above verses describes that love... and I certainly don't wish to detract anything from Scripture... the little Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally LLoyd-Jones expresses it in a way that even the smallest child can understand: "God's never stopping, never giving up, unbreaking, always and forever love."

God loves us so much that He isn't willing to give up on us... EVER! That great love propels Him to pursue us, wherever we go, however far away we run, however long it takes... to bring us back into the fold and into His loving embrace.

All this got me thinking about grace.

Because God desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth, He sent His only Son to the cross to die in our place, to pay the penalty we all deserved, and to assure for us forgiveness of sins, salvation, and eternal life. It cost Jesus everything, but is a free gift to all who would simply receive it.

There is a metaphor I sometimes think of that has been, for me at least, the best way I can understand His pursuant love and hope to relay that love to others.

Imagine grace raining down from heaven, a torrential rain that soaks you to the bone. Water drips from your hair, your clothes, runs down your face and neck, pools at your feet. You have done nothing to make it rain. You are powerless either to start it or to stop it; the rain, God's saving grace, covering every ounce of your being, and all a free gift. There is nothing you need do.

Dance in the rain, and rejoice in the Gift and the Giver!

There are some who won't like the rain. They will run for cover. They will shake off the water that has drenched them; they will wring out their clothes; they will wipe their faces dry, but here's the thing...

In this metaphor, as in the physical world, water has the property of adhesion. It wants to "cling" to what it touches.

God's great love for each and every one of us moves Him to lovingly keep pursuing us, never stopping, never giving up, unbreaking, always and forever.

Thank you, God, for saving grace.

Thank you, God, for loving us first.

Thank you, God, for loving us best...

and thank you, God, for loving us with a pursuant and everlasting love.