A Baby Named Love

Good morning, good morning! Praise the Lord this morning! For God is good and his mercies endureth forever!

Yesterday was a little busy for me and I did not get a chance to post a new message. The Holy Spirit led me this morning to a baby named Love. Our newest granddaughter is named Love and she has been under the weather with a bad cough and cold and needed a lot of our love yesterday.

I am reminded of why my daughter and her husband named their daughter, Love and I will share that with you in a minute. Isn't love what all of us are seeking? In some form or another, some us go seeking love in the wrong places, at the wrong time and with the wrong person. God reminds us throughout His word that He loves us. What greater love is that? That the Father, our Creator, loves us, and mostly, we don't deserve it. We didn't do anything to earn His love, He just loves us unconditionally, with no strings attached.

In today's world, people put conditions on love; I will love you if you do this or that; some have prenuptial agreements because they attached love with money; some pay for love, or is that called lust. What is a real love? There are few scriptures that come to my mind.

The Bible tells us in Romans 12:9-10 "be sure your love is true love. Hate what is sinful. Hold on to whatever is good. Love each other as Christian brothers. Show respect for each other."

In the book of 1 John 4:7-8, it states, "dear friends, let us love each other, because love comes from God. Those who love are God's children and they know God. Those who do not love do not know God because God is love."

Real love is God...for God so loved the world that He gave His only Son. Whoever puts his trust in God's Son will not be lost but willhave life that lasts forever. John 3:16

So when my daughter and their husband named their chld Love, and when they get upset with each other, they have only to look at this child they named and for which they named her and be mindful of the scriptures in 1 Corinthians 13:4- 8 that says,

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, 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 trust, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails."

It also reminds my husband and I that after 35 years of marriage, almost 36 years soon, that we too must cherish the Word of God for the direction that the Word gives. The Bible is replete with God's commands on love. It's a major theme throughout the entire Bible.

When we love the way God tells us to love, we love Him. If we love Him, then we have to love each other.

Our society confuses love and lust. Unlike lust, God's kind of love is directed outward towards others, not inward toward ourselves. It is utterly unselfish. This kind of love goes against our natural incinations. It is possible to practice this love only if God helps us set aside our own desires and instincts, so that we can give love while expecting nothing in return. Thus the more we become like Christ, the more love we will show to others.

We are truly blessed to have a baby named Love in our family, as a reminder of the love God has for us, and the love we are to have for one another. A day does not go by when I look at her that I reminded of this kind of love.

Thought for Today: Make sure your love is geniune. Put God first, and then love one another. Respect each other; be kind. That's real love!