The Breath of God has been teaching me about the one God loves …
… the class is still in session, and I must say, it’s been a delight!
Interestingly, in a joy-filled and targeted way, the HolySpirit picked Jacob (Israel) as the focus of study.
The aspect of what the HolySpirit continues to teach me that I’m excited to share with you stems from and is related to these words: “Jacob I loved, Esau I hated“. See Romans 9:13 >>> Malachi 1:2B, 3A
God is LOVE … how could He possibly hate Esau?
As I pondered on this, the HolySpirit helped me see that the definition of love/hate in this context is NOT limited to the earthly definitions and use of these words. With this in mind, let’s take a look at the first in the series of heavenly definitions of key terms: LOVE.
In order to give God, one must first have God. To have God, one must first RECEIVE God. It is important to note that being given a thing is NOT equal to receiving what was given. God loving us is NOT the same as us being loved by God– think of it as a two-sided coin.
Side #1: God loving us – this is ALWAYS and ETERNALLY the case. God can NOT BUT be Himself (LOVE). He is always loving (God-ing 🥰) us.
Side #2: Being loved by God (being loved by LOVE 🥰) – this is NOT always the case because it is a function of whether or not we receive LOVE (God).
God ALWAYS gives us God however, we must receive God in order to be loved.
Going by the above definition, Receiving God = Loved. Conversely, NOT Receiving God = NOT Loved (aka hate). Applying this definition and translations toMalachi 1:2B,3A, it would read:
Jacob received Me and thus is loved by Me, Esau did NOT receive Me and thus is NOT loved by Me.
What this means then is thatit is in receiving God that we are loved by God.
A similar but differently worded reference can be seen inJohn 14:21
The person whohasMy commandments andkeepsthem is the one who really loves Me … whoever loves Me will be loved by My Father,and I too will love him and reveal Myself to him. I will make Myself real to him.
John 14:21 (AMP)
Translation: whoever receivesand then gives God to Mewill be loved by God(My Father). To mean then thatthe one God loves is the one who receives Godand is thus loved by God.
God loves us sooooooo very (infinitely) much. In the exact same way that He loves us, God wants us to be loved. He wants us to be the one He loves – the one who receives Him.
Why does God want us to be loved?
So that we may live – truly, fully, and abundantly. This matters greatly to God.
Let’s take a look at two connecting scriptures under which this truth stands (#UnderStanding 🙂): Matthew 22:37-38 and Deuteronomy 30:20.
Love the LORD your Godwith all your heart (every passion of your heart), with all your soul (your entire being), and with all your mind (every thought that is within you).This is the first and greatest commandment.
Matthew 22:37-38
Love the LORD your God,obey His voice, cling to Him; for He is your good life, your abundant life, your fulfillment, and the length of your days,that you may live…
Deuteronomy 30:20
Based on the earlier definition of LOVE, it will be accurate to say that: loving God means giving God to God, rightly so too! God is the ONLY befitting offering (gift) we can give God. Moreover, God ONLY recognizes (acknowledges) God – the gist of this can be seen in Matthew 25:1-12 (specifically verse 12) – a different story for a different day blog 🙂.
In order to love God (give God to God) we must first have God to then give to Him. In other to have God to give to God, we must first be loved (receive God). Receiving God can NOT happen unless we first are given God. To mean we can NOT be loved IF God does not first love us –1 John 4:19– we love Him (ONLY) because He first loved us. It’s impossible otherwise. Thankfully, God gives, gives, and gives us God!
Let me remind you of The Eternal’senduring love,and why we should praise Him. Let me tell you again how the Eternal gives, gives, and gives.All God’s wonders and goodness are done for Israel’s benefit according to His great mercy and compassion.
Isaiah 63:7(VOICE)
Based on the understanding outlined so far, we see that there is a sequential connection between (1) being loved – receiving God, (2) loving God – giving God to God, and (3) living, all of which is possible solely because God loves us.
From the above illustration, we see also that there are two prerequisites to loving God (RE: two-sided coin):
The first is God loving us. As mentioned earlier, this is an eternal certainty. God assures us of this truth by speaking from the perspective of what’s already done – a done deal, better put, a forever (sure, solid, unchangeable, unshakable) done deal – no take backs! Surely, God does NOT give like the world gives (John 14:27)
The LORD appeared toIsraelfrom ages past, saying: I have loved you with an everlasting love. With unfailing love I have drawn you to Myself.
Jeremiah 31:3(AMP, NLT)
Pay attention, come close now, listen carefully to MY life-giving, life-nourishing words. I AM making a lasting covenant commitment with you, the same that I made with David: sure, solid, enduring love.
Isaiah 55:3(MSG)
The second prerequisite to loving God is being loved – being the one God loves. THIS, as mentioned earlier, is a function of whether or not we receive God.
Receiving God, as simple as it seems, is a HARD nut to crack on our own – we can’t crack it. It requires active participation and partnership with God.
What does it mean to receive God?
It means to believe God (every expression of Him, particularly His Word).
One of many scriptures indicating this truth is John 3:16
ForGod so lovedthe world thatHe gaveGod (Jesus – His Son, The Word of God, God Himself) …whosoever believesin Him will not perish but have everlasting life.
John 3:16
Whosoever believes to mean whosoever receives God. Other translations of the word ‘receive’ include: ‘to be receptive of’; ‘to welcome’; ‘to make room for, allow in, and keep in’.
The one whokeepsmy command is the one who loves Me.
John 14:15
Applying the above definition and translation to John 14:15, it will read as:
The one who keeps (receives, believes, accepts, and lives according to) My command (words) is the one who (can and) loves Me.
How does one receive (believe) God?
This essentially takes place in the heart …
With the heart a person believes … whoever believes in Him (God) will never be put to shame or be disappointed … anyone who trusts in Him will never be disgraced.
Romans 10:10-11(AMP/C, NLT)
… it involves trusting God.
… it involves NOT hardening one’s heart.
Today, if you will hear His voice, do NOT harden your hearts … encourage one another, as long as it is called Today, that none of you be hardened …
Hebrews 3:7-8,13
Hebrews 3:7-8,13 encourages us to not harden our hearts when we hear the Voice of Love – the Word of God, the very means by which hearing happens – Romans 10:17
Naturally, and without God’s help, we’re unable to hear, believe/receive, and trust God – our hearts are hardened. ONLY God (LOVE) can crack it open, remove the foreskin of hardness on our hearts, and make us receptive to Him. Hence, the need for God and partnership with God.
The Eternal your God will cut away and circumcise the hardness around your heart … SO THAT you will love Him completely, heart and soul, and you’ll live.
Deuteronomy 30:6(VOICE)
Thankfully, God is fully invested in us living truly, fully, and abundantly – He wants us to live (Deuteronomy 30:19). He is passionately committed to partnering with us by way of helping us.
It is I, The Eternal One your God, Who has hold of your right hand,Who whispers in your ear:do NOT be afraid, I will help you.
Isaiah 41:13(VOICE)
It is evident (from all of the above) that God wants us to live. He has made available to us all things requisite/suited to life (2 Peter 1:3) – LOVE, God Himself. What stands in our way is UNBELIEF – the sin that easily besets us! Through the knowledge of God and in partnering with Him, we can and will be receptive to the Word of God the Voice of LOVE) – the result of which is the translation from death to life.
I assure you, I speak to you an eternal truth: the personwhose ears are open to My words– who believes, trusts, clings to, and relies on Him Who sent Me has (possesses now) eternal life … has already passed from the realm of death into the realm of eternal life … has already left death and entered life!
John 5:24(AMP/C, TPT, VOICE)
God wants us to live. We live by Faith which comes only by hearing (being receptive to, NOT rejecting BUT receiving) the Word of God – Romans 1:17
Faith comes by hearing, and hearing comes by the Word of God.
Romans 10:17
God wants us to live. We live by the Word of God – by every Word that proceeds out of God’s mouth – Matthew 4:4B
God wants us to live, it is for this reason that He loves us – it is for this reason that God gave us God –John 3:16– and continues to do so by pouring His Love (Himself) into our hearts – Romans 5:5
To summarize …
- LOVE (God) is and leads to LIFE – Eternal Life (an endless giving, receiving, and giving God).
- The one God loves is the one who loves God – again, an endless giving, receiving, and giving God – a Virtuous Cycle! 💖
- Without being loved (without first receiving God), we can NOT love God (we can NOT have God to then give to God). Consequently, we can NOT live. To love God is to live.
Therefore, be loved as God loves you. Rest and live in the certitude of God’s Love.
Be loved … let yourself be the one God loves that you may love God and truly live.
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Heavenly Father, The One Who is LOVE, The One Who loves me, The One Whose love will NOT give up on me (Isaiah 54:10B VOICE). Thank You for the gift of You (LOVE) … Thank You for God-ing me, thank You for loving me with all You’ve got (Psalm 33:20 MSG), with all that You are. Thank You for the privilege to believe You (Philippians 1:29) and thus live. You are my livelihood. Thank You for giving me the capacity to hear and keep Your words as You speak deeply to me (Psalm 40:6 AMPC, TPT). Thank You for helping me rest in the certitude of Your Love through the knowledge of You – to know You is to love You, to love You is to live. Thank You for the matchless privilege to be the one You love.
Rivers in the Desert 