For God SO Loved the World

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

“This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.”

“This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.”

I’ve had a revelation recently – God Loves US! I’ve been spending a lot of time with the Lord, thinking, meditating, praying, desiring, asking for healing to flood my unbelieving heart, and crying out for glory to be released among those that have desired more for so long.

On my long 1900 mile journey a couple of weeks ago, the Lord showed me something that I had never seen before – perhaps never even thought before – and I almost had to pull off the road because of the magnitude of what this spoke to my heart. Exodus 20.

Do you remember this passage? Every human has it written in their heart – it’s a code – the code to the gates of heaven. Hint: It’s a bunch of ‘THOU SHALTS’ that have shaped, molded and imprisoned generations of multitudes, their cultures, and their religions.

My point is not to bring up the improper interpretation, but the original one, which leads me to what the Lord told me. It goes something like this: “I gave you these ten commandments to tell you how I always have, do, and will love you. I will not put anything between you and me, so I ask you to do the same. I will never speak against your identity as my son or speak of you as less than you are. I will always take a Sabbath so we can spend time together, life is about more than the pursuits that seem to be made available. I will always keep my word and provide for you when you honor your parents. I would never murder you in cold blood, I will not go behind your back to fulfill my emotional/physical needs but wait patiently for you. I am a gentleman, and I won’t take from you what is truly of any value to you. I will never testify against you.  And please know, that I won’t desire anything of yours that I don’t have the right to touch.”

Seems pretty basic, yeah? Somewhere along the way, through all of the things I’ve experienced and reasoned my way through, I think that I’ve allowed this Message from God himself to become muddy, complicated and I’ve devalued it’s deepest interpretation. I’ve tried to interpret interpretations, pray prayers that I thought were deeper in meaning, and cried out for revelations – that apparently I’d forgotten I’d been given some time ago.

God gave us the 10 commandments to tell us about His moral code, about Heaven’s honor system, and the secret to long life and success. He told us how He loves us. He told us how free will works. I heard it said recently, that freedom is not about doing whatever it is you please. Freedom is about doing what is right. He told us that if we will do these things, they will be our testimony, our love language, our story – and in this story we become re-presentation of His reputation. Maker of all things good. “God looked over everything he had made; it was so good, so very good!”

Father, you are good, and your covenant is perfect – better than any other vow that could be made or agreed upon, so please let it play out in my life in a way that is honoring to your gift of free will, as well as your even better gift of forgiveness, and let me know your voice, as you surely know mine.

Jesus, you are good, and your obedience is perfect, so please let it change my life in a way that is honoring of the Father’s perfect covenant to do only what is good, and let me love others in the way you’ve loved me with the Father’s love – even unto death – furthering the conviction that God is good to countless others.

Holy Spirit, you are good, and your guidance is perfect, so please let it bring freedom and healing to my heart in the places it has neglected to believe that the Father’s love is good, and that Jesus’ sacrifice is perfect – even unto madness and infatuation with something that can’t seemingly be seen.

Oh perfect Lover, come inspire me again with the story of why you made me, and let my restless heart be settled in knowing that you are Good, and even your judgments are full of righteousness, and your reproof full of a longing and desire to see me choose not only what is right, but what is best according to and in serving the covenant that you made with man when you breathed your first breath into the dust.

Oh Lord most high – let my declaration of love and belief in your compassion be heralded from all corners of the earth – and let your glory be established in my heart – and let my expectations be full of good things – and let my hands not be idle in obedience but accept that you delivered me from evil that I might see your kingdom come and become everything you intended for it to be.