Day 33: God’s Love is Our Gift
Romans 5:5
“And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us” (Rom. 5:5).
God is a self-revealing God, and He is always eager to reveal His love. This is an invitation to an encounter with God, which is an encounter with love. Love is who He is. He can’t differ from unconditional love.
I often meet with those who are so burdened with shame that they cannot approach God. Together, we ask Jesus for a fresh revelation of God’s love for them. He never disappoints. I frequently witness the weeping that comes when God pours out His love into their hearts through the Holy Spirit. Honor replaces shame. Joy returns.
Likewise, when we teach our youth to hear God’s voice for the first time, the words they first hear and recognize are “I love you.”
In Acts 2:17-18, God declares He will pour out His Spirit on all flesh and they shall prophesy. This is an act of God’s character of love. He has made Himself known to us through His “rhema” words to our hearts, inviting relationship and intimacy.
The Holy Spirit is constantly communicating God’s character, truth, and will. We must actively participate in acknowledging and receiving God’s love. This means continually being filled with the Holy Spirit, the expression of His love, the promise of the Father.
Reflection Prayer
Dear Father, thank You that You are love. I repent for not keeping myself in the love of Christ and falling into shame and fear. In Jesus’ name, now I receive a fresh revelation of Your love for me and the filling of Your Holy Spirit and joy. Thank You for hope and healing from shame and fear. Your perfect love casts out fear. Help me live daily knowing the love of God the Father, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit for the glory of Your name, Jesus. Amen.
Week 5: The Love of God
The Beatles famously said, “All you need is love.” The reality is that this statement is truer than most realize, but our understanding of love is limited—it is often dependent and conditional. That is not the love that people need; instead, we need true love.
God’s love displayed in Scripture and experienced in our lives goes beyond the love we know and experience on a daily basis. 1 John 4:16 says, “God is love.” Love is who He is; it is His character. He came to this earth to display this perfect love, to show Himself, and to provide an opportunity for all of us to experience what we long for—love.
Consider Romans 5:8: “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
“All we need is love,” and the good news is that love is given to us in Jesus Christ.
— Jim Sappia