February 15 – Abide in My Love

February 15 – Abide in My Love

“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love” (John 15:9).

The Greek word which translates to “abide” is meno which means to stay, remain or reside. So, Just as Jesus has stayed in his Father’s love, we are to remain in His love.

This love is unfathomable.  We can not begin to imagine the depths of love which are available to us. It is also complete.  Jesus used a tense in this sentence to describe both His and the Father’s love as complete.

In the relationships we have with each other, we expect love to grow.  As we get to know someone better, our love for them expands. If they hurt us, our love might contract.  Loving is a continuous roller-coaster for us, but that is completely different than what Jesus describes.

He looks out to the cross and knows that nothing will change. He will go to the cross because of God’s love for the world.  We can’t make Him love us any more or any less.  His love for us is complete.

There is a story told about a professor who fills a jar with large rocks, when his students call it ‘full,’ he adds pebbles, then he adds sand and finally he adds water.  There is always room for something more in the jar.

That’s not the way it is for God’s love because God is love.  Love is a definition of God.  God is the definition of love.  His creation came about through love. Everything He did throughout the Old Testament was out of love for His creation. From the moment of our conception to the moment we leave this earth and enter eternity, we are loved by Him.  It is complete. God loves.

God doesn't love us any more or less because of our behavior.  We can do nothing to earn His love.  His love is unfathomable to us and yet it is complete.

Today … stay in that love and know that it is everything you need.