Why are you cast down, O soul? Do you not know that your Heavenly Father loves you with an everlasting love and that “neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord”? [Romans 8:38:39] Look to Him when you are hurting, lonely, in pain and suffering, in trial or joy, war or peace, facing new life or early death – it is He who sits in the heavens ordaining all to come to pass in your life for your good and His glory. Come close to Him, Coram Deo … be quiet of heart and mind with Him and remember those days when He first spoke to your heart of His love and commitment to you and how He opened the Scripture to you. [Luke 24:32] He is with us and will never leave or forsake us with His love and presence. Go to Him – look to Him –You are loved because of Him.
Think these thoughts:
“Love is what happens when you look away from yourself and toward another.”[1]
“You will wake to a new day with the thought, I am loved. You will move through the monotony, the disappointments, the weeds and thorns of your work, with the thought, He loves me. When you eat at midday you will remember, I am His gift. This food is His gift. And you will find strength for your afternoon. On your bed you will remember Me; you will think of Me throughout the night. [Psalm 63:6] As you drift into sleep, you will know, He’s thinking of me. And you will find rest for body and soul. As you drink deeply of My love, you will be strengthened and renewed. Then the doing of your love will be the overflow. You will be so intoxicated with the thought, I am loved, that you will respond, “I love you too.” Giving love will then be your expression of joy, like a bride on her wedding day. “I know you love me…therefore, I can say, ‘in sickness and in health, in plenty and in want; I will be there for you.” When you learn how much I really love you, commitment will be no duty, only sheer delight. You will love because first you are loved. [1 John 4:19] Receive my commitment to you, “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with lovingkindness. [Jeremiah 31:3] Remember my gifts. Pull out the book of old love letters [Bible], reread them as you read them when love was new. Remember how much richer your life is because of My love.
Child, your doing of love must come from the abiding assurance that you are loved. You must be My love before you can do My love. Perhaps it is the greater side of faith for you to say, “I love You, Lord,” and to do anything for me that it is to say, “I love You, Lord – here, let me take just one more project.” If you love Me, yes, feed My lambs. But if you love Me, first be My lamb. And I carry my lambs close to My heart….”
You don’t have to be anything for Me except what you are, My child. You are Mine. Everything you are and everything you are not…. You are loved just because you are. I am the One who knows you best and also the One who loves you most. You were loved from eternity past, even before I brought you to life in your mother’s womb. “All the days ordained for you were written in My book before one of them came to be.” [Psalm 139:13-16]. You will be loved until eternity future when I will carry you across the threshold of the New Jerusalem, as My bride. I will wipe away your tears, and we will sit down to dinner. You will take freely of My love and we will be together, home at last.” [Revelation 21-22] [2]
O Deus, Ego Amo Te[3]
MY God, I love thee: not because
I hope for heaven thereby,
Nor because they who love thee not
Must burn eternally.
Thou, O my Jesus, Thou didst me
Upon the Cross embrace;
For me didst bear the nails and spear,
And manifold disgrace.
And grief and torments numberless,
And sweat of agony;
Yea, death itself; and all for me
Who was thine enemy.
Then why, O Blessèd Jesu Christ,
Should I not love thee well?—
Not for the hope of winning heaven,
Nor of escaping hell;
Not with the hope of gaining aught,
Not seeking a reward;
But as thyself hast lovèd me,
O ever-loving Lord!
E’en so I love thee and will love,
And in thy praise will sing,
Solely because thou art my God,
And my eternal King.
“Jehovah your God is mighty in your midst; He will save, He will rejoice over you with joy; He is silent in His love; He rejoices over you with joyful shout. Zep 3:17
[1] “Longing for Love,” Ruth Senter
[2] Ibid.
[3] Hymns of the Christian Church. The Harvard Classics. 1909–14. Latin Hymns, Attributed To St. Francis Xavier. Tr. Edward Caswall (1506–1552).
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