right out loud… right in front of others or even alone – I love you Lord. I love you Father. I love you Holy Spirit. I love you Jesus. A gentle, somewhat quiet, peaceful proclamation of love to the God of the universe. I know the Lord loves us and we’re responding with our actions demonstrating love, but words are important too. If you haven’t, in your prayer time, in your being rescued time, by yourself, with others ever said – I love you Lord. Why not?
If you are married – have you used those words with your spouse? If you have children – have you used those words with them? Do the humans in your life know by your words that they are loved and appreciated and valued by you? I know that for some people saying ‘I love you’ is incredibly difficult. Perhaps you have been wounded in the past? Perhaps you’ve seen those words used to manipulate you or others? There can be all sorts of ‘excuses/reasons’ – valid? If your feelings are of love… what words do you use?
Even in the quiet, alone moments when you stop long enough to consider all that the Lord has done for you… and continues to do. Don’t you sense His love? You may not be the world’s greatest example of loveable, but look at all the words, that the Lord has used to tell you of His love. The entire Bible is a love letter to His creation.
Though there are countless verse that the Lord uses to describe His love for us, for YOU, and say the words out loud, I’m only going to indicate 4 as my evidence of His Word(s) of love:
“And may you, having been [deeply] rooted and [securely] grounded in love, be fully capable of comprehending with all the saints (God’s people) the width and length and height and depth of His love [fully experiencing that amazing, endless love]; and [that you may come] to know [practically, through personal experience] the love of Christ which far surpasses [mere] knowledge [without experience], that you may be filled up [throughout your being] to all the fullness of God [so that you may have the richest experience of God’s presence in your lives, completely filled and flooded with God Himself].”
[Ephesians 3:17-19]” Love endures with patience and serenity, love is kind and thoughtful, and is not jealous or envious; love does not brag and is not proud or arrogant. It is not rude; it is not self-seeking, it is not provoked [nor overly sensitive and easily angered]; it does not take into account a wrong endured. It does not rejoice at injustice, but rejoices with the truth [when right and truth prevail]. Love bears all things [regardless of what comes], believes all things [looking for the best in each one], hopes all things [remaining steadfast during difficult times], endures all things [without weakening]. Love never fails [it never fades nor ends].
[1 Corinthians 13:4-8]“Who shall ever separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? Just as it is written and forever remains written, “For Your sake we are put to death all day long; We are regarded as sheep for the slaughter.”
Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors and gain an overwhelming victory through Him who loved us [so much that He died for us].
For I am convinced [and continue to be convinced—beyond any doubt] that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present and threatening, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the [unlimited] love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” [Romans 8:35-39]“By this the love of God was displayed in us, in that God has sent His [One and] only begotten Son [the One who is truly unique, the only One of His kind] into the world so that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation [that is, the atoning sacrifice, and the satisfying offering] for our sins [fulfilling God’s requirement for justice against sin and placating His wrath].” [1 John 4:9-10]
These are words of love that are directed toward us. The God of the Universe owes us nothing, but He gives us everything and the most priceless gift is His love and how this is demonstrated, beginning with our salvation. How could we ever question a love like this? Why would we throw away our great reward? Why do we we not say – boldly, confidently, humbly ‘I Love you Lord. With everything that is in us, that I can ever say, nothing is greater than being able to say those 4 words.
I Love you Lord
