Read Consider Divine Love Online

Authors: Donna J. Farris

Tags: #hope, #christianity, #inspirational, #faith, #domestic violence, #womens issues, #trust, #emotional healing, #divine love, #unconditional love, #gods love, #abusive relationships, #the bible, #agape love, #gospel of jesus christ, #battered hearts, #selfless love, #salvation through faith in jesus christ, #i corinthians 13, #the love chapter of the bible

Consider Divine Love (2 page)

BOOK: Consider Divine Love
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Why should I trust Christ? He
never answered my prayers.
- I cried out to God for help
many times, but he never came to my rescue. He never intervened to
stop the violence - not once! I begged God to stop my husband from
locking me in that awful closet over night, but God never delivered
me. Why didn't Jesus answer my prayers for deliverance? Where was
He all those times? It seems to me God was too busy helping my
husband. I guess men really do stick together.

The bible says Christians are
servants of God, right? What's the difference between being a slave
to my abuser or being a slave of God? Seems to me both
relationships have the same outcome.
- My husband treated me
like a piece of property; like he owned me. I couldn't go or do
anything without his permission. He controlled every move I made.
Every phone call, every letter, every friendship, every trip to the
grocery store was closely monitored. I couldn't even talk to my
friends without asking him first. Every morning he prepared a "to
do list" for me. If I didn't complete each task by the end of the
day, I was not allowed to eat dinner that night. I've heard God
requires me to submit to his absolute control. Seems to me I'm
being asked to trade one dictator for another. Either way, I'm
still a prisoner.

Most days, my husband treated me worse than his
dog. During the years of our marriage, I was publically humiliated
and privately ripped to shreds. Won't God use his power to treat me
the same way? After all, power corrupts and absolute power corrupts
absolutely, right?

My husband was constantly
looking for the slightest imperfection or failure in my life. That
was his way of justifying the abuse. Isn't God also just waiting to
"zap" me the moment I make a mistake?
- Once, my husband
shoved my head into the open flame on top of the stove. He said I
overcooked the steak and he needed to prove to me how hot the fire
was. He almost burned off my face. God has a ton of commandments
and He watches everything I do. Since He is all-knowing, I'm sure
God will notice the instant I fail to keep one of His many rules.
And since God is also all-powerful, I don't even want to think
about what He might do to me as punishment for my
transgression.

 

 

 

 

Part 2 -
Words of Love for the
Battered Heart

If any one of the
preceding inner dialogues sounds familiar, please read further.
There is an old cliché which states,
"To know Him is to love
Him."
When considering divine love, nothing could be closer to
the truth. The only way a person can understand the difference
between God's love and the perversions previously experienced is to
meet the real Jesus Christ - God in human flesh.

Through the pages of scripture, God reveals His
nature, His character and His unchangeable attributes. In the next
part of this booklet, behold as the veil separating heaven and
earth is pulled back. Listen now as Jesus, in His own words,
addresses some of the persistent, nagging fears discussed above and
reveals His marvelous, multi-faceted love.

Did you know you don't have to
beg God to love you?
- You do not have to plead with God to
accept you, be kind to you, tell you you're desirable, help you, be
gentle with you, hold you, stay with you, provide for you, protect
you or honor your trust? The truth is these thoughts are already a
part of God's nature. Such desires are already in His heart. His
love towards you is amazing, beautiful, complete, delightful,
eternal, faithful, great, holy, irresistible, just, kind, lavish,
mighty, never-ending, perfect, real, satisfying, trustworthy,
unconditional, unfailing, un-perverted, and absolutely wonderful!
God's love is like nothing you have ever known.

[God's nature of love]
"The LORD, the Lord
God, compassionate, and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in
loving-kindness and mercy."
Exodus 34:6-7

[God's enticing love]
"I have loved you with
an everlasting love, therefore, I have drawn you with
loving-kindness."
Jeremiah 31:3

[God's delivering love]
"There is none like
the God of Israel who rides the heavens to your help, and through
the skies in His majesty. The eternal God is a dwelling place and
underneath are the
[His]
everlasting arms."
Deuteronomy
34:26-27

[God's declaration of love]
"There are sixty
queens and eighty concubines, and maidens without number, but you,
my dove, my perfect one are unique."
Song of Solomon 6:9

[God's beautifying love]
"For the Lord takes
pleasure in His people, He will beautify the afflicted ones with
salvation."
Psalms 149:4

[God's sacrificial love]
"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. For God did
not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the
world should be saved through Him."
John 3:16-17

[God's committed love
]"I will never leave
you. I will never abandon you."
Hebrews 13:5

[God's provisional love]
"And my God will
supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ
Jesus."
Philippians 4:19

[The satisfaction of divine love]
"He who
believes in Him
[Jesus]
will never be disappointed
." I
Peter 2:6

Did you know God's love for
you is not based on your past, present or future
performance?
- God's love is unconditional. This is an
amazing concept, but absolutely true. You could gain one hundred
pounds, forget your birth control pills, and get pregnant. You
could never take out the trash, walk the dog or wash the car. You
could cut your hair, and never wear makeup, headscarves, or long
dresses again. You could buy chocolate ice cream instead of
strawberry, forget to balance the check book, burn dinner every
night for the rest of your life, make long distance calls or even
wreck the car.

You could leave the house without permission,
spend money without asking, go back to school, get a job, have
different opinions, and say "No" to intimacy. You could even leave
your abuser and file for divorce. But no matter what you did, God
would not stop loving you even for a single second. Consider His
words of love.

[God's redeeming love]
"But when the kindness
of God our Savior and His love for mankind [this means YOU]
appeared, He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done
in righteousness, but according to His mercy…that being justified
by His grace we might be made heirs according to the hope of
eternal life."
Titus 3:4-7

[God's unconditional love]
"When we were
utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for
us sinners. Now, most people would not be willing to die for an
upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for
a person who is especially good. But God showed his great love for
us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still
sinners."
Romans 5:6-8

[God's healing love]
"There is no fear in
love; but perfect love casts out all fear, because fear involves
punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love. We love
Him
[Jesus]
because He first loved us."
I John
4:18-19

[God's unearned gift of love
] "For by grace
you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it
is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should
boast."
Ephesians 2:8

Did you know God's love and
affection towards you are given out of the nature of His very
being?
- God is love! Pure love is one of God's unchangeable
attributes. He does not have to learn how to love you, or try to
love you, or convince Himself He should love you. He isn't faking
it or putting on some kind of grandiose performance just to trick
you into believing He loves you. He is not some kind of
smooth-talking salesman or con artist. There are no hidden agendas
with God. He is totally honest with you. What you see is what you
get, now and forever!

[God's incomparable thoughts] "For My thoughts
are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,' declares the
Lord. 'For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways
higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.'" Isaiah
55:8-9

[God's good plans]
"For I know the plans I
have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans for welfare and not for
calamity to give you a future and a hope.'"
Jeremiah 29:11

[God's unfailing merciful love]
"The LORD's
loving-kindnesses indeed never cease, for His compassions never
fail. They are new every morning. Great is Your faithfulness."
Lamentations 3:22

[God's satisfying love]
"Bless the LORD, O my
soul, and forget none of His benefits; who pardons all our
iniquities; who heals all our diseases; who redeems your life form
the pit; who crowns you with loving-kindness and compassion; who
satisfies your years with good things, so that your youth is
renewed like the eagle."
Psalms 103:2-5

[God life-giving love]
"…God is love. By this
the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only
begotten Son 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 for our sins."
I John 4:8-10

[God's overcoming love]
"These things I have
spoken to you that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have
tribulation, but take courage, I have overcome the world."
John
16:33

[God's peaceful love]
"I will hear what God
the Lord will say; for he will speak peace to His people, to His
godly ones…"
Psalms 85:8

[God's freeing love]
"If therefore the Son
shall make you free, you shall be free indeed."
John 8:36

Did you know God created
you?
- The theory of evolution is a lie from hell. God made
you then purchased you with the blood of His own Son, Jesus Christ.
You are now doubly His. In spite of His ownership, God does not
bully you or beat you into submission to prove He is stronger and
"in control." He does not need to prove anything to anyone. He
knows who He is and is absolutely secure in His identity.

Instead, God draws you to Himself with gentle
cords of loving-kindness. He will never bind you with ropes of
bondage. He daily lavishes upon you His tender mercies and
affections. Any restraints or limits He places in your life are to
protect you from predators, not strip you of God-given,
God-ordained human dignity.

[God's creative love]
"God created man in His
own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He
created them."
Genesis 1:21

BOOK: Consider Divine Love
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ads

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