“I sought His love in lore of books,
In charts of science’s skill;
They left me orphaned as before—
His love eluded still;
There in despair I breathed a prayer;
The Lord of Love was standing there!
“I sought His love in sun and stars,
And where the wild seas roll,
And found it not. As mute I stood,
Fear overwhelmed my soul;
But when I gave to one in need,
I found the Lord of Love indeed.”
– Thomas Curtis Clark (Leaves of Gold, pg. 104)
Through the course of my life my eyes have been blessed to see God. I’m not talking about a theophany, as in some special appearance the Lord has made. I mean in the normal ways the Lord can be seen, like the heavens that declare the glory of God (Psalm 19). You might say it is a double blessing, first the ability to see at all, then the ability to see God’s self-revelation. In the world around I can see that the Lord is majestic, incredibly powerful, infinitely grand in His creation from the most microscopic detail to the yet unexplored reaches of the universe. My eyes tell me much about God.
Yet in all this, to best see the love of God requires a particular lens. It is the lens of relationship. If we think for a moment, this is not surprising. God is, in Himself, relational (Father, Son, Holy Spirit), and likewise in His image made you and me as relational beings. Love requires relationship. Therefore it is through relationship that we may see and know the love of God in the most meaningful way.
How might I connect with God relationally? Prayer is one of the most natural means. It is there we find mercy in times of need, forgiveness when we have failed, embracing arms when we feel alone or unworthy. Simple prayer can bathe us in God’s love. Interestingly, we can just as well experience the love of God as we connect with humanity. This can be especially true when we engage others in acts of kindness and mercy, whether we are on the receiving end or the giving end. It is no wonder Jesus said, “just as surely as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me” (Matthew 25:40).
Most of us grew up with a song called Jesus Loves Me. If you recall the lyrics, the evidence of Jesus’ love is “the Bible tells me so.” The song is not incorrect; the Bible indeed testifies to the life-changing love of our Savior. And while this is true, God’s desire is not for us to only know His love by head knowledge. In fact, one could argue that head knowledge only conveys the truth of God’s love, not the power of God’s love. God’s doesn’t just want us to know that He loves us; God wants us to know His love.
What will you do today so that you might know God’s love?
See you along the Winding Path.
The Winding Path 