Unconditional Love

by Susan Sampson

The words of the Lord to us –

“Arise, my love, my beautiful one, and COME away” (Song of Solomon 2:13).

“COME, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! COME, buy wine and milk without money and without price” (Isaiah 55:1).

“COME to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).

“Incline your ear, and COME to me; hear, that your soul may live…” (Isaiah 55:3a).

Lord, give us ears to hear your voice calling to us in this dry and weary land where there is no water.  Calling us to return to our first love.  Compel us by your love to respond to your word.  “We love because you first loved us”  (1 John 4:19)

“I am my beloved’s, and his desire is for me”  (Song of Solomon 7:10).

One sentence that pierced my heart was “STOP trying to get me to love you!” I have lived my life trying to be worthy. Trying to be good enough.  Trying to get it right. Yet the truth of God’s Word tells me: “All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6).  But the Lord is saying to us that we don’t have to be anything for Him to love us!  We don’t have to get it right!  He loves us unconditionally!  Jesus is our Righteousness.  The Lord delights in us because we are in His Son!  He knows my every thought and yet He still loves me!  He left heaven and suffered for us!  May these truths deeply penetrate our hearts and come to life!

“I will greatly rejoice in the LORD; my soul shall exult in my God, for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation; he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself like a priest with a beautiful headdress, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels” (Isaiah 61:10).

Through Christ, all our sins have been forgiven.  Our sin has been conquered.  It died with Christ and now Christ lives in us!

The goal of our study is that we would know Jesus’ love for us like never before and that we would then love Jesus like never before!  We want to thirst after Jesus.  We want to long after Jesus.  We want our passion to be Jesus.  In looking at my heart I know my passion is not Jesus.  My heart is lukewarm.  The psalmist’s passion was God and His Word.  He immersed himself in God’s Word.  He meditated on God’s Word day and night.  We must stop immersing ourselves in the things of the world and go to the well of Living Water.  I must stop immersing myself in my agenda and be washed with the water of the Word.

Our bridegroom is calling.  He is relentlessly pursuing us.  He will never stop.  He bought us with His blood.

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

May we have the grace to respond to His call and fall in love with our Lord like never before.

Today, may we trust, receive, enjoy, believe and enter into God’s love and as we do so reflect the radiance of His glory.  This is the greatest love we can give to our husbands.