Unearned and Unmeasured

Read

Deuteronomy 7:7-9
⁷It was not because you were greater than all other people that the LORD loved you and chose you. In fact, you were the smallest of peoples! ⁸No, it is because the LORD loved you and because he kept the solemn pledge he swore to your ancestors that the LORD brought you out with a strong hand and saved you from the house of slavery, from the power of Pharaoh, Egypt's king. ⁹Know now then that the LORD your God is the only true God! He is the faithful God, who keeps the covenant and proves loyal to everyone who loves him and keeps his commands—even to the thousandth generation!

Reflect

What have we done to earn God's love? Nothing. God's love isn't something we earn. God's love is freely given and is unconditional. It's not reserved only for the most powerful or the richest or the most popular. Everybody gets God's love.

It doesn't work on a scale, either. God doesn't play favorites. Every one of God's children gets all of God's love. It's not like we can do anything to make God love us more--we've already got it all, God holds nothing back.

Respond

How do we respond to a love that is unconditional that we did nothing to earn? The answer is at the end of today's reading: we love back. And we demonstrate our love for God by keeping God's commands--especially the command to love one another.

Read 1 John 4:19-21: ¹⁹We love because God first loved us. ²⁰If anyone says, I love God, and hates a brother or sister, he is a liar, because the person who doesn't love a brother or sister who can be seen can't love God, who can't be seen. ²¹This commandment we have from him: Those who claim to love God ought to love their brother and sister also.

Relate

If today's devotion spoke to you in a particular way and you feel led to share your thoughts with others, please do so.