God doesn't have love.........

Now that I've got your attention - let me complete that thought.  God doesn't "have" love, God IS love!  1 John 4:16 says "And we have known and believed the love that God has for us.  God IS love, and he who abides in love abides in God and God in him."

I'm not sure if you've ever thought about it before, but there is a lot of difference between having something and being something.  An onion may have dirt on it when you dig it up, but underneath that dirt it is an onion.  No matter how small you slice and dice it, it is still an onion.  It will always exhibit the characteristics of an onion.  When you cut it up - you will have tears in your eyes!  When you cook it, it will smell like an onion.  When you eat it, it will taste like an onion.  I am a human being.  No matter what happens to me, at the core of who I am is a human being.  You can't make me anything else.  I'll never be an onion, a car, a house, a dog - I am a human.  Every fiber of my body is human.  If you sliced into me (and please don't!) you would find all the parts that make up a human.  I exhibit all the characteristics of a human.  I walk upright, I speak, I think, I cry when I'm sad, I laugh when I'm happy - all human characteristics.

God IS love.  He can never be anything but love.  If you could slice and dice God up like an onion, at the very center of God, you would have love.  He exhibits all the characteristics of love.  He speaks love, He thinks love, He exudes love.

So why does it matter if God has love or IS love?  Because knowing this truth helps us understand the very nature - the essence - of God.  When you understand a human, then you know what their internal organs look like, you know what their body design is, how their brain functions.  You can anticipate their behavior because all humans exhibit the same traits, share the same emotions, have the same basic body design, etc. 

If we understand that God is love, then we can understand what He looks like through and through.  And, we can anticipate His behavior.  If He IS love, then He will exhibit the traits of love.  Because that is WHO He is.

If God HAS love, then it's something He can just as easily "un" have.  You know what I mean?  If you're angry with me, you can become "un" angry.  If you love me according to the world's definition of love, you can also "un" love me.  But because God IS love, then He will always respond to you with love.  Everything He does is based on the fact that He is love.  If you want to see what love looks like, read 1 Corinthians 13:4-8.  This is a wonderful description of love. 

As a born-again Christian, a child of God, I can anticipate how God is going to respond to me.  He will always respond in love.  Having that understanding gives me confidence in approaching Him.  It gives me confidence through all the circumstances I face.  I can run to my Father, who IS love and expect Him to respond as love. 

If you need proof of His love, all you have to do is look at Jesus.  When you study all that He suffered for the human race, and all the blessings that He has given us, you can begin to get just a slight picture of what love is. 

I encourage you to meditate on the love of God.  Let it get so big on the inside of you that you can boldly come into the Throne Room of Grace in time of need.  As it says in 1 John 4:16 - we have known and BELIEVED the love.  We must believe the love of God.

He loves you - He is waiting for you to come running into His loving arms any time of the day or night.  You can have confidence in that because He IS Love.