“It takes God to love God.”

A short and simple statement but how profound! It’s one of those things that after you hear it… it somehow seems to grow legs and follows you around all day! This statement was made by our teaching pastor this past Sunday. I absolutely love the wording of it. It’s a catchy phrase, and it’s something that has been playing over and over in my mind for days.

Last night at my Chronic Illness support group, I just happened to mention how I thought telling an unsaved person, “It takes God to love God,” is a simple but extremely clever way to help them understand the things of God. Before knowing about Christ, weren’t we all unknowingly traveling on the highway to hell!? But it was only God who opened up our eyes to His love. It was only God! The word that really jumps out is “unknowingly”. We were going about our lives in this natural world having no clue as to what was going on in the spiritual world. But at some point in our lives, God calls us into a relationship with Him where He miraculously removes all the things that are blinding us to His truth! It just may happen to be what you view as a crisis; What I initially viewed as a crisis (Muscular Dystrophy) turned out to be the most precious catalyst that led me to the Living God…

“But then I will win her back once again. I will lead her into the desert and speak tenderly to her there. I will return her vineyards to her and transform the Valley of trouble into a gateway of hope. She will give herself to me there.” Hosea 2: 15

God uses even our negative experiences to draw us to Him, or to bring us back to Him. As we face problems and trials, we need to remember that God speaks to us in the desert. That’s when we’re free from distractions and we can seriously tune into God. When we’re hemmed in from all sides, the only place to look is up. But you can always choose not to look up.

I firmly believe that you will never have any power when you’re on the porch… until you spend time at the altar! The direct result of any of ministry will come out of your time spent with and your love for God! I want to sit at the feet of Jesus for Him to teach me. Today I went to the gospel of John… and what better place to hear the exact words spoken by Jesus when He was here on earth. I was reading about the beginning of Jesus’ ministry- when John the Baptist’s disciples were disturbed because people were starting to follow Jesus instead of John. This is what John told them…

“No one can receive anything unless God gives it from heaven.” John 3: 27

God has been pursuing us since we were born! That fact alone should simply blow you away. It blows my puny little mind away! Then our pastor reads from the Song of Songs (or the Song of Solomon)… Much debate has raged over the meaning of this song. Some say it’s an allegory of God’s love for Israel or for the church. Others say it’s a literal story about married love. In reality—it’s a story with two layers of meaning. On one level we learn about love, marriage, and sex; on another level, we see God’s overwhelming love for His people. When you read this, think of God’s courting and His relentless pursuit of us…

“Kiss me and kiss me again, for your love is sweeter than wine. How fragrant your cologne; your name is like its spreading fragrance. No wonder all the young women love you! Take me with you; come, let’s run! The king has brought me into his bedroom.” Song of Songs 1: 1-4

“… for your love is sweeter than wine.” How true is that? Once we get a real taste of the way God kisses us with His love, we can’t help but to rejoice! “Take me with you; come let’s run.” When we encounter God, we not only rejoice, but we want to be with Him always… we want to serve Him… no matter what, we will follow Him anywhere. “It takes God to love God.” 

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