How do I experience the love of God day to day?
God's love is not something we must earn fresh each morning; it was given once and for all at the cross, and the Spirit pours it into our hearts. We experience it day to day in the Shepherd's care, in the Father's delight sung over us, and by renewing our minds to His tender affection, then we live out of that love toward others. It is received, remembered, and reflected.
This question arose from studying What does it mean that God is love? and Who is God the Father?.
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What the Scripture says
Receive it as already given, not daily re-earned
Paul locates the proof of love in the past, finished work of Christ: 'God commends his own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us,' and John says, 'In this is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us.' We do not experience God's love by making ourselves lovable today; we experience it by believing the love He showed once at the cross, which never recedes. The feeling may fluctuate; the fact does not.
For while we were yet weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will hardly die for a righteous man. Yet perhaps for a righteous person someone would even dare to die. But God commends his own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
In this is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son as the atoning sacrifice for our sins.
For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
But God commends his own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
The Spirit pours it into our hearts
Paul adds the dimension of felt experience: 'hope doesn't disappoint us, because God's love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.' The love is not only a doctrine to be studied but a gift to be savored, and the Spirit is the one who makes it vivid. Paul prays that we would be 'strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inward man,' so that Christ dwells in our hearts by faith and we may 'know Christ's love which surpasses knowledge,' filled with all the fullness of God.
and hope doesn’t disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
that he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, that you may be strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inward man; that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; to the end that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be strengthened to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know Christ’s love which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
But God commends his own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
See it in the Shepherd's daily care
Psalm 23 is the hymn of a life held by love: 'Yahweh is my shepherd: I shall lack nothing... He restores my soul,' and 'surely goodness and loving kindness shall follow me all the days of my life.' Jesus tells us not to be anxious because our Father feeds the birds and 'Aren't you of much more value than they?' The everyday mercies of sleep, food, and breath, the people and graces we did not earn, are the love of God in a low and constant key, present every single day.
Yahweh is my shepherd: I shall lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He guides me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
Surely goodness and loving kindness shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in Yahweh’s house forever.
Therefore I tell you, don’t be anxious for your life: what you will eat, or what you will drink; nor yet for your body, what you will wear. Isn’t life more than food, and the body more than clothing? See the birds of the sky, that they don’t sow, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns. Your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you of much more value than they?
It is because of Yahweh’s loving kindnesses that we are not consumed, because his compassion doesn’t fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.
Renew your mind to His affection and delight
Zephaniah gives a staggering picture of God's nearness: 'Yahweh, your God, is in your midst... He will rejoice over you with joy. He will calm you in his love. He will rejoice over you with singing.' Not a distant approval but a rejoicing, singing delight over His people. We experience this as we preach it to ourselves and 'be still, and know that I am God,' letting the truth of God's delight settle where our fears have lived.
Yahweh, your God, is in your midst, a mighty one who will save. He will rejoice over you with joy. He will calm you in his love. He will rejoice over you with singing.
“Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations. I will be exalted in the earth.”
Yahweh appeared of old to me, saying, Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love: therefore with loving kindness have I drawn you.
It is because of Yahweh’s loving kindnesses that we are not consumed, because his compassion doesn’t fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.
Live it out, and it comes alive
The love we receive is meant to become the love we give. John's chain is the rule of the Christian life: 'We love him, because he first loved us,' and, 'Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God.' Paul calls us to 'walk in love, even as Christ also loved you.' We experience God's love day to day as we receive it at the cross, savor it by the Spirit, see it in daily mercies, preach its delight to our hearts, and spill it over onto the people God puts in our path.
We love him, because he first loved us.
Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves has been born of God, and knows God.
Be therefore imitators of God, as beloved children. Walk in love, even as Christ also loved you, and gave himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling fragrance.
Beloved, if God loved us in this way, we also ought to love one another.
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and hope doesn’t disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
Yahweh, your God, is in your midst, a mighty one who will save. He will rejoice over you with joy. He will calm you in his love. He will rejoice over you with singing.
Yahweh is my shepherd: I shall lack nothing.
may be strengthened to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know Christ’s love which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
We love him, because he first loved us.
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