Real Love

Love is a choice.  It's a decision.

Many people get confused when they think love is something they feel - or not.  Real love is not an emotion, its a commitment.

God has so much real love for us that he made us in his own image and he gave us free will to make our own decisions.  He could have made us love him - but that's not love, is it.  

The arms of God are full of grace and compassion and they are wide open to each and everyone one of us.    We have a choice to make - are we going to love him back?

God chose Jonah to go tell a group of people, the Ninevites, to stop their wickedness.  Jonah didn't want to do it so he tried to run away from God.  Did you know that it's impossible to hide from God?

Jonah ended up in the belly of a whale for 3 days where he repented, was spit out and ended up going to Nineveh anyway.

After Jonah spread his message throughout Nineveh, everyone - including the king - stopped their wickedness and rebellion.  They repented and God did not punish them.

This made Jonah very angry.  "I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity."  Jonah 4: 2.

Why was Jonah so mad?  He did not think the pagan Ninevites deserved God's love and grace.

The fact is that none of us 'deserve' God's love and grace.  We can do nothing to earn it.  We can never be 'good enough'.  If we're honest we know we have all rebelled and ignored God while doing things the way we want them done putting ourselves at the center of our universe.

When we place our faith in Jesus, he saves us from the eternal death we have 'earned' because he is more than 'good enough'.

Unfortunately, people who decide not to love God and put their faith in Jesus are choosing eternal separation from God's grace and love.  God doesn't want that to happen to anyone but he can't make this choice for us.

 Jesus loves you, as you recognize that choice for you, then today is the day to love Him.  Only Jesus can save us from getting what we truly deserve.