Because He Loves

As “LOVE” is celebrated today, I want to share how I feel about THE Greatest Love of all—the love that God has for me and for EVERY ONE of us—the love that completely changed my life.

A few years ago I took a popular song by Celine Dion and re-wrote the words a bit so I could sing it to my LORD. This is for my “one God, the Father, out of Whom all is and for my one Lord, Jesus Christ, through Whom all is”. (1 Corinthians 8:1-6)

Because of their incredible love that has covered me and how their love has done incredible things in my life I dedicate this song to them:

For all those times You stood by me
For all the truth that You made me see
For all the joy You brought to my life
For all the wrong that You made right
For every dream You made come true
For all the love I found in You
I'll be forever thankful Lord
You're the One who held me up
Never let me fall
You're the One who saw me through, through it all

You are my strength when I am weak
You are my voice when I can’t speak
You are my eyes when I can’t see
You see the best there is in me
Lifting me up when I can’t reach
You give me faith 'cause You believe
I'm everything I am
Because You love me

You gave me wings and made me fly
You touched my hand I could touch the sky
I lost my faith, You gave it back to me
You said no star was out of reach
You stood by me and I stood tall
I have Your love, I have it all
I'm grateful for each day You give me
Maybe I don't know that much
But I know this much is true
I am blessed because I am loved by You

You are always here for me
The tender Wind that carries me
A Light in the dark, shining Your love into my life
You are my inspiration
Through the lies You are the Truth
My world is a better place because of You

I'm everything I am
Because You love me

(Original song is by Celine Dion, words slightly different
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9CkKuA86Mis)

I am everything I am because that love has covered me and done a miraculous work in me. Who I used to be (lost to my own ways) is a total stranger to me; for that, I am ever grateful.

Jesus said,
“Greater love than this has no one, that anyone may be laying down his soul for his friends…” (John 15:13)

Jesus also said,
“My soul I am laying down for the sake of the sheep…I am laying down My soul that I may be getting it again. No one is taking it away from Me, but I am laying it down of Myself. I have the right to lay it down, and I have the right to get it again…” (John 10:14-18)

He laid down His life for me so that He could give me true and abundant life. He has done the same for you, for all of us. It doesn’t matter where you are, where you’ve been, or who you are or have been, His love will do a perfecting and beautiful work in you.

“Beloved, we should be loving one another, for love is of God, and everyone who is loving God is begotten of God, and knows God. He who is not loving knew not God, for God is love. In this was manifested the love of God among us, that God has dispatched His only begotten Son into the world that we should be living through Him. In this is love, not that we love God, but that He loves us, and dispatches His Son, a propitiatory shelter concerned with our sins. Beloved, if thus God loves us, we also ought to be loving one another. No one has ever gazed upon God. If we should be loving one another, God is remaining in us, and His love is perfected in us. In this we know that we are remaining in Him, and He in us, for He has given us of His spirit. And we have gazed upon Him, and are testifying that the Father has dispatched the Son, the Saviour of the world. Whoever should be avowing that Jesus is the Son of God, God is remaining in him, and he in God. And we know and believe the love which God has in us. God is love, and he who is remaining in love is remaining in God, and God is remaining in him. In this is love perfected with us, that we may have boldness in the day of judging, seeing that, according as He is, so are we also in this world. Fear is not in love, but perfect love is casting out fear, for fear has chastening. Now he who is fearing is not perfected in love. We are loving God, for He first loves us…” (1 John 4)

“Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails...” (1 Corinthians 13)

GOD’S LOVE IS…

EXTRAVAGANT

INCORRUPTIBLE

BOUNDLESS

INESCAPABLE

UNFAILING

In the arms of Perfect Love…