Real Hope: Relationship With GodSample

You Are Always On God’s Mind

What an opulent picture David paints of God’s divine connection with His creation. A God who loves us unconditionally forgives us repeatedly, and longs for a deep and personal relationship with us. What would our relationships with each other look like if we adopted these same principles?

Are we prepared for the humility required to love unconditionally? God’s love for us is not proportional to our actions or merit but rather a gift out of His own nature. Could the invitation here be for us to love without expecting equal love in return?

In Matthew 18, Peter asks Jesus about our obligation to repeatedly forgive (seventy times seven). Are we to be relationship doormats? No. Jesus told the woman caught in adultery (John 8:11) to stop sabotaging her relationships. Here’s a sobering thought. How many times have we asked for our Father’s forgiveness, and are we as open to forgiving others? What would frequent forgiveness tied to accountability mean for our relationships?

In Psalm 139, we see a God who is constantly thinking about us, desiring to know us intimately. Are our relationships with those we love framed with that level of fascination, honesty, vulnerability, and trust? God’s love is sacrificial. He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to save us from our own sin. How would our marriages, work relationships, church services, or even over-the-fence conversations look if we set another’s needs above our own desires? Today, accept God’s love for you and, in doing so, allow it to draw you closer with someone you love.

Written by DWAYNE JEFFRIES