Some people call their Bible a sword, and it is. To me, it is also a Love Letter. So open your love letter to Jeremiah 31:3.

The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love, therefore with loving-kindness have I drawn thee.

Jeremiah 31:3

In 1984 when I was nine months pregnant with my second daughter and we were living in a tiny little trailer outside Kileen, TX, near Ft. Hood, two deputies arrived to arrest me for a bounced check I had written to a grocery store. The check had been redeemed and I had the receipt so the deputies did not take me with them but the incident made me realize that I couldn’t go on as I had been going.

My mom had come to Texas to visit me and I begged her to tell me how to have the faith that she had. Mama never doubted God’s existence or that He would take care of her and I wanted that unfeigned faith, the faith of my Mama. Mama prayed for me as I stood crying beneath a tree beside the tiny trailer.

It has always been my belief that my daughter, Holly, was annointed with that same faith, my Mama’s faith, right there– before she was even born, at the moment my Mama prayed. Holly has always believed that God exists and that He cares for her.

This is my love story. God loved me and He willing chased me down. I turned around (repented of my sins) and began to chase Him.

Quite a few years later, I was still chasing God and someone gave me a well-known book to read that had helped them. When I opened the book to the first chapter, I read, “It’s not about you.” I closed the book and put it on the shelf.

In 1 John 4, my Love Letter says, “We love him, because he first loved us.” It is about me and it is about you. God loved us so much that He is willing to chase us down.

How did God show us that He loved us? John 3:16-17 says,

16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

God is not willing that anyone should perish but not everyone accepts God’s love and God gave each one of us the freedom to choose life or death. He will not go against my will.

So how can I receive the life and love that God is willing to give me? Romans 10:10 tells me,

For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.

So what is God’s love like? First Corinthians 13, verses 4-8 tells us how God defines love:

Love is patient,
Love is kind.

It does not envy,
It does not boast,

It is not proud.
It is not rude,
It is not self-seeking,
It is not easily angered.

It keeps no record of wrongs.

Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.

It always protects,
   always trusts,
   always hopes,
   always perseveres.

Love never fails.

But, What if I can’t hold onto that love that God is giving me? Romans 8: 35, 38-39 says,

35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

The Song of Solomon, a love letter within a love letter, says in chapter eight, verse 7, “Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it.”

As I began to believe that God loves me, I wanted to show God that I accepted His love. So, What does God want from me? John 15: 9-12 says,

9 As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. 10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love. 11 These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.

Now when I read these verses I was concerned and you might be too. Uh-Oh, So here’s the catch. IF I can obey His commandments He will love me. Or IF I can obey His commandments He will abide with me and give me joy.

The devil, that thief and murderer, shouts immediately, You’ll never be able to do it! HaHa, you God-chaser, you FAILURE. You will NEVER be able to keep the commandments. Thou SHALT, Thou SHALT NOT! Haha. You will FAIL.

But then the very next verse tells me what Jesus commands me to do:

12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.

In Matthew 22, Jesus was asked by an expert on the Law (the law of Moses) what was THE GREATEST COMMANDMENT:
36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”

37 Jesus replied: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

So the commandment of Jesus is to LOVE.

Now as I began to ponder this commandment, I was still a little concerned.

Could I love as God loved? As I have stated above, God has defined love in my Love Letter. Here is that definition again, paraphrased in light of Jesus’ commandment:

I am patient,
I am kind.

I do not envy,
I do not boast,

I am not proud.
I am not rude,
I am not self-seeking,
I am not easily angered.

I keep no record of wrongs.

I do not delight in evil but I rejoice with the truth.

I always protect,
always trust,
always hope,
always persevere.

The best part is the very last four words:

I will never fail.

Bless the LORD, oh my soul, and ALL that is within me bless HIS HOLY NAME!

God loves you and I love you. If you want to know more about God’s love, you can email me: