We love because he first loved us.
1 John 4:19 (NIV)
He First Loved
The story of les filles du roi, (“the King’s daughters”) is a remarkable chapter in the story of New France. For eleven years, between 1663 and 1673, 770 young women were recruited for the sole purpose of providing wives for the single men of New France. The recruits were given passage to Quebec, room and board for a brief time on arrival, and a dowry of fifty livres, a sum equal to about two-thirds of the annual wages of a hired labourer or engagé.
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We can ponder the love of Jesus for a lifetime and never fully comprehend its riches. It is the foundation of all we have and all we are. The most profound human love pales in comparison to the love of God as experienced in Jesus Christ. Because of His love, we are redeemed, brought into a right relationship with Him and adopted into His eternal family. We are set free from our sin, delivered from the guilt and shame that binds us and prevents us from being all that God created us to be. His love provides all we need in this world, and all we need spiritually to live as citizens of the Kingdom of God in this world. His love assures us of abundant and eternal life. What a blessing to experience all of this. But more than that, we are called to love others with the love of Jesus. The apostle says this in 1 John 4:19: “We love because he first loved us.” We are called to love others with the same no-strings-attached love by which we have been loved. Take time today to consider God’s love and how you can love others the same way.
These have been words from the heart.
Bob Beasley