And we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him.

— 1 John 4:16

Truly, the most profound words ever spoken are—not with complex syntax or intricate convoluted grammar—but a simple sentence: “God is love.” Only three words: “God is love.” And those words, like a magician’s wand, forever changed the way the world thought. But they were backed up by deeds; the love of God was manifested in the life and love of Jesus Christ

We are so used to hearing about God’s love for us that we view it as our right and privilege to be loved by God. But the world into which Christ came was not at all familiar with that concept. The pagan gods were temperamental, capricious, and unpredictable. They were to be appeased, not loved. The idea of a God that loved was strange.

Then Jesus came, and now we know: God is love.

Question to ponder:
How do you experience God’s love in your life?