The Love of Jesus Christ
My Lord Jesus,
Teach me to love You and to embrace You
even though my arms once embraced lust and sin.
You loved me an eternity before I loved You,
even while I was Your enemy and a filthy lowly sinner.
You loved me as Your own even when I was unworthy of that love;
You loved me in the way that a Father loves a son,
and You had compassion on me in a way that is only possible with You.
Because of love, You came from heaven to earth,
from the earth to the cross, from the cross into the grave.
Because of love You became weary, tired, hungry, homeless, tempted
hated, beaten, whipped, spat upon, crucified and stabbed in the side.
Because of love You submitted yourself to the death that I deserve.
Salvation is the point where created love (me) meets the perfect uncreated love (Jesus).
Unlike my imperfect love, Your love is not inconsistent, unreliable or changing;
Your love does not ever go away or decrease despite my sinfulness.
Holiness in my life is but a spark of Your love
a burning flame in my heart kindled by the Holy Spirit,
and that flame turns me back to the source of love.
Lord, let me see Your love everywhere I look, not only in Your cross,
but in the company of fellow believers and in the world around me.
When I feel the warm shining sun let me praise you
because you are the sun of righteousness, reigning in power.
When I feel the gentle rain
let me think of you, the source of the water of life.
When I walk beside the flowing river
let me praise you for the river of life that flows from the eternal city,
the river that waters the tree of life.
The infinite love of the Lord Jesus is a mystery of mysteries of mysteries,
and my eternal peace and happiness lies deep inside of that love.