Looking for Love

I was thinking as I was driving home last night how refreshing it is be around people who have been touched by God's grace and have responded to Him. 

It is a complex contradiction in life when people who clearly have responded to God's love don't seem to love you or act in loving ways towards you. On the other hand people who seem oblivious to God can be very kind and attentive.

"And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the LORD, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD." Joshua 24:15 ESV

We often quote the last part of this verse. Joshua has a strength of conviction that we admire. The first part of the verse reveals his lack of sentimentality. He is not going to coddle people. He has a single eyed focus. We see no indications in scripture (at least I don't) that Joshua was a warm and fuzzy person. You could however trust him. His allegiances were clear cut.

Every one needs to be loved. The hardest heart has that need. People may or may not love us but God loves us. God is love.

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him." John 3:16-17 ESV

God's whole plan of salvation is sourced in and bathed in love.

"But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ - by grace you have been saved - and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast." Ephesians 2:4-9 ESV

Jesus is trustworthy. His love is trustworthy. You have no reason to doubt someone who died in your place. You do have reason to doubt those who claim they would but not some one who actually did.
The grace message has made me a kinder person... but loving behavior can't be my standard of measure of a person or their walk with God.

I have learned to value words from someone responding to grace very highly. I still may not agree with everything they say but I know I can trust the source.

The God of all Grace still finds ways to love us. If we look for love there we will always find it.