Trudy

No Greater Love

love

Copyrighted artwork by Grace Lee for school and personal use only

 

Today many are celebrating love, so I want to take this opportunity to thank you for visiting and taking time to read these posts and for all the love you have shown towards me. You have often been Jesus with skin on towards me. I appreciate you from the bottom of my heart.

Whether you comment, remain a silent reader, or email me privately, that’s ok. Whatever feels more safe and comfortable for you. I pray for anyone who visits. I take comfort in the truth that God always knows who you are, where you are, and what situation you’re in. He knows. He cares. He loves.

god-is-love

God is love.
There is NO GREATER LOVE!
Jesus showed boundless love in His life and in His death:

He broke the culture’s views about children not being of value by inviting and welcoming them into His arms. Even His own followers thought He had no time for children, but He showed children are valuable and deserving of our time, love, and care.

"But Jesus said,'Let the children come to Me.
  Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of Heaven
  belongs to those who are like these children.'"
  Matthew 19:14 NLT

He counts it an honor to side with the weak and helpless. He remembered an abandoned and forgotten man who had no one to help him into the waters of healing, and He healed him.

"There was a certain man there
 who had been ill for thirty-eight years.
 When Jesus noticed him lying there [helpless],
 knowing that he had been in that condition a long time,
 He said to him, 'Do you want to get well?'
 The invalid answered, 'Sir, I have no one
 to put me in the pool when the water is stirred up,
 and while I am coming [to get into it myself],
 someone else steps down ahead of me.'
 Jesus said to him, 'Get up; pick up your pallet and walk.'"
 John 5:5-8 AMP

He cares about those who are despised and ostracized by society. He spent time with and refreshed with living waters a woman who was despised by Jews because she was a Samaritan and ostracized by others because of how she lived.

"The woman was surprised, for Jews refuse
  to have anything to do with Samaritans.
  She said to Jesus, 'You are a Jew, and I am a Samaritan woman.
  Why are You asking me for a drink?'
  Jesus replied, 'If you only knew the gift God has for you
  and who you are speaking to, you would ask Me,
  and I would give you living water.'"
  John 4:9-10 NLT

He weeps with those who hurt over the loss of a loved one.

"When Jesus saw her weeping,
  and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping,
  He was deeply moved in spirit and troubled.
  'Where have you laid him?' He asked.
  'Come and see, Lord,' they replied.
  Jesus wept."
  John 11:33-35

He treats all people with love. He doesn’t distinguish between differences.

"There is neither Jew nor Gentile,
 neither slave nor free,
 nor is there male and female,
 for you are all one in Christ Jesus."
 Galatians 3:28 NIV

He even loves and longs to gather those who reject Him.

"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills
  the prophets and stones God’s messengers!
  How often I have wanted to gather your children together
  as a hen protects her chicks beneath her wings,
  but you wouldn’t let me."
  Luke 13:34 NLT

There are umpteen more examples for us in the Bible of how Jesus showed love in His life. But the greatest act of love He gifted us with is the giving up of His own life. He took upon Himself the heavy load of all our sins and suffered and died in our place. Incomprehensible!

"No one has greater love [nor stronger commitment]
 than to lay down his own life for his friends."
 John 15:13 AMP

"For God so [greatly] loved
 and dearly prized the world,
 that He [even] gave His [One and] only begotten Son,
 so that whoever believes and trusts in Him [as Savior]
 shall not perish, but have eternal life."
 John 3:16 AMP

Be-Held-by-Holley-Gerth

“No Greater Love”
by Matt Maher

cutecolorsanibear14Signature

44 comments

    • Thank you so much for your kind thoughts, Linda. It is my heart’s desire that the love of Jesus reigns here. 🙂 May He bless you, too! May His love fill us so full that it overflows to all around us!

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  2. Hi Trudy,
    I love the pretty images in this post! And the verses about God’s love for us are such beautiful reminders of how much we are so encircled by his love, even if at times, we don’t feel it. Thank you for encouraging me this week with your own lovely brand of God-inspired love and care! xoxo Happy Valentine’s Day, friend!

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    • Happy Valentine’s Day to you, too, Valerie! Thank you for your kind words! Yes, we truly are “encircled by His love.” Isn’t that a beautiful thought? May we come to an ever deeper trust that God loves us so much even when we don’t feel it!

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  3. Dear Trudy,
    Thank you for these beautiful words and images! I am so thankful for the Love that you share so freely, with each of us! Your words bring such hope every time I read them. And this song today, from Matt Maher is so good. All of this points me to the love of Jesus that overwhelms me with the depth He goes to show us how much He loves us. Hugs and Happy Valentine’s Day to you!! xoxo

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    • Hugs and Happy Valentine’s Day to you, too, Bettie! I’m so glad you found hope here. Yes, Jesus truly does go to such depths to show us His love. Incomprehensible! May we cling to His deep, deep love even when the pain is so hard!

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  4. Hi Trudy! It’s always good to see Scripture passages that back up the fact that we are so greatly loved by God. Who better to have in my corner than my Maker? The one who created me and knows everything about me can’t wait to talk, to gift and to grace. Wow. That’s a real love.
    Happy Valentine’s Day to you my friend. Wishing you many reasons to thank God today!
    Ceil

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    • Happy Valentine’s Day to you, too, Ceil. Oh, there are so many reasons to thank God, aren’t there? I was just thanking God that I may still have my husband and my children and grandchildren. Yesterday we heard of a neighbor whose daughter lost her husband and a cousin whose family lost a 10-year-old son, brother, and grandson. I just can’t imagine the pain they all are going through.

      Yes! Who better to have in our corner than our Maker? I love your thoughts about how He “can’t wait to talk, to gift and to grace.” May we daily believe that truth in the bottom of our hearts!

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  6. Happy Valentine’s Day, Trudy, and thank you for all the love you show to us in this blogging community! I love the examples you share of all the different people Jesus showed love to, especially those often overlooked or dismissed by others. His love is the greatest of all! I enjoyed the song too.

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    • Happy Valentine’s Day to you, too, Lesley. I feel your love as well in this blogging community I am so grateful to be a part of. Yes, isn’t it amazing how Jesus shows such love to those often overlooked or dismissed by others? He cares about every hurting heart. May we experience deeper and deeper that greatest of all love He has for us!

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    • Happy Valentine’s Day to you, too, Martha. I’m so glad you were inspired here. And I am so grateful we know the love of “first and foremost Valentine.” 🙂 May the deep love of Jesus fill us, bless us, and guide us!

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    • Thank you for your kind words, Mary. Happy Valentine’s Day to you, too! I’m so glad to call you friend as well! I just got through reading your blog and my heart is touched. May we continue to learn ever deeper of God’s boundless love for us!

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    • I love you, too, Lynn. 🙂 I’m so glad you love this space here, too. His love is so indescribably amazing, isn’t it? I hope you enjoyed your time in Hawaii. Or maybe you’re still there? May God’s love fill us and amaze us each and every day!

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    • Amen! Yes, Dawn, it’s so amazing. I love how you say “we get to bask in His love” and “we get to be comforted” and “we get to call Him Father.” It is such a priceless privilege, isn’t it? May we keep basking in His limitless love!

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    • Your kind words warm my heart, Sita. Thank you! I love you, too! His great love for us is what keeps us fueled to go on day by day, right? I hope you are doing well. May we daily trust His deep, unconditional love for us!

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    • Thank you, Susie. Tears come to my eyes when I read you love this safe place. I do so want this to be a safe, nurturing place pointing to the hope and love we have in Jesus. xoxo to you, too! 🙂 May we rest in the safe, loving arms of Jesus and leave all our cares with Him!

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  16. Thank you for these reminders of the many ways Jesus loved, Trudy. What a great example for us of how to love without labeling, judging or categorizing–to see people as individuals, not members of this group or that affiliation. And the fact that He even “longs to gather those who reject Him”–talk about unconditional love! Love and hugs to you today!

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    • Love and hugs to you, too, Lois! Yes, it amazes me how unconditional Jesus’ love is. As you write, He sees people as individuals, not members of a group or affiliation. I love that. I think I have often throughout the years rejected His love, and to think that all those times He was longing to gather me as a hen does her chicks just blows me away. May His unconditional love sink ever deeper into our hearts!

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  17. Trudy, you have such a beautiful heart. Your love for Jesus shines through your words. And your words point me (and all your readers) to Jesus. I think this description of Jesus’ love is one that really resonates with my heart:

    “He counts it an honor to side with the weak and helpless. He remembered an abandoned and forgotten man who had no one to help him into the waters of healing, and He healed him.”

    I hope you had a wonderful Valentine’s Day, friend!

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    • Thank you for your kind words, Jeanne. It is my heart’s desire to point to Jesus. It warms my heart, too, that Jesus is such a Lover of the weak, helpless, abandoned, and forgotten. May His love in us naturally pour out to them, too!

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    • “A ray of sunshine on a cloudy day.” That’s so sweet, Barbie! You have just warmed my heart with a ray of sunshine! 🙂 Blessings to you, too! May we daily hang onto the deep love Jesus so graciously gives us through rain or shine!

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  19. Hey Trudy! You won my bear hug book giveaway! Can you email me your address to “swihartbarbie@gmail.com”? I need to have that by tomorrow. I tried to message you through Twitter. Thank you!

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