Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. (NIV)

I confess: I don’t fully understand what love is. I’ll take that one step further: you don’t either.

We say that we love others, but our actions show otherwise: we cannot tolerate our neighbor, we wish our enemies ill will, and we don’t heed God’s call to submit to Him.

Love isn’t some sentimental feeling that we have toward another human being, rather love is patient, kind, overlooks another’s faults, and is always being put to the test.

It is easy to love those who love us, that is precisely what the heathen do. But, loving the unlovable (which can include ourselves) isn’t possible from within, but it is possible with outside help, namely through God who made us and understands are disposition.

Today is Valentine’s Day when so many people make at least a token effort to show love to the person they care about the most. These tokens of love are often expressed in the giving of roses, chocolates, cards, and the like. Often, the gifts are given in exchange for something else, proving that a lot of people do not know what unconditional love is.

God loved us even when we didn’t love Him. Through sin, God shows us exactly where our hearts are and that our hearts aren’t seeking Him. Through the redemption of His Son, Jesus Christ, God has demonstrated what pure love is and what we must do to be saved.

Because He knows that we don’t have it within ourselves to love each other or to love Him, God sent His gift of love — the Holy Spirit — who dwells with those who put their trust in Him. It is by the power of the Holy Spirit that we can begin to grasp what love is all about and turn around and truly love others in His name.

We cannot earn God’s love as that already abides with us. We can walk in His love by allowing Him to reign in our hearts.

God is love — can you sense His love for you today?

Photo courtesy of Mike Thorn.

“For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place and you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not attained royalty for such a time as this?” — NASB

The Book of Esther is unique as well as profound in two ways: it is the only book in the Bible where the name of God isn’t mentioned and it features the life of a reluctant heroine, a young Jewish woman by the name of Esther.

Some have argued that not mentioning God is proof that this book does not belong in the Bible. Although the omission of any direct mention of God is curious at first, I believe God wanted to show us that even the least noteworthy people can be used in a mighty way and He will be glorified through our actions. Sometimes we put too much reliance on our words when our actions speak volumes. In other words, God’s name can be glorified by what we do more than by what we say.

What was going through Esther’s head during this time? I can imagine plenty — her people, Israel, were removed from their land and living under the authority of a godless empire. She was a young, Jewish woman married off to the leader of this empire too. Her godly cousin Mordecai was her mentor and her only link to the outside world — the news he was bringing to Esther was terrifying!

Even though she may have been reluctant, Mordecai encouraged Esther to use her access to her husband, the king, to save her people. The risk was great — if he didn’t want to see her, she could have been put to death. On the other hand, if she didn’t intercede, God would have raised up deliverance in another way, but Esther and her family would perish in the process. Talk about pressure!

The Book of Esther is a message to God’s people to use their access to influential people to help bring about change including rescuing those in distress. You may feel reluctant responding in the way He has shown you, but your obedience will pay off. If you do not take advantage of the access given to you, then God will bring along someone who will and you’ll lose your reward.

Unlike Esther, your life may not be on the line, but your effectiveness as a Christian in an important situation certainly is.