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Pastor's Blog January 2, 2020

• "The Infinite Love of God"

{Scroll over scripture reference to read the scripture or reference.

For our time together in 2020, I think it would be extremely profitable for us to spend time in Ellen White's book  Steps to Christ .  

Steps to Christ  is truly one of the classics on the Christian life, and it is to our benefit to spend time thoughtfully, prayerfully, and affectionately thinking about the God that Ellen talks about at length in this book.  And there is no place better to begin our reflections than at its beginning: "nature and revelation alike testify of God's love" {SC 9.1-2}. 

Throughout the first few paragraphs of the first chapter, "God's Love for Man," Ellen repeatedly draws our attention to the fact that everything God does is motivated by his love.  Plants, animals, and natural environments all demonstrate that God has taken consideration for their needs, well being, and what will enable them to thrive - and this is because he loves those plants, animals, natural environments, and all creation {SC 9.1}.  Even among those parts of the natural world that show signs of decay, being marred, and being oriented to death rather than life, God has still given copious signs of his love: "there are flowers upon the thistles, and the thorns are covered with roses" {SC 9.3}.  All of this is because God is love - and he not only loves the world he has created, but he loves the children for whom he created it even more!  The Bible witnesses to this divine love and clarifies the character of this loving God.  Quoting Exodus 34:6, Jonah 4:2, and Micah 7:18, Ellen tells us that the glory of God is nothing less than his lovingkindness, grace, mercy, and faithfulness to men and women {SC 10.2}. 

It is Satan, not God, who desires our destruction and slavery; and it is Satan who has deceived humans into thinking that God is cruel, unkind, unloving, and does not care about them, preferring them dead and gone instead {SC 10.3}.  But everything God does for us is a manifestation of his love.  In fact, it is the love of God for us that was the motivating factor in Jesus' coming to earth: to show us "the infinite love of God" {SC 10.3}. 

Friends, have you considered all the ways in which God has shown you he loves you?  Have you counted all the blessings God has bestowed on you, and carefully thought about the fact that they are a multitude of "I love you"’s from God to you?  I invite you to do this today.