1 Thessalonians 3:12-13 - “May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you. May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones.”

How comprehensive is the love of Jesus! There is no part of his people’s lives which he does not consider, and there is nothing which concerns their welfare which is not important to him. “The very hairs of your head are all numbered.”

It would be tragic for us if this mantle of love did not cover all our concerns; everything that we are given in life has already come under our gracious Lord’s inspection. Believer, rest assured that the heart of Jesus cares about all your affairs, even the so called “smaller” ones. The breadth of his tender love is such that you can look to him in all matters; for in all your afflictions he is afflicted, and like a father cares for his children, so does he care for you.

The smallest interests of all his saints are all borne upon the broad bosom of the Son of God. Oh, what a heart is his, that does not merely understand and care about each person among his people, but also understands and cares about their diverse and innumerable concerns! Do you think, O Christian, that you can measure the love of Christ? Think of what his love has brought you - being declared “not guilty;” being made right with him by his grace; being adopted as his son or daughter; being transformed from the inside out to be more and more like him; having eternal life! The riches of his goodness are unsearchable; you shall never be able to tell them out or even conceive them. Oh, the breadth of the love of Christ!

Shall such a love as this have half our hearts? Shall it have a cold love in return? Shall Jesus’ marvelous lovingkindness and tender care meet with but faint response and tardy acknowledgment? O my soul, tune your harp to a glad song of thanksgiving! Go to your rest rejoicing, for you are no desolate wanderer, but a beloved child, watched over, cared for, supplied, and defended by your Lord.
(Taken with edits from Charles Spurgeon’s devotional.)

Today let’s worship and thank God for his fatherly/motherly love for us. Let’s pray 1 Thess 3:12-13 for our churches.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8TkUMJtK5k

-AP