overwhelmed by love

I am convinced that our lives would be radically changed if we allowed ourselves to be overwhelmed by the love of God.  Love and relationship are what God is all about! 1 John 4:8 comes right out and says that God is love.  We are tremendously loved, accepted, and wanted by the God who created us, but the enemy does his best to convince us otherwise.  It's all part of his plan to keep us separated from our Father God.  Sin was part of that plan too, but God so LOVED the world that He gave His only Son as the once and for all sacrifice that bridged the separation caused by sin.  (John 3:16)  God made a way for us to have relationship with Him, and He did it because He loves us. 

Even when we have accepted God's gift of Jesus, the devil doesn't give up.  He lies to us and puts us in fear and tries to persuade us that we are unloved by our Creator.  We aren't the only generation to fall for the lies.  The Apostle Paul wrote to the church in Ephesus, "Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in Him.  Your roots will grow down into God's love and keep you strong.  And may your have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep His love is.  May you experience the love of Christ though it is too great to understand fully.  Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God."  (Ephesians 3:17-19)  And in Romans, Paul wrote, "I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God's love.  Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow-not even the powers of hell can separate us from God's love.  No power in the sky above or in the earth below-indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord."  (Romans 8:38-39)

I'm certain that the devil lied to Paul, using his past against him.  Paul had killed Christians before he became one.  Paul was shipwrecked and imprisoned more than once after He became a Christian, and I bet the devil used those times to tell Paul that God didn't love him.  But, Paul allowed God to overwhelm him with love, even when he was in prison.  Paul was CONVINCED of God's love...not only for himself but for all Christians...and that includes you and me! 

More and more often, the prayer of my heart is, "Show us Your love, God.  Overwhelm us with your love."  I am certain that He will answer!