“God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. Love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him.”
1 John 4:16-17
More than grains of sand or stars in the sky — surely that’s how many people have lived on the earth. And that God has loved and continues to love every one is astounding. How could there be enough divine love to go around? Because we’re touching on such astronomical numbers, perhaps God only loves the world in a general sense.
Not so. God’s love is infinite. Spurgeon defines it this way: “In math, if you divide an infinite number by any other number, no matter how large, you still get an infinite result. Jesus’ love is infinite, and even though it is divided up for every person on earth, His love is still infinitely poured out on each one of us.” As today’s verse says, love is made complete among us.
That’s enough love to take away your guilt, dissipate your anger, fill up your loneliness, and assure you of heaven. Love so infinite will more than meet your desires and longings. What’s more, His love is for you to give away.
God’s love is like trigonometry, for if you divide love, it will always multiply. Give love away, and it will always come back to you with its arms full. As someone has said, “Throw it away, empty your pockets, shake the basket, turn the glass upside down, and tomorrow you will have more love than ever.”
Remember, God’s love may be divided up for an infinite number of people on earth, but because His love is eternal and without end, He can still infinitely pour out His love on you. Just for you.
Lord, you left Your Father’s throne above,
so free, so infinite Your grace!
You emptied Yourself of all but love
and bled for Adam’s helpless race!
‘Tis mercy all, immense and free,
for Oh, my God, it found out me.*
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*”And Can It Be?”, The Hymnal for Worship and Celebration, Charles Wesley, Word Music, 1986, page 203.
