How do You love me / Love me like nobody else? / It's a crazy kind of mystery that I can't understand / But You're showing me again and again / How You love me

1. God loves you and He wants you to know it.

How do You love me? / How do You love me / Love me like You do so well?

It's a simple truth. God loves you. We hear it all the time. It's one of the most foundational truths of our faith, but the Apostle Paul's prayer for believers in Ephesus in Ephesians 3:16-19 teaches just how big of a deal it is to God that we know how much He loves us. 

"I pray that from His glorious, unlimited resources He will empower you with inner strength through His Spirit. 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 you 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 3:16-19)

Isn't it so amazing that this is something that God cares about? He wants all of His people to understand the vastness of His love for us and He actually empowers us to understand it! Does this mean the love of God will ever completely make sense to our finite minds? No, but it does mean that God wants us to have confidence that we are dearly loved by Him.

I love that Paul goes on to pray in Ephesians 3 that the believers would experience the love of Christ. God wants His love for us to be more than simply head knowledge but something we know and experience in our hearts. Why don't you make Ephesians 3:16-19 part of your prayer today? Thank God for His love for you and ask Him to help you understand and experience His love even more.

2. God is patient with you as you grow.
 
Somehow You're always patient / Patient to let me grow / And this broken heart is changing / It's a miracle

I remember being in a spiritual rut several years ago. I was angry with myself because I felt like I kept struggling with the same weakness over and over again, and I was convinced God would eventually not want anything to do with me anymore. Surely He was frustrated that I wasn't progressing faster, just like I was frustrated with myself. I thought that way until one night while reading my Bible, God caused this verse to stand out to me. Philippians 1:6: And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue His work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.

A couple of implications stood out to me from that verse. 

First, we are works in progress and God's work in us won't be fully complete until Jesus returns for us. We're always going to be learning and growing, struggling and overcoming. Becoming more like Jesus is by nature a process, so we don't have to feel like we're failing when growth takes time. We can enjoy the process and thank God for His transforming work in us as He does it. Second, God doesn't give up on us in the process. He finishes the good works that He starts. He began a good work in you by saving you when you put your faith in Him and He will continue the good work in you by helping you to grow spiritually and become more like Him, day-by-day throughout your life. God isn't frustrated with you as you grow. He is patient and committed to the process.

Final Thoughts

I can't think of a better way to end this discussion than to quote Psalm 103:8-17. It's my favorite passage that describes God's character and the way He loves us, especially in our weaknesses and shortcomings. Next time you feel the accusation that God doesn't love you or He's ready to give up on you, remember this:

"The LORD is compassionate and merciful, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. He will not constantly accuse us, nor remain angry forever. He does not punish us for all our sins; He does not deal harshly with us, as we deserve. For His unfailing love toward those who fear Him is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth. He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west. The LORD is like a father to his children, tender and compassionate to those who fear Him. For He knows how weak we are; He remembers we are only dust. Our days on earth are like grass; like wildflowers, we bloom and die. The wind blows, and we are gone--as though we had never been here. But the love of the LORD remains forever with those who fear Him."

"How You Love Me" can be found on Dan Bremnes' latest album, Wherever I Go. Buy it on Apple Music or stream it on Spotify. Read the full lyrics of "How You Love Me" here.