The Love Of God

It is Sunday, 6th September 2020 and this is your friend, Angus Buchan with a thought for the day.

If we go to 1 John, Chapter 4 and verse 7:

“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.”

It is the most powerful force in the whole world.

The most famous summary of the gospel of the entire Bible is found in John Chapter 3, verse 16:

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

What is this force that drives a man?

I think of Eric Liddell.

He was the fastest runner in the whole world, and he also played rugby for Scotland on the week, and yet he would not play on Sundays.

And as a result, he was chosen for the Olympic Games that were held in France that year.

The British selectors chose him to run, not knowing that he would not run on Sundays.

And he told the organizers, when they said, “You will be running the 100 metres on Sunday.”

He said, “I cannot.”

They said, “You have to. You are a guaranteed gold medalist for the British Isles!”

He said, “I cannot run on Sunday.”

“Why?”

He said, “because it is against my belief!”

Now, that was his personal belief, because he loved Jesus so much.

They even got the future King of England, the Prince of Wales, to try and persuade him to run for his king and his country.

He said, “My king says I will not run on Sunday.”

And you know, as a result, they put him in on a Tuesday or a Wednesday. He ran the 400 metres and the people said he would never do it because he had never trained for the 400 metres.

Not only did he win the 400 metres, but he broke the world record.

The love of Christ is what motivates people to do things for Jesus.

Straight after he had finished and he got his gold medal, he got on a ship and he went to China as a missionary and preached the gospel there.

He died in China, preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ.

It is the love of God that motivates us to do great things for God and to expect great things from God.

Have a wonderful Sabbath Day and just think of the love - such great love, that God gave His only begotten Son for you and me so that we might have eternal life.