The Love of God: An Infinite, Active, and Personal Reality
“The gardener never ceased his labor, not because the field was worthy, but because his love compelled him to transform it into what it was meant to be.”
Key Verse:
"Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee" (Jeremiah 31:3).
Reflections on the Love of God
In The Knowledge of the Holy, A.W. Tozer presents a profound exploration of God’s love—a love that transcends human understanding yet manifests itself so intimately that it transforms the lives of those who receive it. God’s love is not merely an attribute or a passive force; it is active, infinite, and deeply personal. It is a love that seeks, draws, sacrifices, and sustains.
Tozer reminds us that God's love is not contingent upon anything in us. It is uncaused and unchanging because it originates in God Himself. This love is eternal, holy, and sovereign, ensuring that nothing can thwart His desire for our ultimate welfare. As Tozer writes, “Nothing can hurt a good man. The body they may kill: God’s truth abideth still. His kingdom is forever.”
A Parable of the Master Gardener
Imagine a barren field, dry and lifeless under the sun’s scorching rays. No crops grow, and the soil is cracked and depleted. One day, a gardener arrives. This is no ordinary gardener; he sees the potential hidden within the barren earth. With unrelenting patience, he waters the field, enriches the soil, and plants seeds of life. Despite no immediate results, he persists, lovingly tending to his field each day.
Months later, the field blooms into a lush garden, abundant with vibrant flowers and nourishing fruits. The gardener never ceased his labor, not because the field was worthy, but because his love compelled him to transform it into what it was meant to be.
In the same way, God’s love works within us. Though we may feel barren and unworthy, He lovingly and persistently cultivates our hearts, planting seeds of His grace and truth. His love is not a response to our worthiness but a reflection of His character.
Key Insights from Tozer
God’s Love Is Rooted in His Nature: Tozer emphasizes that God's love is not merely a feeling or a reaction; it is intrinsic to His nature. It is as eternal and infinite as God Himself, flowing from who He is rather than from what we do. “His love had no beginning and can have no end.”
Active and Sacrificial: The love of God is not passive. It acts, sacrifices, and gives. “God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son” (John 3:16).
Fear Cast Out by Love: Perfect love, Tozer explains, drives out fear. When we trust in God’s sovereign and unchanging love, we are freed from the torment of fear. “Let a man become convinced that nothing can harm him, and instantly for him all fear goes out of the universe.”
Personal and Intimate: God’s love is not generic; it is personal. He loves individuals, not crowds. Tozer reminds us, “God does not love populations, He loves people.”
Application for Today
Rest in His Love: Trust in the eternal, unchanging love of God. Even when circumstances appear barren, His love is at work, cultivating growth and life within you.
Reflect His Love: As recipients of God’s boundless love, we are called to share it with others. This love compels us to act, to give, and to serve selflessly.
Find Joy in His Presence: True Christian joy springs from responding to God’s love with gratitude and worship. Allow His love to harmonize your heart to His song of delight.
Final Thought
Tozer reminds us that God’s love is both a towering pillar of the universe and a personal embrace for each of us. In His love, there is no fear, no condemnation, and no end. Like the master gardener, He sees what we cannot and lovingly tends to the soil of our lives. As we rest in His love, may we flourish into the fullness of what He has created us to be.
Prayer:
Father, thank You for Your unchanging love. Guide me to a place of resting in the assurance that Your love is not dependent on my worthiness but is a reflection of who You are. I trust in Your perfect will and my desire is to reflect Your love to those around me. Let my heart harmonize with Your song of love, bringing joy and peace to every moment. Amen.