WHY does He love me?

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(James Smith, "Loved and Blessed" 1860)

To love, and be loved--is real happiness. Our highest honor, and our sweetest happiness below--is to be beloved of God. For if God loves us--He will withhold no truly good thing from us.

"I will heal their waywardness and love them freely--for My anger has turned away from them!" Hosea 14:4

What will God do for His people? He will love them freely!

He will prefer you to all others--setting His eye and His heart upon you.

He will take you into fellowship--the nearest, dearest, sweetest fellowship with Himself.

He will make you happy with the persuasion of the facts . . .
that He has loved you with an everlasting love,
that He delights in His love to you, and
that He will forever love you freely!

O blessed state--that the great, the infinite, the holy Lord God, will love a worm like me . . .
preferring me even to the angels;
indulging me with the freest, sweetest fellowship with Himself;
and sweetly persuading my soul of His eternal love to me!

WHY does He love me? Just because He will. The cause, the reason--is to be found in His loving heart, and sovereign will alone. Not because I am good, or amiable, or can repay His love--for He loves freely, and fixes His love on the most unlikely and unworthy objects!

How precious the Lord's people are to Him!
Notwithstanding all their unworthiness and sinfulness.
Notwithstanding all their departures from Him, and unkindness to Him.
There is nothing on earth, or in heaven, except His only begotten Son--that is as precious to the heart of God, as His people are!

God's love is always free and unchangeable. Everything outside of God will change--but His love is immutable!

"Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore with loving-kindness have I drawn you!" Jeremiah 31:3

Lord, help me to believe the love which You have for me--and to love You in return! O shed abroad Your sweet love in my heart, and fill that heart with glowing love to You!

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