TODAY’S DAILY DEVOTIONAL MESSAGE
A Foundation of Affection
A foundation of affection is something that can be said to be one of the most wonderful results of getting to know the heart of God. We tend to spend a disproportionate amount of our time and energy each day labouring for the approval of other people. We are always in search of affection, whether it be from the people closest to us, such as our friends and family, or from a person we have never met before, and we do this for a variety of reasons.
However, as followers of Christ, we have been given access to an inexhaustible source of love and affection through communion with our heavenly Father. There is nothing we must do, and there is nothing we could ever do, to merit God’s love and favour. His love is where everything starts. Instead of being the result of our feelings, thoughts, and actions, his affection is intended to be the catalyst for all of those things. In Ephesians 3:17-19, God tells us that we should have our lives firmly established in his love for this very reason.
When we intentionally seek out new revelations of the unconditional love that God has for us, we naturally become more stable and unmovable. When we realise the immeasurable breadth and depth of God’s love for us, it is natural for us to give up the pursuit of love from other people. And as we make regular access to the centre of God’s being, we find ourselves being filled with all of God’s fullness, becoming deeply content with a love that is far beyond anything we could ever merit.
According to the verse found in 1 John 4:16, “Whoever abides in love abides in God.” Spend some time in prayer with a guide so that you can remain in the love of your heavenly Father. Permit the peace that transcends all understanding to envelop you. Allow him to express the depth and breadth of his overwhelming affection for you.