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One of my favorite songs at Christmas is “Joy to the World”, and I love especially the verse that goes: “He rules the world with truth and grace, And makes the nations prove; The glories of His righteousness; And wonders of His love, And wonders of His love, And wonders, wonders, of His love.” Every time I hear or sing the song, it makes me wonder about this wonder of God’s love. So, what are the wonders of His love?
It has been said that the things that make God’s love so remarkable and wonderful are in the strength and steadfastness of His love. God’s love is so strong that it can cast out every fear. 1 John 4:18 says “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.” When we are aware of God’s perfect love, every fear melts away in the presence of that awareness. Only God’s love could have such an effect on us His children. What a wonderful love! His love is so strong such that the Bible reveals in 2 Timothy 2:13 that God remains faithful even when we are faithless. The Psalmist asking God to show him the wonders of His great love in Psalm 17:7 is akin to asking that the Lord manifest the strength of His love. “Show me the wonders of your great love, you who save by your right hand those who take refuge in you from their foes” – Psalm 17:7 (NIV). The Lord has shown this love repeatedly and even more so by the birth of the messiah who has come to take our sins away.
God’s love is also steadfast. His love never fails, His love never changes. Psalm 136 tells us that His love endures forever. In this world, people fall out of love for the flimsiest reasons, but our God never falls out of love with us. It does not matter what we do, He loves us still. God utterly refuses to leave us in our sin, rather He not only rescued us by sending His only begotten son, He took us in, adopted us into sonship with Him, and made us His children through which we have become heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ (Romans 8:17). What wonderful love the Lord has for us!
There is nothing that personifies the wonders of God’s love better than His decision to offer His most beloved Son as a sacrifice for our own atonement. The Christmas season is the spirit of that love and all the festivities and the joy that surround the season is a remarkable testimony to the wonders of God’s love. “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends” – John 15:13. What wonderful love! Every day of our lives, our prayer should be that God should show us the wonders of His great love. And we might also add that He should help us also to show the wonders of His great love to others even as He reveals Himself in us, especially at Christmas, so that we may love as fiercely and as steadfastly as He does.
Today as we celebrate the coming of Christ, let us remember that this season is borne out of God’s love, His wonderful love, for us His children. “Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!” Hallelujah! This season is a season of love divine, the kind of love that brings joy to God’s people. And as we relish in this wonderful love for us, I pray that we will be encouraged and rejoice in the Lord our God, without regard to whatever pain, loss, or hurt, whether physical or emotional, that we may have gone through. His love for us is enough to wipe away every tear. May the love of God fill each and every one of us in this season, the same way water fills the seas, and may it cause our joy to fill up and overflow in Jesus’ name. Merry Christmas!
December 25, 2022 – Pastor Simbo Odunaiya
