How He Loves Us!

The parable of the tame olive tree shows many times of God's love for us in His concern for His orchard and His grief that He cannot save all of it.  When it is about to be hewn down and thrown into the fire, He mourns, It grieveth me that I should lose this tree.  What could I have done more for my vineyard? 

In Jacob 6 Jacob also shows us his own love for his people and for us.  He pleads with those who read to choose the right path and to avoid destruction.  Here are some quotes from Jacob in this chapter.

• how merciful is our God unto us
• he stretches forth his hands unto them all the day long
• Wherefore, my beloved brethren, I beseech of you in words of soberness that ye would repent, and come with full purpose of heart, and cleave unto God as he cleaveth unto you. And while his arm of mercy is extended towards you in the light of the day, harden not your hearts.
• why will ye die?
• O then, my beloved brethren, repent ye O be wise; what can I say more?

Jacob grieves that anyone would willfully turn their backs upon the goodness of God.  He weeps at the wickedness of those he sees around him, as well as those that have been shown him in vision.  He demonstrates the Pure Love of Christ.

The natural man loves to feel like he's better than those around him.  Notice the Pharisee in Luke 18.

 11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.

 12 I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.

We all did this as kids.  If our brother or sister got rebuked, we sat there in self-righteousness and gloated that it wasn't us.   Now as adults we love to look at those on the street who look grubby and unkempt, with a cigarette hanging out of their mouth, and make comments about how smoking and long hair seem to go together.  We feel a certain self-satisfaction in our "goodness".  This is not the Pure Love of Christ.  This is not the attitude that Jacob exhibited.  This is not a celestial attitude. 

It we could only "be filled with that love", we would look on those people as a fellow brother or sister.  We would want to reach out and help them and share the Gospel with them.  We would grieve at their problems.  We would love them.

I certainly am not there.  I pray that I can get there.  That I can be less judgmental of those around me at church who are only sliding along.  That I can overcome my prideful nature that wants to criticize everyone who doesn't seem to measure up in every way.  That I can see them as a fellow child of God who is struggling and trying and who hasn't had all the advantages and blessings and training that I have had.  It's not easy, but I pray to be more like Jacob and be full of love.