More songs, poems, books, and movies have been written about love than any other subject. We love love. We long for it, hunger for it, diet for it, scheme for it.
To yearn for love is not only natural, it is Divine. God has given each of us a hunger for true love. But too many of us look to satisfy that hunger in the wrong way, with the wrong people. And we end up unhappy, hurt, and broken. That kind of love fails us, again and again.
The Apostle John is known for his themes of love. In his gospel, he refers to himself as “the disciple whom Jesus loved.” In his letters, he tells us that God’s love is so great, our response should be to share that love with others. In his Revelation, John longs for the day when we will be able to spend eternity loving Jesus in spirit and in truth. John fully embraced the love God lavished on him, and he responded with humility and 
wholehearted commitment.
We will never be fully satisfied until we accept the love God has for us – unfailing, perfect love. When we look to other people to fill that God-sized hole inside us, we will always be disappointed. But when we live in the light of God’s love, we are free to love others without limits, without unrealistic expectations. We can be full of joy, even in difficult circumstances, because we know that God will never leave us or forsake us, that his love is eternal.
Hi! It’s been a little less than a year since I have submitted a comment on your blog. 2 days ago my 19-year old brother Russell (Rusty) Vittrup was diagnosed with ALL leukemia and my family has experienced the hardest time that we have ever gone through. The 2 of us had just finished up finals week at The Master’s College in California. Rusty had been planning on going to Albania on a missions trip through our college that left yesterday. We see God’s provision in giving the doctor to the wisdom to tell him that he could not go on the trip and finding the cancer. I am constantly amazed at God’s timing in this, as the trip would not have returned for 2-3 weeks and he would not have been recieving his treatment here in North Texas right now. My aunt made a Facebook page called RustyWins and the amount of support, primarily through prayer that he has gotten in the last day has been incredible. It has updates on it. My brother is such a Godly and amazing young man and brother to me, and it has been hard for me to understand, why him? Why is it him who got cancer when he is so kind and humble? I honestly wish I was the one in the hospital because I do not want to see him in pain. However, I know that God is going to use this to bring Himself glory, and already is working in ways that I can’t even see. Thank you so much for your encouraging post. I was especially encouraged by your statement “We can be full of joy, even in difficult circumstances, because we know that God will never leave us or forsake us, that His love is eternal.” I have already seen this joy in Rusty who has been laughing and smiling so much. Today he was making us laugh when he put a bag of M&M’s in his hospital room safe. 🙂 I thank God for this joy that he’s given my brother in the midst of this trial.
Wow, what an amazing testimony. I can’t imagine how difficult this is for your family. But I know our God loves your brother – and all of you – SO much, and He will be right by your side through this situation. I am encouraged to see your faith as you face this. I pray God will strengthen and encourage you every day, and that your family will be a Light everywhere you go!