I don’t know why it’s taken me so long to see this, but I’ve recently come to realize that there are two sets of promises found in the Scriptures. There are promises that are ours simply because God Loves Us, but there is also a set of promises that belong to Those Who Love God.
For instance, everyone knows John 3:16 “For God so loved… that He gave His only son… that we might have eternal life.” The gift of eternal life is AVAILABLE to us because of “God’s Love for Us.”
There are other scriptures, however, that offer God’s promises with the prerequisite that “We Love Him.” I’ve quoted the promise of Romans 8:28 much of my life without fully appreciating or comprehending what it says. It tells us that “All things work together for good…. TO THOSE WHO LOVE GOD”. Not to those “whom God loves” (that would be everybody). What a blessing to know that nothing can come my way except for that which is completely FOR MY GOOD! But, the condition of that promise must be met first… I must LOVE GOD.
I’m thankful that He loves me! But, to gain the full benefit of being in relationship with God, the love needs to be reciprocated. Here are a few other promises that remind us that there are special promises for those “WHO LOVE GOD.”
1.) James 1:12 (NIV) “Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised TO THOSE WHO LOVE HIM.
2.) 1 Corinthians 2:9 (KJV) “Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared FOR THEM THAT LOVE HIM.”
3.) Psalm 145:20 (NLT) “The LORD protects all those WHO LOVE HIM, but he destroys the wicked.
4.) Daniel 9:4 (NIV) “I prayed to the LORD my God and confessed: “Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with THOSE WHO LOVE HIM and keep his commandments,”
