1 John 4:7-12 - Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

This passage from 1 John teaches us about the nature of God and how we should love one another. It tells us that God is love, and that whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. God showed his love by sending his Son Jesus into the world to save us from our sins. If God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another. When we love one another, it shows that God's love lives in us and is perfected in us.

This passage gives us a beautiful glimpse into the very heart and character of God. At the core of who God is, we find love. He is the source and definition of all love. His greatest demonstration of love was sending Jesus to die on the cross to save us. Just as God first loved us, even when we were lost in sin, we are called to imitate that same self-sacrificial love towards others. When we love like God loves, it draws us closer to Him and allows His love to flow through us to a world in need of hope. Loving others, even when it's difficult, shows that we truly know and abide in God. It's a reminder that the greatest command is to love - to love God with all our heart and to love our neighbor as ourselves. When we focus on living a life defined by love, it brings us confidence and casts out all fear, because we know that we belong to God and He will never leave us.

Heavenly Father, thank you for showing us your love through sending Jesus. Help us to reflect your loving nature in all our relationships. May your love flow through us to others in need of comfort. Give us compassionate hearts that seek to understand before being understood. When it's hard to love, grant us your strength. May our lives be a living testimony to your all-surpassing love. In Jesus' name, Amen.