Loving God's People

First, I thank My God through Jesus Christ for all of you because the news of your faith is being reported in all the world. For God, whom I serve with my spirit in telling the good news about His Son, is my witness that I constantly mention you, always asking in my prayers that if I somehow in God's will, I may now at last succeed in coming to you. For I want very much to see you, so I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you, that is, to be mutually encouraged by each other's faith, both yours and mine. Romans 1:8-12

What love Paul has for the Romans! How could he love them so much, unless the Lord put them on his heart. His longing to see them took him to Jerusalem, imprisonment, shipwreck and on a very long and arduous journey to finally arrive to be with those he longed for.

There are people in my world that I sense the love of God on and I am compelled to be with them, I am tender towards them. It really makes no sense in the natural but God compels me.

Paul, the great apostle was captivated by the love of God for people. He was drawn, compelled and hopelessly smitten by the love of God. A good place to be! In that place you can do no harm because you are tender and the flesh does not rule in that place. 

It is important we differentiate between human emotionalism and the love of God. Human emotionalism seeks to satisfy itself, whereas the love of God seeks God's best for people. It does not spoil people with carnality but rather seeks their best. There is no lust here.

Paul tells these people that their faith is know all over the world, well, maybe in his small world then, but now all over the whole world. Praise God!

The Roman Christians lived at the edge of a smoldering volcanoe, in Caesar. They were kept faithful and humble because of the persecution they would experience.

Lazy indolent Christians that Paul had to deal with elsewhere were not like these people, these were ardent and hungry for all of God. Amen!