We cannot understand God's love for us. His love is forever and unconditional. He may chastise us and discipline us but always  because of his great love. We do not love ourselves or others have not loved us or we do not love others unconditionally; therefore we expect to be treated the same way by God. His love is incomprehensible. We have no categories to compare it to. He loves because he is love. His very life is love. He loves us as we are and yet calls us to become even more. He knows our potential and loves us to reach our potential.

To recognize the voice of the Lord and respond to that voice brings us to look at ourselves. Are we presentable to receive the Lord? Are we prepared to receive him who is love and who is sinless?  Do we need to straighten out our house before he comes? There is obvious and recognizable sin in our life.
 He is not asking us to be perfect before he enters in, but he calls us to be repentant and truly desirable to turn from sin, so that we can truly welcome him into our lives.

Wasn't that the call of the O.T. Prophets? Circumcise your hearts. Return to the Lord, and he will return to you. Turn away from sin and turn back to the Lord your God. Wasn't that the call of Jesus, "Repent and believe in the Gospel, for the Kingdom of God is at hand"? (To be continued)