The love of God the Father is, first of all, the love to wait for us to change.

1 John 4:16 says, "We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him."

Do you truly understand His love?

You might think you understand because you have heard and learned so much about it. However, the depth of understanding varies from person to person. I hope you can feel deep in your heart why such a great heavenly Father loves you, a seemingly insignificant being, so much. If you feel His love, that happiness and joy cannot compare to any worldly happiness. It cannot compare with any friends, pleasures, TV, money, relationships, social power, or anything else of the world.

If a pearl merchant finds the most precious pearl, he will sell all he has to buy that pearl. Similarly, those who understand God's love can forsake all worldly things to gain His love. Just like a thirsty deer pants for water, you’d want to know more about God's heart. Because you have experienced the happiness and joy given in God's love, you’d want to live the kind of life that God desires of you.

Then, we can dwell in God, and God can dwell in us. Namely, we will live in the truth, and to that same extent, God will be with us and give us answers and blessings.

I pray in the name of the Lord that this love of God will fill you completely, and that God will take care of you at each moment of your life.

Dear Devotees and Members,

The love of God the Father is, first of all, the love to wait for us to change.

From Luke 15, we understand what a father's waiting is like. A man had two sons, and one of them received his inheritance in advance and went to a distant country. He probably dreamed of becoming successful in a new place. But reality was harsh. He was not successful at all; instead, he indulged himself in dissipation and wasted all his fortune. When there was a famine in the land, he could not even get the feed given to pigs.

Now he began to think about his father. He thought, "In my father's house, even the servants have enough food, and I am starving to death here. I should go back home." Of course, he could not expect his father to forgive and accept him. He had asked for the inheritance money even before his father died and wasted all of it in dissipation. He couldn't help but be ashamed.

Seeing him return in such a poor condition, his father might have driven him away, saying, "I knew this would happen!" Perhaps he could have just erased his second son from his mind, thinking, "I have my first son who is faithful and obedient. I will forget about the prodigal second son."

But the heart of the father was completely different from what the son thought it would be. The father gave him the inheritance money because he demanded it so vigorously, but since the day the son left, the father was not at peace for a single day. He was always concerned about his son, worrying about where he was, what he was doing, whether he was healthy, and whether he was safe from harm despite having a lot of money.

He looked out to the village path every chance he got, waiting for his son to come back. He would have waited not just for a couple of years but even for ten years. The issue was not about what kind of wrong the son did, but simply because he was his son, he couldn't give up on him.

He was not waiting to scold him for his wrongdoings. He was waiting to take off his old and dirty clothes and put the best clothing, shoes, and even precious stones on him. There was also a big party to be thrown for him. Since the son had returned home, his attitude about what he had must have completely changed from the past. Before, he took for granted all that he could eat, wear, and enjoy. Now, he is full of thanksgiving. He also wants to make up for what he had done to his father and seeks to do things that can please him. Seeing this son, the father will be comforted and feel happy, too.

Pastor Emeritus Dr Jaerock Lee God's Love sermon