As I write this, I have a compass in front of me. It is a compass that belonged to my dad. Many times he took me with him if the hunt was not overnight. The compass is small, perhaps two inches across. It is covered with glass, and inside is a fluid where a small needle always points north. It has a loop on one end where dad would tie a leather thong and slip the compass into his pocket. In going through dad’s memorabilia after his death, I spotted this compass. It immediately brought back many memories. Dad did not really need a compass because he had a natural compass in his head. He always knew where he was in relation to where our car was, but the compass was always tied to his belt loop. He would pull it out occasionally to be sure that the compass in his head matched the compass in his hand.
A compass is an interesting thing. It was discovered by the Chinese about 1,000 B.C. The Orientals found that a certain metal called “magnesia” carried an electrical charge. The metal was magnetized. Because it was magnetized, it carried both a positive and a negative charge. The Orientals did not understand this, but through experimentation, they discovered that when this metal floated, one end of the metal always pointed north. Out of this, they developed the first navigational compass. By attaching a piece of this magnesia to a piece of bark and floating it in water, they became pioneers in navigation. They did not know why it worked, it just did work, and it gave them the confidence to navigate beyond the sight of land.
Our ability to navigate has increased greatly since this ancient Oriental experiment. Now we know that the entire earth is a giant magnet. It has a north pole and it has a south pole. Between these two poles is an electrical field of energy. The atmosphere is charged with this energy. This becomes the foundation for all communication. Not only is our earth electrically charged, but our atmosphere is also electrically charged. To carry it further, our very bodies are electrically charged. When I go to see the doctor for my annual checkup, he draws blood to check my electrolytes, tiny ions that float in my bloodstream that carry an electrical charge. Our bodies are fuel cells that function through a chemical reaction.
Electricity is a basic part of the foundation of everything. Electricity may be foundational to the world in which I live, and it may be foundational to the function of my body, but how does my spiritual life function? What gives me personal meaning in life and connects me with divine power? As electricity is foundational to the world in which I live, God is foundational to my spiritual life. I cannot exist or function in the spiritual world without God. God cannot be understood until we experience His love, for love is the foundational principle in defining God. 1 John 4:7 says, “beloved let us love one another for love is from God…”. In the following 15 verses, “God is love” is stated 28 times. In fact, in the entire book of 1 John, the keyword is Love.
There are three questions I ask regarding the character of God. The first is “What is God”? This question deals with his being, i.e., who He is in His core of being. Second, “What did God do”? This question deals with his activity. Thirdly, “what is God doing”? This deals with His nature.
So, “What is God”? We know that He is a Spirit. He is not flesh and blood. There is no place in the Bible that describes a body for God. God also is Light. This has to do with his nature. He enlightens my world. He brings me out of the darkness. Thirdly, God is love. This deals with His expression in relationships. So we can say God is a Spirit, God is Light, and God is Love.
If 1 John 3:9 is right when it says we are “born of God,” then we carry the nature of God within us, just as you carry the nature of your genealogy within you. In your nature, you begin to develop the nature of God.
If God is love, and the nature of love is to reach out in a relationship, then God, by His very nature, is concerned about the human dilemma that we face today. God will seek to express Himself through my interaction with those around me. Our human nature hinders the nature of God. Human nature is self-love and selfishness, but the very nature of God in me competes against this fallen nature that I carry. God has always been “the seeker.” It was expressed in the Garden of Eden when God calls out to Adam, “where are you?” The greatest lie that Satan has is that “God does not care.” This nature of God is beautifully portrayed in the book of Hosea. I suggest that you take time to read this short book, buried in the Old Testament.
The final facet of Love is that love always wants to be with the one it loves. In 1 John 4:13-16, the word “abides” is mentioned six times. What is being expressed is that God wants to “abide” within me because He loves me. John expresses this in the Gospel he wrote. In John 1:14, he states, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory.” Then the Apostle takes it one step further by saying, “Know ye not that your body becomes the Temple of the Holy Spirit, who is IN you.”
God does not stand at a distance and say, “I love you,” nor does he contact me through social media and tell me I am loved. He wants to live within me.
God’s love will do three things:
- It will restore broken relationships.
- It gives me confidence in God.
- It removes fear because there is no fear in love.
Electricity is basic to the functioning of our universe. God’s love is basic to the functioning of my spiritual life. Without it, my life could turn into chaos.
