Daily D – 1 John 4:9-11

by David Bowman | Dec 20, 2023 | Daily D | 0 comments

1 John 4:9-11 God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins. Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. (NLT)

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Nicolette Larson sang a song called Lotta Love that debuted in October, 1978. Neil Young wrote the song and also recorded it. Both albums were released on the same day through an accident of the trade. Young’s version of the song was never issued as a single. Larson’s version was a hit in the USA and abroad.

The two versions of the song are quite different, even though the lyrics are the same. Young’s is wistful and protective. Larson’s is open and hopeful. Read the lyrics as simple poetry in different moods and see how each artist interpreted the song as he or she did.

It’s gonna take a lotta love
To change the way things are
It’s gonna take a lotta love
Or we won’t get too far

So if you look in my direction
And we don’t see eye to eye
My heart needs protection
And so do I

Between Silly Love Songs (Thank you Paul McCartney) and serious love songs and everything between these two points on the line, there have been a million or more love songs written, recorded, and performed. Everyone is hungry for something they have never fully experienced. We all know the want of real love. We can all know its overflow.

Christmas is an annual reminder that God loves us perfectly, provides his love inexhaustibly, and wants to express his pure love through us. His love overcomes barriers. His love redeems, restores, and renews. His love embraces every hurting heart. His love heals every broken heart. His love fills every welcoming heart.

Neil and Nicolette are right. It takes a lotta love to change the way things are. Our Father in Heaven has all we need and more now and forever. The original Christmas gift is still available to anyone and everyone. It cannot be earned. It can only be received. That’s the meaning of the Gift.

Receiving God’s Gift empowers us to join him in giving the best kind of love to those in our rings of relationships. Passing along God’s Gift to others in no way diminishes what we have received. Instead, it increases our capacity to receive and to give.

There is a whole lotta love available from God our Father through Jesus His Son and experienced through the presence of His Holy Spirit.

Need a lotta love? Receive the gift of Jesus.

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I will receive and extend God’s gift of perfect love.

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Our Father, thank you for the Gift of Jesus. Your perfect love is more than enough for all we need now or ever. Increase our capacity to receive all of your goodness so that we may likewise pass it along to those pondering wistful lyrics and sad songs. Amen.

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