Isaiah 53:6 English Standard Version (ESV) All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way;

Yesterday we talked about love and finding our place in the body of Christ. How each of us got there is by different experiences. What do we know about love? We only know what we experience and are taught. Being a baby is easy, nothing is expected of us accept to receive love. As we grow our understanding of love differs based on our understanding of what love is and how it is expressed.

Being raised in a family that has difficulties expressing love can be confusing. If all we experience about love is receiving, what can we know about giving love? Our misunderstandings lead to disappointing others who have a different concept for the meaning of love. We all have a concept of how we would like to receive love but those expressions can be misleading.

Galatians 5:17 English Standard Version (ESV) For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.

If all we experience is receiving then there is a real danger of allowing the desires of the flesh to define our love needs. We commonly define desires of the flesh to be lust because it is the easiest to understand. Those are not the only desires of the flesh. We might even compare those desires to what is commonly called the seven deadly sins.

We shall delineate upon those in greater detail tomorrow. What we need to concentrate upon this moment if the misconception of love needs. Love does not need.

1 Corinthians 13:5b English Standard Version (ESV) It (love) does not insist on its own way;

Love does not go astray, we do.

John 14:2 English Standard Version (ESV) In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?

John 14:2 King James Version (KJV) In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

John 14:2 My Version (MV) In my Father’s family there are many children: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

My version is in consideration of yesterday’s devotional. God loves and wants to be loved. What better expression is there of love than to be included in the family of God? We all want to be treated like a loved one. One of the problems of living in a large family is finding your place within the family dynamic.

Jesus declares that He will show you were you fit. Nothing solidifies security like being found useful, appreciated and loved for being yourself. You can be real and accepted.

My version brings my natural desire into focus. I don’t want a room and I don’t want a mansion. I want to love and be loved. My heart has been changed to want the same thing that God wants.

There are many things that could be said of why the different translations use houses and mansions and rooms. We can imagine why but does that fulfill our own personal desires. What it is in us that creates these emotional desires we call needs. God declared what our needs are in life. He declared He would meet those needs. What He was expressing in the promise of provision was love.

We are not an accident of birth. God chose to place us in His family.