New Morning Mercies: A Daily Gospel Devotional

by Paul David Tripp

The counsel of John is clear and just as important today as when he penned the words: Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever. (1 John 2:15–17) You are a lover; we all are. We love. It’s what human beings do every moment of every day, in every location, and in every situation. You are never not loving. It’s in the very fiber of your being. It’s the way God carefully constructed you. Why did he hardwire you to love? Why is this such an essential part of who you are? God created you with this capacity so that you would have what you need to live in a deeply loving, heart-controlling, motivation-producing, worship-initiating, joy-stimulating relationship with him. Your capacity to love was created for him. Your desire to love was meant to draw you to him. Your heart was designed to long for love, and that longing was meant to find its final and complete fulfillment in him. Here is the tragedy. Sin causes us all, in some way, to turn our backs on the love of God and give the principal love of our hearts to someone or something else. We seek to have our hearts fulfilled by love for something other than God. We love the creation more than the Creator. We love ot...