When I was a child, my parents sang in the choir at the Goodlettsville Cumberland Presbyterian Church. Somewhere around 1965 I accompanied them to weekly rehearsals for this church’s Easter cantata. After all those years the tune and lyrics to John W. Peterson’s No Greater Love continue to dance around in my head.
“There is no greater love, nor could there be, than God’s great love, infinite love, love He revealed through Christ at Calvary.”
Based on John 3:16 and John 15:13, Peterson brings to life the greatest love story ever told.
In a similar fashion, through words and pictures, Amy Parker’s board books share the love of God for His children. With Valentine’s Day approaching, what better way to show true love to your child than to help him or her know the love of God.
In her Faith, Hope, Love Devotional (©2016 by B&H Publishing Group), Parker says, “We can’t talk about love without talking about Jesus. He is the ultimate example of the most amazing love. God sent Him as a sacrifice for us. And when it was time, Jesus willingly, lovingly laid down His life in exchange for ours.”
For a toddler perhaps too young to understand the concept of sacrifice, Parker shares simple analogies in her book God Is Love (©2019 by Running Press Kids): “a mother’s patient forgiveness, a daddy’s warm bear hug, a kitten’s first mew, the flight of a ladybug.”
God is the dance of the last snowflake
Before the return of the spring.
He is the tulip rising up through the snow
With all of the hope that it brings.
Parker’s An “I Love You” Prayer (©2011 by Tommy Nelson) encourages a child to thank God for the many ways He shows His love. This book also provides a wonderful opportunity for parent and child to focus on an attitude of gratitude: “For the ways You say ‘I love you’—Dear God, I love You too!”
Parker again shares the greatness of God’s love in her board book How Big Is Love? When the little hedgehog asks his mama about love, she replies, “God’s love is the biggest, strongest thing in the world.” She goes on to explain that “our love grows every time we give it away.” That’s what happened when God gave us His Son.
Fast forward to present day, and my head is filled with the constant buzzing of songs from Is He Worthy, the Easter cantata my church is currently rehearsing. Created and arranged by Russell Mauldin and Sue C. Smith, these songs tell the same greatest love story.
In letters of crimson, God wrote His love on a hillside so long, long ago. For you and for me, Jesus died, and love’s greatest story was told. “I love you. I love you.” That’s what Calvary said. “I love you. I love you. I love you,” written in red.—from “Written in Red” by Gordon Jensen
I have shared this song performed by the Gaithers in a previous post, but it’s worth sharing again and again, just like the greatest story ever told is worth sharing over and over.
Share God’s love with the children in your lives. Read Amy Parker’s books aloud to them. Help them to learn John 3:16 and understand its true meaning. Help them to see the importance of sharing God’s love with others.
Take your kids to church. Let them hear the Word and the music that will stay with them for a lifetime.
“Riches take wings, comforts vanish, hope withers away, but love stays with us. Love is God.”—Lew Wallace
“Let never day nor night unhallowed pass, but still remember what the Lord hath done.”—William Shakespeare
John 3:16; John 15: 13; 1 John 4:7-8; 1 John 4:9-11; Romans 8:37-39; Psalm 136:26
Your blog is always so well thought out, full of nuggets of information and has terrific Christian messages that all can read and understand. I enjoy them immensely.
Thank you, Pete. I love the Gaither version of our song. It gives me chills!