When someone says, "I love you," the natural reply is, "I love you, too." If you're in a loving relationship with someone, you expect those words in response. Our passage from 1 John today tells us that this is the kind of relationship God has with us. It's not just about saying the words, though. We heard John telling us last week: "Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action" (1 John 3:18). This week he says it like this: "We love because God first loved us" (1 John 4:19).

Anyone who has ever started at Genesis and tried the read the Bible all the way through will tell you that it's not easy. It can be very confusing if you're trying to figure out the nature of God. In some places, God is loving and nurturing, providing for all of his people's needs. And…