50 Powerful Snapshots of God’s Love

Have you ever wanted a quick hit of encouragement when you’re feeling far from God’s heart? Or maybe you need a simple way to remind your students—or yourself—just how wide and deep God’s love really is. I get it: sometimes the Bible can feel big and overwhelming. That’s why I’ve distilled fifty bite‑size truths—each anchored in Scripture—to help you see God’s love from every angle.

Whether you’re teaching a class, sharing at a small group, or just needing a personal pick‑me‑up, these positive bullet points will guide you through the Hebrew and Greek words, vivid Old Testament images, powerful New Testament fulfillments, and practical commands that show God’s love in action. Think of it as your “love toolkit”—ready to grab whenever you need a reminder that God’s love is steadfast, sacrificial, and all‑embracing.

Next up: fifty powerful snapshots of God’s love—each paired with its verse—so you can teach, share, or simply soak in His amazing affection.

Hebrew Words for Love

• The Hebrew word ahavah describes God’s covenant love in choosing Israel, not because of their greatness, but because He loved them (Deuteronomy 7:8).
• Ahavah commands total devotion when we are told to love the LORD our God with all our heart, soul, and might (Deuteronomy 6:5).
• God declares, “I have loved thee with an everlasting love,” showing that His affection transcends time (Jeremiah 31:3).
• Ahavah includes familial affection as Jonathan “loved David as his own soul” (1 Samuel 18:3).
• Jacob’s passionate service for seven years to win Rachel’s hand illustrates ahavah in romantic love (Genesis 29:20).
• The term ḥesed proclaims lovingkindness that never ends: “His mercy endureth for ever” (Psalm 136:1).
• In revealing Himself, God names His character “abundant in goodness and mercy,” emphasizing steadfast ḥesed (Exodus 34:6).
• God promises to keep covenant mercy for those who love Him and follow His commandments (Deuteronomy 7:9).
• Racham, linked to the word for “womb,” portrays tender compassion as God pities His children like a father (Psalm 103:13).
• Isaiah uses maternal imagery to assure us that though a mother may forget her child, God will not forget His own (Isaiah 49:15).

Old Testament Expressions of God’s Love

• Israel’s election was rooted in divine love, chosen by God simply because He set His heart on them (Deuteronomy 7:8).
• Hosea presents God’s paternal love: “When Israel was a child, then I loved him” (Hosea 11:1).
• Despite Israel’s unfaithfulness, God vows, “My kindness shall not depart from thee” (Isaiah 54:10).
• God leads and sustains His people tenderly, carrying them as a parent carries a child (Deuteronomy 1:31).
• The Lord’s protective care is likened to an eagle stirring her young under her wings (Deuteronomy 32:11).
• True love sometimes corrects, as “whom the LORD loveth he chasteneth” like a father disciplining his son (Proverbs 3:12).
• The Lord as Shepherd assures provision and care: “The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want” (Psalm 23:1).
• In compassion, the LORD “was grieved for the misery of Israel” when they suffered (Judges 10:16).
• God rejoices over His people with singing, reflecting tender love and delight (Zephaniah 3:17).
• The prophet Hosea foretells restoration: “I will betroth thee… in lovingkindness,” portraying covenant love (Hosea 2:19).

Greek Words for Love

• The New Testament proclaims “God is love,” defining His very essence as agápē (1 John 4:8).
• “God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son,” displaying agápē in the greatest gift (John 3:16).
• Jesus teaches the ultimate measure: “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13).
• The Holy Spirit pours out God’s agápē in our hearts, enabling us to love beyond our natural capacity (Romans 5:5).
• Paul exhorts, “Let all your things be done with charity,” urging every action to flow from agápē (1 Corinthians 16:14).
• Christ gives a new commandment: “Love one another; as I have loved you” (John 13:34).
• Believers are told to be “kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love” (philadelphia) (Romans 12:10).
• “Let brotherly love continue” encourages affectionate fellowship among the church family (Hebrews 13:1).
• Above all, maintain “fervent charity,” for love covers and forgives many offenses (1 Peter 4:8).
• Love fulfills every command, for “love worketh no ill to his neighbour,” completing the law (Romans 13:10).

New Testament Demonstrations of God’s Love

• John the Baptist heralds Jesus as “the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world,” revealing sacrificial love (John 1:29).
• Jesus calls Himself “the good shepherd,” who willingly lays down His life for His sheep (John 10:11).
• The father’s tender embrace in the Prodigal Son story illustrates God’s restoring love for the lost (Luke 15:20).
• Paul reminds us that “Christ died for the ungodly,” proving divine love toward sinners (Romans 5:6).
• Romans declares, “God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).
• “We love him, because he first loved us,” showing that our affection springs from God’s initiative (1 John 4:19).
• Husbands are instructed to “love your wives… even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it” (Ephesians 5:25).
• Paul prays that Christ may dwell in our hearts “by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love” (Ephesians 3:17).
• Nothing in all creation can separate us from “the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:39).
• The resurrection power is our assurance that “thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:57).

Life in God’s Love: Christian Response

• Jesus summarizes the law by commanding us to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, and mind (Matthew 22:37).
• Loving our neighbour as ourselves fulfills the second great commandment and reflects God’s compassion (Matthew 22:39).
• Radical love calls us to “love your enemies, bless them that curse you,” mirroring God’s forgiveness (Matthew 5:44).
• The world will recognize Jesus’ followers “by this, that ye have love one to another” (John 13:35).
• We carry each other’s burdens, thus fulfilling Christ’s law of love in practical service (Galatians 6:2).
• Believers are urged to “put on bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind,” out of love (Colossians 3:12).
• The love described in 1 Corinthians 13 is patient, kind, and enduring—qualities we pursue daily.
• “Be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another,” as God forgave us in Christ (Ephesians 4:32).
• We are called to “walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us,” making love the guiding principle of our lives (Ephesians 5:2).
• Above all virtues, “put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness,” uniting and perfecting the body of Christ (Colossians 3:14).