10 Bible Verses You Need to Know About Love

“Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud  or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.” (1 Corinthians 13:4-7)

Unfortunately, many of us have been burned by those who have claimed to have “loved” us. That’s why it can be difficult for some of us to understand what it means to be loved. 

Thankfully, God is so good to give us His definition of love. As we read in verses like 1 Corinthians 13, God promises to share with us the truest, purest form of love—the kind that restores, heals and inspires us to treat those around us differently. God himself is love (1 John 4:8), and it truly is a love that is not of this world (John 18:36).

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“But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.” (Romans 5:8)

Wondering if God loves you? It’s hard to top God’s simple-yet-profound statement of love in Romans 5:8. We were enemies of God, and yet, He was willing to give His most prized possession so that we may have life. 

It’s obvious from this Bible verse on love (and also 1 John 4:9-10) that God’s love is not only sacrificial but unconditional. What a beautiful thought!

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“Your unfailing love, O Lord, is as vast as the heavens; your faithfulness reaches beyond the clouds. Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, your justice like the ocean depths. You care for people and animals alike, O Lord. How precious is your unfailing love, O God! All humanity finds shelter in the shadow of your wings. You feed them from the abundance of your own house, letting them drink from your river of delights. For you are the fountain of life, the light by which we see.” (Psalm 36:5-10)

The simple glory of the morning sunrise. A majestic mountainside bursting in spring floral color. The soothing rhythm of the ocean waves. All of these are God’s whisper of unfailing love to you and me, His beloved. 

In a world that is filled with fear and anxiety, isn’t it incredible that God surrounds us every day with physical evidence of His great love?

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“But now, O Jacob, listen to the Lord who created you. O Israel, the one who formed you says, 'Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine.'” (Isaiah 43:1)

Oh, how this Scripture about God’s love brings comfort! God not only loves His creation on a corporate level, but He knows each member by name. 

This kind of love frees us from fear because we can know that we are intimately loved and wanted by the one who holds the entire universe together. Your life has great value to God and He calls you His own! 

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“I will be glad and rejoice in your unfailing love, for you have seen my troubles, and you care about the anguish of my soul.” (Psalm 31:7)

God’s love gives us hope at all times because we know He hears us, cares for us and will be with us even when we pass through the deepest waters. 

It’s His love that both gives us strength and causes us to rejoice! When we’re going through difficult circumstances, it makes such a difference to know that someone—especially God—cares!

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“For you bless the godly, O Lord; you surround them with your shield of love.” (Psalm 5:12)

God’s love is like an imaginary force-field around those who follow Him. He promises that everything He allows to come into our lives must first pass through that shield of 100 percent pure love. 

However, God’s shield of love doesn’t necessarily keep us from hard times. If you’re walking through a time of great trial or tragedy, remember that God’s love didn’t create the situation, but that He did allow this difficulty through His “shield of love” in order to strengthen you and encourage you to draw closer to Him. 

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“But I am like an olive tree, thriving in the house of God. I will always trust in God’s unfailing love.” (Psalm 52:8)

When we know that we are loved completely by the one who created us, we are freed from other’s expectations and demands. We need only look to Him for purpose, and to trust Him as our source of self-worth.

We thrive as we learn to fully lean on His unfailing love through every situation.

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“And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38-39)

Nothing can take God’s love away from us. Nothing. Yes, we will experience great trials in this life, but oh, what a blessed assurance it is to know that God’s unending love will walk beside us through them all. 

We can fearlessly and confidently walk through the valley of the shadow of death because, as Psalm 23:4 concurs, He is with us.  

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“May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.” (Ephesians 3:19-20)

Ephesians 3:19-20 (one of my favorite Bible verses on love) promises that in this life we will never be able to fully comprehend God’s love but that we can only be blessed to experience it. 

And here’s a thought even more wonderful: Simply experiencing Christ’s love allows us to be made complete and to experience the full life we’re all after. God’s love heals, restores, and empowers us to be all that we’re created to be!

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“Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us.” (1 John 4:11-12)

Although God’s love is a free gift and can never be earned, those of us who experience His great love are tasked with loving others in this same manner. 

God’s love comes to full expression when we unconditionally love others as He loves us. What a humbling privilege that we can play a part in communicating God’s life-changing love to the world!

Want to dig deeper into some of these awesome Bible verses about love? Check out the Be Loved 5Rs Bible Study™ Journal and Guide which teach you how to understand and apply love Bible verses to your life in only a few minutes a day. 

Alicia Michelle, author and speaker at YourVibrantFamily.com, is passionate about helping women discover their fullest, most vibrant lives as mothers, wives and daughters of God. Alicia is also the creator of the 5Rs Bible Study™ Method, a simple-yet-powerful five-step process for kids and adults to understand and apply Bible verses in only a few minutes a day. Learn more at 5RsBibleStudy.com.

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