In Deuteronomy 7:6-9, Moses told God's people, Israel, "The Lord did not set His love upon you, nor choose you because you were more in number than any people, for you were fewest of all people. He has chosen you to be a holy people unto the Lord thy God, a special people unto Himself, because He loved you, and because He would keep the oath He hath sworn to unto your fathers. He brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the land of Pharaoh in Egypt. Know thee, therefore, the Lord thy God is the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that fear Him."
God loved his people and bestowed his love upon them, desiring only that they respond to his love. Sometimes they did, but many times they failed him, going their own way. Listen to him in Psalm 81:13, 14, 16: "O that My people had hearkened unto Me, and had walked in My ways! Then would I have subdued their enemies and fed them with the finest wheat; and with honey out of the rock would I have satisfied them." What a pathetic lament from the God of the universe over his people that would not remain faithful.
The same God, who is also the father of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, may have to withdraw his loving kindness from us long enough to discipline us-long enough to make us aware we are not grateful enough for his constant love and are permitting worldly, material pursuits to make us become indifferent to proper worship of him.
God's disciplining love-"I have forsaken My house-I have given the dearly beloved into the hand of her enemies." Jeremiah 12:7 "How can I give thee up, Ephraim? How shall I deliver thee, Israel?-(into captivity)." Hosea 11:8.
God's redeeming love-"Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion, for, lo, I come, and I will dwell in the midst of thee, saith the Lord." Zechariah 2:10. God's promise of his son dwelling among his people and becoming the world's savior. The next verse speaks of the Gentiles being included as God's people. God's love reaches out to all people-"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16. God's love is all inclusive.
How about our love for him? Let the Apostle Paul speak for us: "For I am persuaded that neither death or life, nor principalities nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor any creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus, our Lord." Romans 8: 38, 39.