How does God love?

heart shaped leaf

While going Fall Colours touring in Gunma, I came across this leaf, it was heart shaped. Immediately, my emotions rushed to my heart... it was as if God was saying "I love you". 

If you had asked me a year ago, I would have considered you ridiculous to even think that such a mere coincidence could be God's doing. But after all the bible studies, the small groups and sermons I can confidently say God REALLY REALLY loves us. He doesn't expect much from us. Only asks us to believe and trust in Him. (Believe me... this is MUCH easier said than done...)

A few weeks ago, I came across a question at BSF which asks: How does the Old Testament show the righteousness God gives is apart from the law? (referring to Romans 3:21-23)

Genesis 15:6 

6 Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness.

all we have to do is believe... and He will count it as us being righteous. Isn't that just beautiful and generous of God? We don't have to do anything and we can be righteous. It is not done by our works but by our trust and belief in Him.

Jeremiah 31:33-34

33 

“This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel

after that time,” declares the Lord.

“I will put my law in their minds

and write it on their hearts.

I will be their God,

and they will be my people.

34 No longer will they teach their neighbor,

or say to one another, ‘Know the Lord,’

because they will all know me,

from the least of them to the greatest,”

declares the Lord.

“For I will forgive their wickedness

and will remember their sins no more.”

isn't it beautiful how after all we have done to Him: breaking the laws He specified we MUST keep, hurting Him, disobeying Him... etc He forgives us and calls us HIS people and puts Himself as our God? 

we don't deserve it... yet... He loves us THIS much...

Ezekiel 36:26-27

26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.
God can make miracles happen... He can restore our hearts so that we can be right with Him. He would perform miracles on us when we fail so that we can keep His laws...

New Testament:

After all that... we still fail, we continue to sin. So God decided to give us His own son, Jesus. He allowed Jesus to die, to be punished so we can be saved. It might not sound like much... but consider this: if you told a lie and someone took the blame for it. How would you feel?

And... this isn't just a lie... it is all the bad things we thought of and even did... He took it all... on that cross. It might not sound like much... you say? yes... other criminals were crucified... but what He did and what others cannot do is... He took God's wrath... the amount of hatred that God has for sin... He took it all (so we won't have to)... and all He asks of us is to believe in Him and all of this will be given to us... if we believe, we will be protected by Jesus... and won't be punished for all the wrong we have said, done and thought of.

If He can loves us THIS much... why can't He give us a heart shaped leaf to say "I love you"?