Love of God can mean either love for God or love by God.
Love for God (philotheia) is associated with the concepts of piety, worship, and devotions towards God.
Love by God for human beings (philanthropia) is lauded in Psalm 52:1: "The steadfast love of God endures all the day"; Psalm 52:8: "I trust in the steadfast love of God forever and ever"; Romans 8:39: "Nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God"; 2 Corinthians 13:14: "The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all"; 1 John 4:9: "In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him"; etc.
The Greek term theophilia means the love or favour of God, and theophilos means friend of God, originally in the sense of being loved by God or loved by the gods; but is today sometimes understood in the sense of showing love for God.
The Greek term agape is applied both to the love that human beings have for God and to the love that God has for man.
Read more about Love Of God: Bahá'í Faith, Christianity, Greek Polytheism, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, Other
Famous quotes containing the words love of god, love of, love and/or god:
“Life of Ages, richly poured,
Love of God unspent and free,
Flowing in the Prophet’s word
And the People’s liberty!
Never was to chosen race
That unstinted tide confined;
Thine is every time and place,
Fountain sweet of heart and mind!”
—Samuel Johnson (1822–1882)
“In metropolitan cases, the love of the most single-eyed lover, almost invariably, is nothing more than the ultimate settling of innumerable wandering glances upon some one specific object.”
—Herman Melville (1819–1891)
“By continually affirming our children’s lovableness and capableness, we help them build a strong sense of self-worth. The more love you give your children, the more love you are helping them to create inside themselves. Think of love as a basic right of your kids. Give it away freely, and it will come back a thousand fold.”
—Stephanie Martson (20th century)
“The great God endows His children variously. To some he gives intellect—and they move the earth. To some he allots heart—and the beating pulse of humanity is theirs. But to some He gives only a soul, without intelligence—and these, who never grow up, but remain always His children, are God’s fools, kindly, elemental, simple, as if from His palette the Artist of all had taken one color instead of many.”
—Mary Roberts Rinehart (1876–1958)