GREAT question, Suzy. It is liberating to do just that, isn't it?
The world conspires to keep the particular, personal, individual, named-from-before-the-world-began love of God for His children stifled. Instead, the world seeks to parcel out God's love here and there as a reward for good behavior. And in doing so, the world presumes it can actually withhold God's love from His children.
Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?" -- Romans 8:32-35"He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?
I wasn’t groping in the dark before I applied the doctrines of grace to my scripture reading, but my lamp was on a lower wattage, and now I have such intense light that I can’t hide from it. LOL. It is liberating to know that the light is the Holy Spirit.