Do you know that God loves you?
Most of us know that we are supposed to believe that God loves us. But do you really know? You you really believe it? What’s your experience of God’s love?
The book of John often talks about God’s love for us, especially John 3:16: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (NLT).
We can see Bible verses or billboards saying “God loves you!” But so often we have trouble believing it. One of my Bible professors said it like this: “If we don’t know that God loves us, then our love for him feels like servitude.” If we don’t actually realize that God loves us, then anything we do in return feels like an obligation or duty. We are still trying to earn love that God has already shown us!
“If we don’t know that God loves us, then our love for him feels like servitude.” -Dr. Ingrid Faro
Think about all the different ways that you can show love to someone. You can tell them, but there are numerous ways that you can show them—and these are often the most meaningful. Think of a time when someone prepared your favorite meal because they knew just what you liked! Or when someone got you a gift that suited you perfectly because they knew you so well.
Now, think of all the ways that God has shown his love for us. Yes, he sent his son, Jesus, to redeem us and give us new life, but he also knows our inmost parts and desires. He provides good things that are perfectly suited to us. He even knows our dark and sinful parts and loves us anyway! In fact, he loves us so much that he didn’t want to leave us in our sin, but he wanted to come close and free us so we could be full of his love!
Does your Christian walk feel like servitude or duty? Perhaps you need a fresh revelation of how God loves you! I encourage you to take some time to meditate on this. Ask the Lord to reveal how he feels about you. Meditate on Scripture and let the truth of God’s love seep into your soul.
God doesn’t just put up with us, but he wants us as his children.
1 John 3:1 says, “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” When we begin to grasp this love and the fact that God doesn’t just put up with us, but he wants us as his children, it’s overwhelming! What great love!
Some deny that God could love them like this. Perhaps there are parts of your heart that simply have trouble believing that you are worthy of love? Ask Jesus about that. Keep seeking and you will find a God who loves you very much and wants you to experience this love as you walk with him. May you discover how truly loved that you are by God who created you and knows your name!
From Peter's Blog: https://peterbales.substack.com.