The Love of God: Is it for You too?
A Christian Devotional on God's Love
A knock came on my door late one night as I prepared for bed.
“Mom,” a little voice sounded on the other side. “Why doesn’t God love me?”
I hesitated a bit before responding.
This child had been schooled in the reality of God’s love since birth – and even before that.
What in the world was going on in her head? And I asked her why she was feeling this way.
“Well,” came her trembling response. “You told me that God gives sleep to those he loves and I’m still awake. So --- he must not love me.”
I have to admit, I was a little thrown off by her logic. I was glad that she remembered the scripture on sleep that I’ve been drilling into her head, but I was a little confused at her deduction.
Did God’s love for her change just like that?
Was he so fickle, so quick to change his mind that he’d scratched her off his “nice” list? Was she suddenly exempt from the true reason God sent his only begotten son to die for us -- because he “so loved the world”?
And, I began remind her of that very thing.
“Mom,” a little voice sounded on the other side. “Why doesn’t God love me?”
I hesitated a bit before responding.
This child had been schooled in the reality of God’s love since birth – and even before that.
What in the world was going on in her head? And I asked her why she was feeling this way.
“Well,” came her trembling response. “You told me that God gives sleep to those he loves and I’m still awake. So --- he must not love me.”
I have to admit, I was a little thrown off by her logic. I was glad that she remembered the scripture on sleep that I’ve been drilling into her head, but I was a little confused at her deduction.
Did God’s love for her change just like that?
Was he so fickle, so quick to change his mind that he’d scratched her off his “nice” list? Was she suddenly exempt from the true reason God sent his only begotten son to die for us -- because he “so loved the world”?
And, I began remind her of that very thing.
Fact is, we all doubt God’s love for us at one time or another don’t we?
Most of us, I think, base God’s “love meter” on feelings or on the circumstances of our lives.
If we’re feeling warm and fuzzy and life is good, then that must mean God loves us a lot, right? And if things are kind of distant with God and life stinks, well, we must have somehow gotten on his bad side.
Most of us, I think, base God’s “love meter” on feelings or on the circumstances of our lives.
If we’re feeling warm and fuzzy and life is good, then that must mean God loves us a lot, right? And if things are kind of distant with God and life stinks, well, we must have somehow gotten on his bad side.
I think when we rely on reasoning like that, we bring our perception of God down to our own level -- figuring that he acts the same way people do.
And that’s a dangerous way to think about God, because well, he’s anything but human.
I remember having a rare talk about God with a woman who deeply questioned his love for her. She respected where I stood in my Christian faith, but somehow she could never grasp it for herself.
Frustrated, she told me flat out that she didn’t feel like the whole “God thing” was for her. She’d tried, you see, and never felt anything.
Scripture shows how this reasoning is false. God didn’t send his only son into the world to die for a “select few.” Jesus died for her the same reason he died for me.
I like how John 3:16 appears in The Message translation of the Bible: “This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life.”
And that’s a dangerous way to think about God, because well, he’s anything but human.
I remember having a rare talk about God with a woman who deeply questioned his love for her. She respected where I stood in my Christian faith, but somehow she could never grasp it for herself.
Frustrated, she told me flat out that she didn’t feel like the whole “God thing” was for her. She’d tried, you see, and never felt anything.
Scripture shows how this reasoning is false. God didn’t send his only son into the world to die for a “select few.” Jesus died for her the same reason he died for me.
I like how John 3:16 appears in The Message translation of the Bible: “This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life.”
I remember when I was a girl, my family took a trip to Iowa to visit my aunt and uncle and their family.
Now my aunt was a strong Christian who openly spoke about her faith.
And for me, at that stage in my life, well, that was just a little different.
Now my aunt was a strong Christian who openly spoke about her faith.
And for me, at that stage in my life, well, that was just a little different.
The bedroom where I slept had two banners on the wall that her children must have made in Sunday school. One said, “God loves Mark” and the other said, “God loves Matthew.”
Now, it’s been nearly 40 years since I made that trip, but I still see those banners and I remember wondering at the age of seven: “Does God love Debbie?”
I honestly didn’t know the answer to that and it bothered me.
Finding out that we are loved by the creator of the universe is an amazing and freeing revelation.
Francis Chan, author of the book “Crazy Love” writes this in his workbook: “Have you ever sat in awe as you considered the fact that the Creator of the universe – the God who spoke the world into existence, the God who conquered sin and death by bursting forth from the grave, the God who will ultimately set the world to rights and to whom every single knee will bow – that this God loves you?
“I don’t hesitate to say that if we truly grasped the improbability and overwhelming power of God’s love, we would be changed forever. We would think differently. Feel differently. Live differently. Nothing would be the same.”
We sing a song in our church called “One Thing Remains” that has a chorus that goes something like this: “Your love never fails, never gives up, never runs out on me.”
Enjoy the song below and then let me know...
Can you feel the love?
Now, it’s been nearly 40 years since I made that trip, but I still see those banners and I remember wondering at the age of seven: “Does God love Debbie?”
I honestly didn’t know the answer to that and it bothered me.
Finding out that we are loved by the creator of the universe is an amazing and freeing revelation.
Francis Chan, author of the book “Crazy Love” writes this in his workbook: “Have you ever sat in awe as you considered the fact that the Creator of the universe – the God who spoke the world into existence, the God who conquered sin and death by bursting forth from the grave, the God who will ultimately set the world to rights and to whom every single knee will bow – that this God loves you?
“I don’t hesitate to say that if we truly grasped the improbability and overwhelming power of God’s love, we would be changed forever. We would think differently. Feel differently. Live differently. Nothing would be the same.”
We sing a song in our church called “One Thing Remains” that has a chorus that goes something like this: “Your love never fails, never gives up, never runs out on me.”
Enjoy the song below and then let me know...
Can you feel the love?
Here are some Bible verses that'll help you on your journey:
Ephesians 2:4-5 New International Version
But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.
Galatians 2:20 New International Version 1984
I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
Romans 8:38-39 English Standard Version
For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Ephesians 2:4-5 New International Version
But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.
Galatians 2:20 New International Version 1984
I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
Romans 8:38-39 English Standard Version
For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.