LOVED

And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.  1 John 4:16

My dear friend, I come to you today to tell you, you are loved. I know you have heard these words, “I love you.” but I do not think they sink inside your heart. You long for these words. You thrive on them. You really, want to hear them from a specific person that is unwilling to let go of those three little words. I want to tell you, you do not need them. The reason why, is because there is a love for you greater than all other loves.

He is the one who knows every hair on your head, every wrinkle in your hand, and every freckle on your arm. He knows your pain in your body. He knows the pain in your heart. His loves replaces the love from a father, mother, sister, or brother. He stands in for the love of a spouse because you are His bride.  He will be all those things to you. His love never fails, never ends, never shuts you out, never builds a wall, or never grows distant. He will never fail to hear your voice.

Jesus was willing to leave His wonderful place in heaven to come to earth. He was forced and squeezed through the passage of the birth canal with pain and difficulty. He cried as His little lungs filled with air for the first time and as He felt the cold air on His wet body. Keep in mind, that had He stayed in heaven, He would not have felt any of these things.

For the first time, He felt hunger. He had to work at nursing to gain His first earthly nourishment. He felt uncomfortable when His tummy had to learn to use His mother’s milk. He felt pain, when His little teeth emerged from swollen gums.  

As He learned to walk, He probably fell and scraped His little knee. He cried. He grew  and  maybe experienced some growing pains. He was probably teased by other children, because He was different. He knew He was from God, yet had to wait patiently to be obedient to earthly parents, when He already knew much more than them.

You see my dear friend, He suffered, way before He even started His ministry. He suffered, long before He was beaten, and carried a heavy cross. He suffered, before His hands and feet were nailed to a cross.

He did not have to do this. He could have remained in heaven, but out of his love for you He chose to do this. Have you ever known a love as deep as this?    

He did not wait for you to become perfect, He did this while you were ugly with sin. Have you ever in your life been rewarded when you were bad? That is exactly what God did for you.

Jesus felt you were worthy to pay this unbelievable price. In His eyes, you ARE worthy through His love! Worthy enough for Him to bleed, be bruised, be humiliated, be crucified and to gasp for His very last breath. Jesus suffered from his first breath, to His last. God did this for you.

Think and soak, bask and revel in this love.  Let God’s love so fill you that is spills out to even the unlovable. Let it fill in the gap of unrequited love. You need no other love when you live in His love. Beyond all your imagination, I tell you today; you are loved!

God of love, Thank you! Amen