Jeremiah 31:3b – …I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.
I am so glad that God chooses to love me. His incredible love of me is overwhelming. See, I know what I have done and been during a different time in my life. Though God has forgiven me I remember and recoil at all the hurt I have brought to people. How could God, or anyone else, like me, even greater, how could anyone love me? Even still, in the not distant past, in my weakness, I have hurt one who was deep in my heart. More notably in the past, I have been selfish and insensitive. Still I can be selfish and insensitive. Truly I am unworthy to be allowed to do anything in the name of Christ. This is no great humble confession, it is truth. Saying so is also not a call for “there nows.” I have been horrible and some of that still is within me. Sometimes the sadness is too much to bear.
The love of God is indeed beyond comprehension. He knows me. He knows every detestable thing about me and still chooses to love me. If I were him I would just have given up on me and just moved on. But not Him. No, He chooses to love me! I resisted His love, I resisted Him being a part of my life for the first twenty-one years of my life. He would visit me, call to me, and send people to make me aware of His love. Though He had every answer I wondered about, though He loved me as I though no one else could, I pushed Him away. I couldn’t envision how He could be in my life.
Truth is, I was afraid. I was afraid of being rejected by Him. I had figured it was a court that I did not want to stand inside of. I knew some day that I would stand before Him to be judged in the weakness of how I lived my life, but I hoped to put that off. Though, looking back, I don’t know why since I was unhappy and looking for what I did not know.
God pursed me, He always pursued me. Me! Yes, no reason to pursue me. I had no value to add to His band of Saints. Yet He did. Remarkable eh? So He pursued me. You know, He is an excellent tracker. He was in front of me at every turn. Finally I fell to me knees and surrendered to Him. And then He made me cry. Not because He pronounced the eternal horrific judgement that I deserved, but because He took all of my record upon Himself. His love overtook me and He said that He has loved me and will always love me. He said that the time will come when I will live with Him in Heaven for all eternity. Yes, He made me cry. He made me cry because He loved me in a way that no other could. He loves me. It is the most amazing thing I have ever known, and will ever know. He loves me. Oh some of you are probably scratching your heads too. How could He love Bob? Yet He does. You know the answer to that question is that He loves me because of who He is and not because of who I am. After all, love is at the core of who He is.
What is great about God loving me? Well for me, it is obvious! But what does that mean to you? It means that since God loves me, He surely loves you! Listen, recently I made one of the very best people I have ever known not like me anymore. So I’m far from being rid of who I had been. Still God loves me and continues to change me. Since He has loved a wretch like me, that should bring everyone hope for themselves. Some may be upset that God loves me, but I assure everyone that is the wrong perspective. The fact that God loves me means He can love anyone…and He does love anyone and everyone.
I thank God for all who call Jesus their Savior and Lord. I hope the fact that Jesus loves me will help to encourage others that “Well, if He can love Bob, He can love me!” And Family and Friends, that is the truth. I pray for you to know the love of Jesus. He has died for you and now He lives to bring eternal life to you. May you all be found in His loving embrace as you lovingly embrace Him!
Love and blessings to all!
He chose me – John 15:16, Ephesians 1:4, 1 Peter 2:9
He is love – 1 John 4:8
He bore my sins – 1 Peter 2:24, Isaiah 53:4
God called me – Acts 17:30, 2 Timothy 1:9, 1 Thessalonians 5:24
He will take me to Heaven – John 14:1-4
Psalm 150:6 – Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!
Micah 7:7 – But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.
Micah 6:8 – He has shown You, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of You but to do justly, to love mercy, And to walk humbly with Your God.