God’s Love For You and I

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16) 
 
Focusing on the way God loves us in this verse, seems an infinitely more profound way of communicating the depth of His love. We must consider the reality that in order to redeem mankind, who had made themselves God’s enemies, his very Son was required as substitute. That’s like a parent giving his or her only child’s life to save the lives of soldiers from an invading enemy nation, intent on destruction. 
 
When our eyes are opened to that kind of unfathomable love, it should stir something in us. God’s love for us is deeper than words, it was spoken through selfless action and is further communicated through His adoption of us. (Ephesians 1:5). The beautiful gift of our salvation is a story wrought with absolute love.
 
Through the sacrifice made upon the cross we are reconciled back to our rightful place as sons and daughters of God; and this place is one that cannot be taken from us. (Romans 8: 38-39). Our place of dependence here is as God’s dearly beloved children.
 
In light of your dependence as children of God, you are invited to trust in the Father’s intense love and affection for you. Take time today to rest in the truth of the love that was shown to us all through the sacrifice of Jesus.
 
This devotion blessed me. As a parent myself I don’t know if I could willingly do as today’s devotion depicts, sacrifice my only child’s life to save the lives of soldiers from an invading enemy nation, intent on destruction. Wow! What a thought provoking visual. What love! Remember this today, God loves you more in a moment than anyone could in a lifetime. There is no pit so deep that that God’s Love is not deeper still. 
 
Have a beautiful and uplifting day in The Lord!
Today’s Reading is Galatians 6:2


The Surprising Truth About What Your Worth

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16) 
 
So often we feel safe in a theology wrapped in self-deprecation. 
 
We focus on our sins. Our desperation. Our neediness. 
 
Here’s the deal, these are all true! 
 
We are sinful, desperate, and in deep need of a Savior. 
 
But . . . If that’s the lion’s share of what we dwell on, do we have eyes for newness? Where are God’s work and victory in our hearts celebrated? Where is our identity rooted? 
 
Think about it like this. 
 
When we hyper-focus on our unworthiness, it can become a target we never intended to hit, but that destroys us in the process. 
 
Trust me, the truth is, you and I are worth profoundly more than we can even fathom. 
 
How much, you ask? 
 
The life of God’s one and only Son. 
 
That’s right. God the Father values us so profoundly he sent Jesusto die in our place, redeem us, and then join him in resurrection life! 
 
God is in charge, and he’s the one who gets to determine what you and I are worth — not us. 
 
He decided we are worth the life of Jesus, and then Jesus willingly laid his life down for us (John 10:18). 

 

When I read this devotion I felt it needed to be shared over and over again. There is someone at this very moment questioning there worth, I would encourage you today to see yourself through the eyes of Christ. He loves you so much, He sent His son to die for you, to redeem you. You are what God knows you are, not what others think you are. He sees, He hears, He will deliver you. Look to Him!  

Have a beautiful and uplifting day in The Lord! 

Today’s Reading is Joel 2:23



Don’t Miss Christmas!

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son . . . (John 3:16) 
 
The Christmas rush is on! I know many of you are still looking for the perfect gift, wrapping presents, baking your famous sugar cookies, packing the car for a long trip and wrestling with overly excited children. Ho! Ho!  Ho! 
 
Stop right where you are! Take a deep breath and travel back with me to a time when there was no hope and no celebration. I can’t imagine a world without Jesus and yet, many times I live my life as if He doesn’t even exist. A trial comes and I try to handle it on my own. Loneliness floods my heart and instead of reaching out to Him, I withdraw into the darkness.
 
He then interrupts my life and fills each black corner with Light. His love flows over the pain like a soothing balm and once again, I experience the manger. Once again, He steps into the smelly, unlikely and very ordinary existence that is mine to change everything – everything! 
 
Jesus could have come to us in many ways, but He chose to interrupt the very ordinary with the most extraordinary. He could have chosen to be born in a palace. After all, He was a King. Yet His life on earth began in a manger housed in what amounted to little more than a dirty, smelly barn. The simplicity of His birth is one of His most precious gifts to me, and one of my most profound life lessons. 
 
I often wish I had been there that holy night when Jesus was born, but then He reminds me that I have my own manger; my own holy moment when God became a reality to me, and I worship Him! 
 
Every year I am reminded of the very heart of Christmas — Emmanuel, God with us. God wants to be involved in the simple, ordinary happenings of daily life: where we go and what we do, the smile we give the harried stranger and the patience we exhibit in the crowd of impatient shoppers, the love that prompts the secret gift and the heart that constantly celebrates His birth through every sparkling light, every beautifully wrapped gift, each special meal, every card, phone call and visit.  
 
Join me in this quest to celebrate Him and His birth in everything we do. Have a birthday party for Jesus. Bake Him a huge cake and invite neighbors to join in the celebration. Adopt a family in need. Reach out to the lonely. Look for Him in the crowd. Emmanuel, God with us! Wow! 
 
Father, today I celebrate the reality of Your presence in my life. I celebrate Your birth, Your life, Your death and Your resurrection. And as I celebrate, Lord, help me to be “God with skin on” to those in need around me. Open my eyes and let me see them as You see them!  I love You. Happy Birthday, Jesus! In Jesus’s name, amen. 
 
This devotion blessed me because it is yet another reminder of the true meaning of Christmas, to celebrate His presence in my life and to share Him with others. Happy Happy Birthday, Jesus! Celebrate Him and His birth in everything you do, it starts with showing love, kindness, patience and even a smile. Celebrate Christ! 
 
Have a beautiful and uplifting day in The Lord! 
 
Today’s Reading is Luke 1:68-69


So Loved

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16)

From the heart of God to the cross of Christ, redemption came into view. God was not willing to turn His back on the human race. His love was too deep, His mercy too wide. He longed to recover, redeem, and bring us back to Himself. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).

This is what God did for us. God took Heaven’s best—the Lord Jesus Christ—to redeem earth’s worst. The Son of God died on a cross, an instrument of Roman torture made for the vilest offenders.

We, as a race, have been enticed into the service of Satan, but our unfaithfulness and waywardness have not canceled out God’s love for us. Instead, He has made the way for our rescue through His Son, Jesus Christ. He made the sacrifice and paid a price unthinkably greater than our true value. We are redeemed, recovered, and restored, not with money—silver and gold—but with the precious blood of Christ.

What a mighty God we serve!! When I read this devotion I was reminded of an old hymn, He paid a debt He did not owe, I owed a debt I could not pay, I needed someone to wash my sins away. How true is that? I have followed after Christ all my life and yet every single time I am reminded of His sacrifice for my sins long before I even existed, I can’t hold back the tears. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8).

Have a beautiful day in The Lord!!

Today’s Reading is Acts 20:35

 



A Chuckle in the Darkness

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16)

In a Washington Post article titled “Tech Titans’ Latest Project: Defy Death,” Ariana Cha wrote about the efforts of Peter Thiele and other tech moguls to extend human life indefinitely. They’re prepared to spend billions on the project.

They are a little late. Death has already been defeated! Jesus said, “I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die” (John 11:25–26). Jesus assures us that those who put their trust in Him will never, ever, under any circumstances whatever, die.

To be clear, our bodies will die—and there is nothing anyone can do to change that. But the thinking, reasoning, remembering, loving, adventuring part of us that we call “me, myself, and I” will never, ever die.

And here’s the best part: It’s a gift! All you have to do is receive the salvation Jesus offers. C. S. Lewis, musing on this notion, describes it as something like “a chuckle in the darkness”—the sense that something that simple is the answer.

Some say, “It’s too simple.” Well, I say, if God loved you even before you were born and wants you to live with Him forever, why would He make it hard?

Dear Jesus, I believe You died for my sins and rose from the dead. I want to accept You as my Lord and Savior and follow You. Please forgive my sins and help me, from this moment on, to live a life that is pleasing to You. Amen!!

When I read this I felt there was so much power and truth behind it and it needs to be shared over and over and over and over until it reaches the ones who need to receive this gift. My prayer today is that someone reads this and finds the gift of salvation. Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth (Luke 15:10). What a mighty God we serve.

Have a wonderful day in The Lord!

Today’s Reading is John 11:17-27