When You Question God's Love!

“I have loved you, my people, with an everlasting love. With unfailing love I have drawn you to myself.” Jeremiah 31:3

Have you ever had to be around someone who did not like you? Someone at work or at school or at church or in your own family … and you had to spend time with him or her. It is awkward and uncomfortable, isn't it? It is something that you dread, isn't it? Let's face it. We do not like to be around people who are disappointed, disgusted, and displeased with us. We shy away from encounters with those who don't like us very much.

A major reason so many people spend so little quality time with God is because, deep down, they do not think God likes them very much. Sure, they know in their head that He loves them, but they are pretty sure He is displeased and disappointed with them most of the time. It is a chore—not a joy—to spend time with the Lord when you believe He is negative toward you.

Nothing could be further from the truth. God thinks you are terrific! He thinks you hung the moon (well, actually He did, but you get the point). He has your picture in His wallet and your name on His lips. He thinks about you all the time and loves to spend time with you. He loves you with an everlasting love! He calls you His “special treasure” (Exodus 19:5).

"But you don't understand. I have so much sin in my heart. How could God be anything but displeased with me?" Remember, God is displeased with sinful actions, but He is not displeased with you. There is a big difference between the two.

God has blessed me with a wonderful grandson. I am so proud of him and love to spend time with him. I think about him with joy, not disgust. Does he ever do things that displeases me? Have I needed to discipline him for disobedience? Yes … but I am never displeased with him, just displeased with his actions from time to time. I would love him no matter what he did. He is my grandson … and I am well pleased with him. So it is with God and His children.

It is time for you to believe and receive the truth. Jesus said, "And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:32). If you've asked Christ to come live in your heart, you are a child of God. And God is inviting you to spend time with Him … to rest in His unconditional love and enjoy it! He wants you to know that He not only loves you, but He likes you and thinks the world of you. He wants to be your best friend. What do you say to that?

The hardest lesson to learn is “For God so loved the world“ John 3:16

When you were little, most of you were taught this familiar little song: "Jesus Loves Me This I Know, for the Bible Tells Me So." What a simple message, easy enough for a child to understand. But the sad reality is this: so many people have trouble believing it is true.

Often it is very easy to start thinking that God accepts and loves us on the basis of performance. We are quick to adopt the "daisy theology": "He loves me, He loves me not." We tend to think, God loves me if I am obeying Him, but He doesn't love me if I am failing Him. Your feelings may tell you that this is a true statement, but we need to know it is a lie! Regardless of our behavior or performance, God loves us!

The day Jesus began His public ministry, the father's voice thundered from heaven as soon as Jesus was baptized, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:17). How amazing; how significant! Before Jesus had performed one miracle, the Father publicly set His love and approval on Him. Do you see the principle? God does not love you based on your performance. He loves you because He chose to love you, regardless of your performance.

If we know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, we are “called children of God!” (1 John 3:1). And God loves His children, every one of them. He has no favorites, only intimates (close acquaintance, association, or familiarity.). And the intimates are those who have learned to believe and receive His love for them and act accordingly.

Do you want to know the secret to pleasing God and living a life of obedience to His commandments? It all has to do with believing and receiving His great love for you. When you understand how much He really loves you, you can't help but really love Him back. “He loved us first". (1 John 4:19). And when you really love Him back, you obey Him. "Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me." (John 14:21).

The key is love. It is all about love, God's love for you and your response of love for Him. That is why Jude earnestly pleads, "keep yourselves in God’s love". (Jude 1:21). The love of God is the cornerstone of a victorious and thrilling Christian life.

When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars,
which You have ordained; what is man that You take thought of him? And the son of man, that You care for him? —Psalm 8:3-4

Do you ever would look up into the night sky, see all the stars and think about the greatness of God. How small do you feel when compared to the vastness of the universe? David said, "Wow, Lord. Who am I that you would care for me or even give me a thought? You are so awesome, and I am so insignificant."

God is so much greater than our minds could ever comprehend. He created all that we see, all that the highest-powered telescopes can reveal, just by the power of His Word. He simply spoke it all into existence. Wow!

And here is the even more amazing part – He loves us!!! We matter to Him. He thinks about us all the time. His thoughts toward you and me outnumber the sand on the seashore (Psalm 139:18). How cool is that?

Why does God love you and me so much? Why did He send His Son to die such a horrible death for us on the cross? It is not because you and I are so wonderful; the Bible says “it was simply that the LORD loves you”. (Deuteronomy 7:6-9). The Scripture clearly tells us, "God is love". (1 John 4:8). Love is a big part of His nature.

God chose to love us regardless of who we are or what we do. Because it was God's choice, it is not dependent on you and me. Talk about getting off the performance-based acceptance train! Here is truth to put in your heart: There is nothing you can do to get God to love you any more than He already does, and there is nothing you can do to get God to love you any less than He already does. He just loves you!

Our job is to receive His love and rejoice in His love. Obedience to His commands comes when you realize that everything God tells us to do or not to do is for our greatest good. The God who loves us says yes to some things and no to other things. His commandments are not given to deprive us; they are given to bless us, because every one of them is given in love.

Believe it or not we are loved. Jesus said “I have loved you even as the Father has loved me. Remain in my love.” John 15:9 The sooner you believe and receive God's great love for you, the better you will be.

What happens to a person who truly believes and receives God's great love?

That person feels a tremendous sense of acceptance and peace.
That person will be free to love the Lord back.
That person will be free to love other people (see Romans 5:5).
That person will be able to face life with joy and a song in his or her heart.
That person will see difficult circumstances as an opportunity for Jesus to shine.

We have to continually remind ourselves of the truth of God's love, because we can easily see all our shortcomings and conclude that there is no way He could love us. We can easily start focusing on all the negative circumstances in our lives and conclude that all these difficulties are arising because He does not love us. Those are lies from the devil!

God truly loves us … and nothing can ever change that (see Romans 8:38-39). He has purchased us with His own blood, and He has a special and wonderful plan for us. We choose to believe and receive His love and reject the devil's lies. And because He loves us, He never fails to work all things together for good in our life.
Remember our number-one job as His child is to keep ourselves in His love … and love Him back with all that we are. If we do this each day, we will be led by His Spirit, and our life will be a great success in His eyes.

HomeworkTonight, go outside and look up into the starry sky. Consider His heavens. Consider how great He is. Then, remember that the awesome God who made all that you see knows your name. He knows your circumstances. He knows your victories and your struggles. He knows everything there is to know about you, and He loves you still.

Share your hopes, dreams, worries, and fears with Him. Tell Him that you love Him. Cast all your cares upon Him, because He really does care for you (1 Peter 5:7)! Remember this great word from Isaiah the Prophet, "For since the world began, no ear has heard, and no eye has seen a God like You, who works for those who wait for Him" (Isaiah 64:4 NLT)! He truly will work in the hearts of those who will look to Him and wait for Him. Will you do it?