We all have a strong desire to love and to be loved. We want to belong, we have a need to feel accepted and because of that many go to great lengths even living a lie so that they can belong and feel accepted. Even in our families as children, we long to be loved and accepted. It is a powerful thing when a child knows that they are loved and accepted.
For many of us growing up, our dads were proud of us and showed us off when we performed well academically and when we did not we felt rejected. Because of such experiences, we have attached love and performance and we come to the house of God with such a mindset.
Ephesians 2:4-5 (AMP)
4 But God, being [so very] rich in mercy, because of His great and wonderful love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were [spiritually] dead and separated from Him because of our sins, He made us [spiritually] alive together with Christ (for by His grace—His undeserved favor and mercy—you have been saved from God’s judgment).
God loves you not because of what you have done but because of who He is. God is love! Because of his great and wonderful love with which he loved us while we were still sinners, meaning that his love towards us is not based on what we do. Unlike our earthly fathers who may sometimes love or reject us because of what we have done, Gods love towards us is unconditional and consistent. The enemy will sometimes make us think that God does not love us because we made a mistake here and there and sometimes when we believe this and we want to run away from God instead of running to him. He says that if we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us all our sins. The prodigal son had made such a huge mistake but when he made us his mind to go back home to his father if only to be accepted as a servant, he was met by a loving father who was ready to restore him fully.
This one verse encourages me every time I begin to wallow in the pit of self-pity thinking that God does not love me;
Romans 8:38-39 (AMP)
38 For I am convinced [and continue to be convinced—beyond any doubt] that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present and threatening, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the [unlimited] love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Take courage and be encouraged today because God loves you!
Today’s Declaration
I am convinced before any shadow of doubt that neither death nor life, angels nor principalities nor things present nor things to come nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate me from the unlimited love of God, which is in Christ Jesus my Lord.
