Receiving God’s Love
Lately, I have come in contact with many individuals who are living in desperation. They feel as though they are hopeless and helpless. If only they knew the love that God has for them, I believe that would erase their despondency. When we think upon the fact that the Creator of the universe, The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob loves us, it changes our perspective on how we view ourselves as well as how we view others. Some people have great difficulty when receiving the love of God. They feel they are not worthy and guess what? None of us really are. However, we have a Savior, Jesus Christ, who paid all of our sin debt in full so that we might receive the love of God without hesitation.
There was a time in my own life when receiving love from God or from people was a stumbling block for me. Over 23 years ago I was a drug addict and perceived by society as though I was gum on the bottom of someone’s shoe. I haven’t forgotten the looks I received from people who were “normal.” And I am glad I haven’t forgotten that because it reminds me that when I see a drug addict or someone else who has obvious sin in their life, I want to look at them through the eyes of compassion, not condemnation. Thankfully, through a very long process and growing in the Christian faith, I was finally able to receive love from others and from God. It had such a huge impact on my life to be able to actually feel loved. It was a foreign concept for me but one that I now try not to take for granted.
How do I know that God loves me? I take one look at the cross and am reminded of that love. John 3:16 says: For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. Furthermore, the Word of God tells us that God is love (see 1 John 4:8). So for those who do not feel the love of God, the truth remains that whether they feel it or not, He does because His Word says it and His Son proved it.
Dear friend, if you are struggling in any way to receive the love of God, let the truth sink into your heart that it isn’t about your good works or how many times you’ve sinned this week, but it is about what Jesus did for you and that the extraordinary act of love that Jesus carried out is clear evidence of His love for you. Romans 8:38-39 states: For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. What a beautiful and affirming Scripture that is! Nothing can separate us from His love.
Knowing that God loves me makes me want to be a better person. I want to please my heavenly Father and I love to spend time alone with Him. Reading God’s living Word and praying throughout the day, as well as taking some alone-time with God will help you in your endeavor to experience His love if that is a struggle in your life. The more time we spend with Him, the more we get to know His character and the more we realize not only just how much He loves us, but also how merciful and forgiving He is. Romans 9:16 says: It does not, therefore, depend on man’s desire or effort, but on God’s mercy. His mercy is limitless and is tied in directly with His love for us.
Ephesians 2:4-5 tells us: But because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions– it is by grace you have been saved. So, if you are doubting God’s love for you today, I would encourage you to spend some tie alone with Him, reflect on the Scriptures mentioned in this article and look at the cross with new eyes. He loves you more than you could ever possibly imagine and His desire is that you receive that precious gift of love.
My prayer for you today: “God, I thank You for Your love. I pray for those who do not feel loved by You, those who are unable to receive that precious love, that You would shower them with Your mercy and direct them to the path in life that leads to them knowing Your love. I pray this in Jesus’ name…. Amen.”
