Then Peter, turning around, saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following, who also had leaned on His breast at the supper,… John 21:20

Though raised in church, it took years for me to really believe that God loved me! Maybe it was the song we sang in my 3-4 yr olds’ Sunday School class, “Oh be careful little hands what you do.” My childish take away from that song was “Watch out!” In fact, though I sang the words that followed, “There’s a Father up above looking down in tender love”, I think I assumed that love was there if the Father was pleased with what He “looked down” on, but otherwise…not so much.

I’m sure there were other things that played into my doubt about God’s love for me. Whatever they were, Satan lied to me about God’s love for years. I can remember a day when, as a 9 or 10 year old, I laid on my bed and wept because I didn’t believe God loved me. 

One day that began to change. I was at a High School summer camp, and my sister, who also was my counselor that year, gathered her group of girls together to discuss a passage of scripture. During the discussion we were talking about God’s love for us, and I admitted I wasn’t so sure about it. Kathy’s suggestion was that I go and spend time with the Lord by myself and ask Him to show me His love for me. I did just that, and God answered my prayer in the most beautiful way. He showed me a picture of a deep dark cave, and in it was a diamond. I knew that He was saying that when He looks at me, He sees a shining diamond!

My eyes were opened that day and Satan has never again been able to convince me that I am not loved by my Heavenly Father. My journey with Him since then has been one of growing in His love. My heart’s song is no longer, “Watch out!”. Now it’s “I am so glad that Jesus loves ME, Jesus loves even ME!” (That is an old hymn we used to sing. Click on the link if you’re interested…it has great, truth-filled lyrics!) Jesus Loves Even Me

I just finished reading 1 John. Much of John’s letter is about love–love for God, and love for our brothers and sisters. John was convinced that you can’t do one without the other. In fact, he also felt that if you don’t love, then more than likely you’ve not truly been born again!

Throughout this epistle, he urged people to love…not just with words, but with “truth and action”. John wanted love to motivate action. It seems he felt that if we aren’t motivated to help, if the things we say and the things we do aren’t demonstrating love, perhaps we’re not filled with God’s love after all!

As I finished reading his letter, I remembered that in John’s gospel, he had called himself “the disciple whom Jesus loved.” John had been so impacted by Jesus’ love for him, that he carried the treasure of His love for the rest of his life. His Rabbi’s love stayed with him, even in persecution. The flame of God’s love in his heart burned brightly, convincing him that what he believed was, and always would be, truth. God HAD sent His Son, and Jesus WAS the Messiah, and Jesus loved him! As Jesus’ disciple, John had felt so deeply loved by Jesus that he was forever compelled to offer that love to all, especially other believers, and He urged them to do the same. 

Perhaps we need a deeper revelation of God’s love for us. There are so many Christians who are often anxious about their standing with God…”Am I saved or am I not saved?”…”When I stand before Christ will I be accepted or rejected”…”Does God really care about me enough to hear my prayer?”, “Of course, God loves the whole world, but when it comes to me, God’s love is only because of an obligation He has due to His ‘whole world’ policy”, etc. John wrote that “Perfect love casts out fear.” I can testify that as we come deeper into God’s personal love for us, those doubts and fears are erased. 1 John 4:19 says, “We love because He first loved us.” The more our hearts are awakened by His love, the more deeply we will love Him and the more we will be able to truly love others.

Lord, bring us, Your people, into an even deeper revelation of Your love. Let us hear Your call to come away to spend time with You. For those children of Yours whose relationship with You isn’t yet defined by confidence in Your love, please give them grace to ask You to reveal Your love for THEM. I know that those prayers are a delight for You to answer. Let this be the beginning of a journey with the flame of Your love burning ever more brightly in our hearts, so much so that it affects those around us. I love You Lord. Thank You again for loving me!