“Email from God”
“This is how God showed His love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love:not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” 1 John 4:9-10
Several months ago I had had it. I mean I was sick and tired of it all…sick and tired of difficult circumstances, sick and tired of difficult relationships, sick and tired of health “scares” the doctors seem to just love to put me through (we have good health insurance and the doctors know how to use it),…just plain sick and tired of everything. I am betting you know what I am talking about and have had your own moments (or even longer!) of being “sick and tired” of it all.
One night it was late and I was very tired. This is always a prime time for me to throw myself pity parties,…’cause you know, we like to party around here…and, I’m not always as particular as I should be about the kind of parties I like to throw!…I was checking email while feeling incredibly sorry for myself. Out of frustration at life and at God I opened a Word document and wrote one sentence on it, the one question that all of life and all that life holds boils down to. I wrote…
“God, do you really love me?”
I saved the word document and closed the computer. Even before my laptop went “click” I was already feeling rather foolish. I vowed to delete it first thing in the morning.
The next morning I went to delete the folder without even opening it…but I couldn’t help myself…so I opened the document instead, because you never know…God can do anything…just maybe…
But, there was nothing there…only my one pitiful sentence…
“God, do you really love me?”
Feeling a little disappointed, but not surprised, I then went to check my email. For a long time now I have been getting the daily devotional emails from Girlfriends in God. These are ones written by professionals! (Click their link on the right hand side bar under blogroll and sign up for them…you’ll love them!) and as usual, that day’s email was waiting for me in my inbox. I opened it and this is what it said…
“But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8 NIV).”
And I knew…I knew that God, through His divine orchestration, had the wonderful ladies at Girlfriends in God send me an email boldly and decisively establishing His love for me. I knew that He had seen me in all my “pity party glory” and had had compassion on me and reaffirmed His love to me. And I knew that I don’t ever, ever have to doubt His love for me again…not when I’m being a “saint” and showing love and kindness to others, not when I am being a “sinner” and messing up for the millionth time, not when I am faced with difficult, scary, or painful things…not EVER!
God’s love for me is so great that He would sacrifice His one and only son on the cross to pay the penalty for my sins…sins He foreknew I would commit. He did it anyway. And, you know what? He didn’t do this incredibly loving thing just for me. He did it for you, too! That email is for you, too! He loves you so much that He had His son die on that cross for your sins. And He did this knowing that so many people, in truth the majority of people,…perhaps even you,…would reject not only His son’s death and resurrection, but would reject His love for them, too. He did it anyway. He still loved and continues to love.
And, no matter what I, or you, have done or continue to do…He still loves me and He still loves you. All I have to do is open my heart up in faith to Him and love Him and let Him love me back. And, all you have to do is have the faith to open your heart to Him and learn to love Him and let Him love you back, too.
Now, that’s a reason to throw a party!
Abba, Father,
I cannot begin to fathom your love for me…that you would sacrifice your own son for one such as I. I praise you and thank you and am forever grateful for your love for me. Thank you for affirming your love for me over and over. Open my heart and my soul up to your love, help me to understand it and accept it, and teach me to love you in return. You are my Abba, my daddy, and I love you!
In Your son, Jesus,’ precious name, Amen.
