God loves you!

    I was reading the testimony of renowned author and speaker, Christine Caine. She talked about her experience in ministry in her younger days. She was extremely involved to the point where she got little rest. When she did get rest, it was difficult for her to connect with God as she knew she should. She filled that void instead with more work hoping to fill the emptiness in her heart. 
    Finally, she collapsed and was forced to rest and recover for three weeks. During this time, God spoke to her in such a beautiful way. He led her to read Psalm 18:19 (NIV): “He brought me out into a spacious place; He rescued me because He delighted in me.” She realised that God was delighted not just in the people she was ministering to or in all that she was doing for him but He delighted in HER. She was important to Him too!
    This testimony reminds me of myself. In my younger days, I too was heavily involved in ministry. It was also a time of great intimacy with God. I enjoyed my time with Him. However, like Christine, I too collapsed and had to go through a period of rest. God delighted in me and wanted the best for me. He allowed me to go through my season of rest because He was just as interested in my well-being as He was in everyone else’s. 
    God loves you. He is pleased with all that you do for Him but I believe He is even more in love with you. I mean, why would He send the  Son He loves to die for you? Why would He bother to even wake you up every day if He didn’t have a beautiful plan for your life? Yes, bad things will come your way. That’s life. Yet, that does not mean that God loves you less. In fact, He gives you the grace to face and go through those bad seasons that you don’t like. 
    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)
    God loved us first. He did not wait for us to love Him to decide whether or not to love us. And, as if that isn’t enough, He loves us whether or not we love Him in return. Think about it, He sent His Son to die for us even though we might never accept His gift of salvation through Him! How many of us can love like that?! We fail, we mess up and God still loves us. He still desires the best for us: “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” (Jeremiah 29:11). 
    So, I just want to encourage you today by reminding you that no matter what you do for others, or for God, it will never be more important to Him than you are. God loves you. While you are lying on your sick bed remember, God loves you. While you are going through that challenging season, God loves you. When you mess up and you fail, remember, God loves you. God’s love for you is not dependent on your perfection. It is solely dependent on HIM and on who He is - LOVE!
    If you have not accepted Jesus Christ into your life as your personal Lord and Saviour, I invite you to do so now. God has been loving you even before you were born. Allow Him to give you His best today - His Love!

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