WHEN IT SEEMS THAT NOBODY LOVES YOU, GOD DOES!

SCRIPTURE:
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.  
(1 John 4:9)

MEDITATION:
Have you ever thought about and realized that each of us was born into sin.
In other words, we have a natural tendency to gravitate to sin.
God is good; we are not.
God is righteous; we are not.
God is holy; we are not.
God is sinless; we are not.
And the list could go on and on.

So there is a glaring question, “With such a great chasm 
between God and us, how could we ever become friends with an almighty God?”
Of course there is nothing we can do to reach out to Him, 
so unless He reaches out to us, 
we will never be a friend (or adopted child) of His.

The only possibility 
of spanning the abyss between God and us is a bridge built with love.
Fortunately for mankind, God has this kind of love.
As a result of His love, 
He sent His only Son to die and cover our sinfulness 
so that He would be able to see us as His friends 
and not as His enemies or aliens of any type.

We deserved hell, but in spite of the fact that we resisted God, 
we rebelled against God, we sinned against God, and we were enemies of God, 
the Bible says God loved us anyway with an everlasting love, 
so that He was willing to give His Son to die on the cross for our sins.

We can all agree that a love of this degree is hard to fathom.
Some of us have trouble showing love to others we like, 
and it is practically impossible to show love to those we dislike.
Aren’t you glad that God has the kind of love He does for you and me?

However, there is another reason God sent His one and only Son.
God knows the struggle we have with enjoying life 
when sin is always competing for our attention.
Because of His love, God wants us to enjoy live as it should be.

So, for those who have given their lives to the Lord, 
the Bible tells us that we can live our life through Jesus.
Think about what that means - our minds have been renewed!
Our words, our actions, and our attitudes 
can now be influenced by the Lord and not by sin!

When we live our life through Jesus, we can enjoy living at a new level.
Not only that, but our lives will have a positive impact on those around us.
Why? 
Because we will naturally want to minister to their needs 
out of a heart full of love.

We discover the joy of lifting the spirits and encouraging others.
We become a venue for God to show His love to others.
We understand what Paul meant when he said,
“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility 
value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each 
of you to the interests of the others.” (Philippians 2:3-4)

ACTION:
Have you given your life to the Lord and become a friend of God?
Are you living your life through God’s only Son, Jesus?

Pray,
“Heavenly Father, each time I read or hear about Your love for me, I am 
humbled. To think that You, the Almighty God would love me is overwhelming. 
I cannot imagine sending a child of mine to cover the sins of those who 
want me to stay out of their lives. Help me to not only understand Your 
love more, but to also allow Your love to flow down from above and out 
through me to impact the lives of others. Thank You, Jesus, for agreeing 
to be a living sacrifice that created a bridge between me and our Heavenly 
Father. Because of God’s plan and Your expression of love for mankind, I 
can become a friend and an adopted child of the Father, and for that I am 
grateful.”