DOES ANYONE LOVE ME?

BIBLE PASSAGE:
“Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him; 
I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.” 
(Psalm 91:14)

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
One of the essential needs of every individual, 
is to know that that are loved - by someone.
In desperation, some people try all kinds of things 
that are bad for them, in an effort to feel loved.
It is not a need that can be remedied with medicine, 
and no one can be forced to love us.

There are many people who go through life either unloved, 
or imagining they are unloved.
Those who choose to live a life of self-pity 
will probably have trouble recognizing when they are loved by someone else.
Why? Because as they sit alone, 
they imagine the thoughts and attitudes of others.

When we allow ourselves to be isolated from others, we tend to focus more 
on the negatives, because we fail to see the positives in them.
And often times, we embellish the negatives so strongly that in our own mind, 
we portray others as people who are entirely different than they really are.

Every person has the capacity 
for lifting the spirits of someone else through love.
Since there are many different personalities, 
love can be expressed in a variety of ways.
Sometimes it can be a gentle and caring touch (there is just something 
special about physical contact such as a hug, or a pat on the back).

Love can be expressed through taking care of the needs of someone. 
Of course, love can be expressed verbally, 
but it can ring hollow when it is not supported through actions.
I’m sure we could list many other ways love can be expressed, 
but the bottom line is, love is needed for the health (emotional, 
and possibly physical or mental) of everyone.

Could you imagine what it would be like to worship a God who does not love?
Worship would become nothing more than 
trying to appease a tyrant in order to avoid punishment.
However, God does love us, and our efforts to obey Him 
are an outward expression of our reciprocal internal love for Him.

It is easy to love God, because He loved us first.
He loved us before we were mature enough to know of Him 
and His loving desires for us.
The God we worship is not only a good God, but a loving God as well.

Only a loving God would use discipline to steer us in the right direction 
whenever we are tempted to follow a path that is harmful 
and can lead to our destruction.
Satan’s temptations are subtle and they gradually lure us into sin, 
but God’s love is solid and strong, and provides us with the capability 
of resisting the evil one.

The greatest expression of God’s love was when He allowed His Son, Jesus to 
go to the cross as a sacrifice for the punishment we, as sinners, deserve.
If we are truly followers of Jesus, 
then we need to allow His love to flow through us.
When we do, our love will continue regardless of how we are treated by others.
We can do that because our love is directed toward God’s creation, 
and not their actions.

Granted, it can become more difficult to express love toward others when 
they have mistreated us, but when we do, we discover that 
our anger and resentment is replaced with peace and joy.
Our natural impulse is to ‘get even’, 
but love changes our attitudes...for the better.

ACTION:
Maybe you are feeling unloved, 
and you might have felt that way for quite some time.
It could be that you have failed 
to allow the love of Christ to permeate your being.
When His love consumes us, we learn that love is not based on someone 
fulfilling our expectations, but we have a healthy appreciation for their 
efforts to express love, even if it is not in the way we would prefer.
When we feel the love of God in our hearts, 
it is easier to detect the love from others.

God knows that we need love and that could be the reason 
the word appears over 650 times in the Bible.
He leaves no doubt of His love for you.
If you could only have love from one source, 
wouldn’t you prefer His love over the love of anyone else?
Of course, you will find life more fulfilling when you feel loved by others, 
but even in those ‘down’ times, 
remember that the One who created you, loves you.

How are you doing with expressing love?
When is the last time you have inconvenienced yourself 
as an expression of love for another?
Are you guilty of creating a pity party for yourself 
because you feel nobody loves you?

Rather than wondering why you are not receiving love, maybe you 
should be more focused on how much you are showing love to others.
The possibility of receiving love is increased whenever we give love.
Love is an outward expression of our inward faith in the God who loves us.

Pray,
“Heavenly Father, thank You for Your love for me! No matter where I 
am and in whatever situation I am in, you are there, loving me. Teach 
me how to let Your love flow through me so that others will be blessed 
and will know that my faith in You is genuine. Thank You, Jesus, for 
Your ultimate expression of love when You died on the cross for me. 
Without Your sacrifice, I would have no hope for a new life after death. 
But, because You loved me and died for me, I know that I will have a 
better home awaiting me at the end of my earthly life’s journey. Help 
me Lord, to show my love for You through my actions and words.”