DEVOTIONAL SERIES ON LOVE (part-32)

GOD HAS A CONSTANT AND ENDURING LOVE THAT WANTS THE BEST FOR YOU!

BIBLE PASSAGE:
“For the LORD your God is living among you. He is a
mighty Savior. He will take delight in you with gladness.
With His love, He will calm all your fears. He will rejoice
over you with joyful songs.”
(Zephaniah 3:17)

MEDITATION:
If you have children, maybe you remember when he or she was a
small baby. Sometimes you would quietly sneak into their room
just to watch them sleeping. During the night, you may have gone
to their room almost in a state of panic, because you knew it was
time for feeding but you hadn’t heard any sounds from them.

When you arrived at the crib, you checked to see if your baby was
breathing. As soon as you rested your hand on their chest and felt
the gentle rhythm of it rising and falling, your worries melted away
and you knew everything was okay. Your panic was gone and you
stood there for a while just watching your baby sleep.

The love and joy you felt at that moment was almost overwhelming.
You may have wondered how you could love someone that much.
There were those special times when you wanted to be near your
little child just to enjoy the smiles and calm them when they were
upset.

As you held your baby, you may have whispered prayers, for them
to know Jesus and to love Him with all their heart. You may have
asked God to calm their fears, fulfill their dreams, and establish
their steps to walk in His ways.

Children grow up too fast and soon become teenagers. And when they
do, you find yourself again sneaking to their bedroom door to pray for
them. Your heart feels just as full as it did when they were little, but
your concerns for them have increased because you know they can be
tempted and influenced by harmful things when you are not around.

You prayed outside their door, not necessarily because they were doing
things that made you feel proud or happy. In fact, there were probably
times when they would do things that took you to your wits end. But,
regardless of those days, you still found a delight in them because they
are yours. You knew, and were very thankful that they were God’s gift
to you as one of His many blessings.

Aren’t you glad that God feels the exact same way about you and me?
He loves to be with us and watch over us, even while we’re sleeping.
It’s not because we are doing anything for Him, but simply because
we are His. We may have disappointed Him during the day, but it
doesn’t change how He feels about us.

God wants us to know every day that He delights in us. With His love,
He is there daily to quiet our fears, concerns, insecurities and doubts.
Just imagine the beautiful and joy-filled songs He sings over us; songs
that are written just for us to describe the beautiful person He has
created us to be. He constantly reminds us of His presence and gently
teaches us to know and rely on His love more and more each day.

ACTION:
When things are not going right, when problems seem overwhelming,
and when you feel your heart cannot be broken any more, God is there
to remind you of His love and presence. Think back about your love for
your own child, and remember that Your Heavenly Father loves and
delights in you even more than that!

If you have never had a child of your own, then reread this devotional
and imagine the outpouring of love from your parent, as he or she stood
over you while you were asleep, and how they were always there for you
when you were upset. Remember the security they provided for you while
you were growing up. In addition, visualize your own parent standing at
your bedside with a heart bursting with their love for you.

Lastly, create a mental picture of God watching over you and loving you
with an even greater love than your parents. Think about the magnitude
of His love and concern for you and your well-being. He created you and
you are His. He is your greatest cheerleader! He loves you through your
mistakes and He wants to transform you into a likeness of His beloved
Son, Jesus.

God has given us a choice, and His hope is that we will choose for Him
and Jesus to be an integral part of our lives. And, when we do, we will
be ‘reborn’ and have a new appreciation for God and His love for us.
What choice have you made?

Pray,
“Heavenly Father, thank You for the reminder that
You are always with me. Thank You for watching
over me every minute of the day, even while I am
sleeping. Help me to understand, appreciate, and
completely believe the truth about Your love for me!
Teach me to allow Your love to flow through me and
touch others. Mold me into the person You want me
to be so I can fulfill the dreams You had for me. Help
me to love You more each day and to find comfort in
knowing of Your love and tender care for me. I love
You as my Heavenly Father!”

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