Day 200: For God So Loved the World

John 3:16

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, so that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.

Recently I watched a sermon by Rich Wilkerson Jr. where he said something that really resonated with me. To paraphrase it, he basically said don’t exclude yourself from God’s love. The scripture says God so loved the world, we are part of that world, you are part of that world, I am part of that it. Sometimes I feel like we exclude ourselves from the world when we talk about how much God loves us, we are under that umbrella too and no one is barely under it. It’s big enough for all of us to fit under it comfortably. He loves each and every one of us individually. He loves you so much. I want you to really know that today, get it in your spirit, know it, breathe it. Because His love is breathing in us, His love is pumping blood to our hearts. His love is allowing us to move freely and enjoy life.

I have had moments in my life where things have happened or I looked back over my past and just say, “God really loves me”. And he does, so much! My life is proof of that. Your life is proof of that. Sometimes we have to apply scriptures to ourselves personally and make sure we include ourselves in the word of God. God  loves you, yes He loves the world and you know that, but you need to know that He loves you. The person reading this devotional, that person. You. He loves you!

Another thing Pastor Rich said was, “If we didn’t get the message that Jesus loves us through His words, look at His body language.”

What he meant by that, is if Jesus telling us He loves us wasn’t enough. Look at what He did to prove it, to show it. Look at the cross, look at what He went through on behalf of love. God sent Him to die because He loves us. This seems like beginner’s teaching but it is so imperative that we go back to where it all started. It’s important that we constantly return to the cross because that’s where everything changed. We can get so caught up in the theological aspect of it all that we forget the simple yet profound aspect of it. Jesus loves us, so much that He took on our sin and died in our place. And you can take that and ascribe i to yourself personally. Jesus died for you, He died for me, He died for the world. Make it personal, we forget that a relationship with God is personal. Yes being a Christian is about community, and fellowship, and outreach. But the foundation of that is a personal relationship with God. That starts with understanding that God loves us, and then we can allow Him to lead us, and I’ll leave you with one quote.

“Until you understand how God loves you, you’ll never be able to let God lead you.”

-Rich Wilkerson Jr.

Reflection    

1. Do you tend to exclude yourself from God’s love?
2. Whatever your answer was to the above question, why? Explain.
3. Do you believe that God loves you?
4. Repeat to yourself, “God loves me.”

Prayer Time

Allow your answers to the above questions guide your prayer. Take the time to think about God’s love for you, think about how much He loves you and rest in that love. Talk to Him about it. He loves you so much. Just have a moment with Him.

I love you, I hope you have an amazing day or evening! Be sure to share this with someone and come back tomorrow for Day 201!

Day 173: One Heart, One Soul, One Love- Day 3

Romans 12:9

Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good.

Leviticus 19:18

You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.

Matthew 5:44

But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.

Proverbs 15:1

A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger.

In a world that’s plagued by hate a fear let’s choose to love. So many people have been harmed and lost their lives because of hate, and it’s taking a toll on every nation. It’s plaguing communities because people are now afraid of what will happen to them. The acts of hate have caused people to live in fear. People are also choosing to stand up and not be consumed by the fear or the hate. I truly believe that in these hard times we have to cling to love. We have to combat all the hate, all the evil, all the fear with love. Hate cannot win and we cannot allow it to win, we have to stand up for one another. We must stand in love together to defeat this monster that is hate. We cannot allow it to defeat us, we cannot fight back with hate either. We fight with love, we push back with love. We serve a God who is love, and if God is not, cannot, and will never be defeated, we have to stand on His word and know that neither will we.

I know it’s better said than done, with so much going on but trust me, love combats hate, love is greater that hate, and the power of love overpowers hate.

In America today, racism has become a huge issue once again. As black men, women, and children are being killed and harassed by the police daily. Black and hispanic people are harassed by other citizens because of the color of our skin and nothing else. The justice system is failing a community of people. Black and Hispanic students are being harassed and tormented everyday. As a black women I have witnessed and experienced racism first hand and how this country treats black people because I have been treated this way. It puts fear in you and torments you day and night, as we keep tabs on our black and hispanic family and friends, out of fear that they will be harmed or killed while doing something normal like walking down the street at night. All over the world people are being persecuted because of the color of their skin. One thing is true, is that God made us all in His image, and no one is better or more superior than the next. No matter the color of your skin, we are all equal and we all bleed red when wounded.

Reflection/Prayer Time

Today let’s pray for those all over the world affected by racism. Pray for those who have to deal with the hate and bigotry every day. Pray for peace in America, and all over the world. If you are affected by this, open up about it and talk about with someone, share your experiences. If you are on the other end of the spectrum, take the time to learn about these issues, listen to the stories and be open to change your heart and views when it comes to these issues.

I love you, I hope you have an amazing day or evening. Try your best to learn something new about someone else today. Be sure to share this with someone and come back tomorrow for Day 174!