How Deep Is God's Love For Us?
Writer Author Cheryl Hoyopatubbi
Christian Article
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God's Love
- Fiction No
We probably have all heard since we were little children how adults would say to us, "God loves you". As adults, and especially as Christians, we often say to others , "God loves you". Many times, we say this to each other. It's always nice to hear, isn't it? It can also be very comforting too. Maybe someone has said that to you at a time in your life when things just weren't going well for you. We've all been there, haven't we? When things just aren't going well. We've all been "down in the valley" so to speak. If someone were to tell you right at that moment that "God loves you", you would no doubt appreciate hearing it and especially as a Christian, you'd find comfort in that. But did you ever stop to think - why do people say that? Why do they use that particular expression? Is it because, somewhere, even in someone who may not be a believer, that we, as humans, innately know there is a Creator, one who made us, who truly "loves us"? If we, as mere humans, somehow innately know this and even non-believers will tell you they sense there is some sort of being that is responsible for the creation of the universe, then how much more so should we as Christians appreciate the statement, "God loves you"?
Let's talk about that love. I'd like to describe the "depth" of God's love for us. We could go clear back to the Garden of Eden and we would see how God has always worked on a plan for restoration for mankind. That is how deep God loves man. Even when man sinned and disobeyed Him, God still loved man and even when Adam and Eve lost paradise, God still loved man. Even when God pronounced judgment on Adam and Eve, God still loved man. He showed His love for Adam and his wife even after they sinned against Him and lost paradise by making them clothing from animal skins to cover them because they became ashamed and realized that they were naked.
If we look today at how mankind is in such a state of sin, we see God describes how He loves man numerous times in the scriptures by using the word "unfailing". What exactly does the word "unfailing" mean? Obviously, it means His love "cannot fail". That's right. God's love cannot fail towards us. Even when we sin, when we break God's commandments, God says "My love is unfailing". Let's take a look at Isaiah 65:2. "All day long I opened my arms to a rebellious people". "But they follow their own evil paths". Here we see the depth of God's love to the nation of Israel. It says, "all day long". And again, speaking about the nation of Israel, in Malachi 1:2, it says simply, "I have always loved you".
Let's talk for a minute about God's love manifested in our lives today. Do we feel God's love? Are we sure that God loves us? Just how deep is God's love for us? I know, for me, one of the most compelling chapters in the Bible that speaks into the depth of God's love towards us is in Psalms, chapter 139. Starting with verse 13 - "You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit them together in my mother's womb". You know, God designs and plans and is so very interested in each and every one of us. Notice verse 16 say "every moment was laid out before a single day had passed" In other words, before we are even born - God loves us so much and cares so much that every moment is planned and laid out. How many moments do you think you have in your earthly lifetime? I don't have that answer, but I know there are 60 seconds in a minute and 60 minutes in an hour and 24 hours in a day and WOW! I need to stop right there. It would be impossible to think about every moment in our life! Pretty incredible, isn't it? And amazingly, in verses 17 and 18, it says: "How precious are your thoughts about me, O God". "They cannot be numbered! I can't even count them: they outnumber the grains of sand!" Now, I want you to think about going to the beach and scooping up a handful of sand. Do you think you could count the grains in your hand? Now think about all the sandy beaches and all the deserts in the world. Imagine all the sand in the Mojave and Sahara deserts and all the beaches everywhere. God says in verse 17 that "His precious thoughts towards us cannot be numbered". They outnumber the grains of sand. Now, are we supposed to be able to wrap ourselves around that and comprehend it? No, because it says - "they cannot be numbered". We aren't capable of even understanding the depth of God's love for us. And you know, He is never, ever far from any one of us. Do you know why? Because He loves us so very much. Notice in the same Chapter - Psalms 139:1-5, it says, "O Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me. You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when I'm far away. You see me when I travel and when I rest at home. You know everything I do. You know what I am going to say even before I say it, Lord. You go before me and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head". Now, that is "unfailing!" That's a God loving us every single moment no matter where we are or what we are doing.
When the scriptures tell us that God has "unfailing" love towards us, we know that this unfailing love is also "faithful" and that it endures forever.
This "faithful" God's character is described as merciful, kind and grace-giving. In fact, the Bible talks alot about God's mercy. We know that the ultimate act of mercy was to send His only-begotten son, Christ Jesus, to redeem mankind and provide us with a way for salvation. We were sent a Saviour! We were provided with a Saviour who is also very "merciful" towards us. John 3:16 tells us "God loved the world so much He gave His one and only son so we could have eternal life".
We are indeed so blessed to worship a God who shows us "unfailing" love that endures forever. No matter where we are in our lives - God is always there. He never stops thinking about us or loving us for a single moment. Psalms 3:5 says, "I lay down and slept, yet I woke in safety, for the Lord was watching over me." Is it any wonder that God truly desires an intimate relationship with you and I? I say this because we may not be able to comprehend the depth of God's love for us, but what we CAN understand is enough to know His love is very deep and "unfailing" and it is a "faithful" love that endures forever. He wants that intimate relationship with us. He wants us to draw close to Him. We're told in James 4:8, "Come close to God and God will come close to you".
I encourage you to remind yourself everyday that GOD IS LOVE and He showers that love on us every day. Let us serve Him with a grateful heart and be assured that we are never without an Almighty God loving us deeply.
The next time someone says to you, "God loves you", you'll realize the unmeasurable "depth" of His love.
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