“…Do you still not see or understand? Are your hearts hardened?†Mark 8:17 (NIV)
The LORD said to me, “Go, show your love to your wife again, though she is loved by another and is an adulteress. Love her as the LORD loves the Israelites, though they turn to other gods…†Hosea 3:1 (NIV)
God has not given up on me. The world may say I am not enough or lack some essential – but God so loved me. God loved me before I even loved Him and died for me while I was still a sinner. (Romans 5:8)
My goodness can not win God.
My badness can not lose God.
I can resist Him. I can choose to pull away. I can pull away from His touch, His comfort, His love. I can listen to the rejection of man and allow it to dim the extravagant love of God. I do this more from fear than conviction! Pull back the curtains! Let the truth of God’s voice come through!
One of the hardest concepts to accept as a Christian is grace. God gives love without a cost. Unlike any other faith concept, it is not what I do that seals my relationship with God. Jesus covered all of that. God comes close to me because I am covered by Jesus. It is not the number of my prayers or the ritual with which I do them that pleases God. Before I took a breath, God created me in His image and marked me as His! And by His grace, I remain His. He gave Jesus as a ransom for my sins and so with a simple “Yes, I need you†… it is done. I am sealed for God and cannot be plucked out of His hand! (John 10:28)
And then there is mercy. God forgives because of His great love. The mercy is undeserved and the price cost Jesus His life.
Let us take some time today and receive the extravagant love of our Father.
How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! 1 John 3:1 (NIV)
Keep reading this chapter. You will be glad you did!
