“The Lord hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee” (Jeremiah 31:3).
When God spoke these words, He intended them for the whole nation of Israel, not just Jeremiah. And when He gave the people of Israel this message, many of them were not pleasing Him. Some of them were even worshiping idols instead of God, yet He still loved them and promised to continue loving them forever.
Many people seem to think that we must earn God’s love by doing things that make Him happy. But that kind of thinking is wrong. Yes, God is pleased when we choose to obey His commands and follow the principles in His Word. But His love for us does not change based on what we do. He loves you now, will love you tomorrow and the next day, and forever, because of who He is, not because of the way you behave.
Chelsea had a hamster named Rascal. He was always trying to escape from his cage. He frequently bit Chelsea and others who tried to hold or pet him. Chelsea bought a special ball that would give Rascal freedom to roll all around the house. She thought Rascal would enjoy being in the ball and going all over the place, since he had tried to escape so often. But Rascal just sat still in the ball, refusing to budge.
Chelsea’s family watched all that she did for Rascal: cleaning out his cage, buying toys for him, spending time with him, holding and petting him (when he would let her), and often getting bitten or scratched for all her efforts. They told her that Rascal was not a good pet. In fact, Chelsea’s mother offered to take Rascal back to the pet store to see if they would give her a different hamster, one that would respond better to all that Chelsea tried to do for him. But Chelsea said no. You see, she loved Rascal, and her love did not depend on Rascal’s loving her back or even on his being very lovable.
If Chelsea, who is a sinner just like you and me, could love Rascal, who is, after all, just a hamster, with a love like that; how much more do you think our perfectly loving and compassionate Heavenly Father loves us? Chelsea’s love for Rascal is just a tiny little love when compared to God’s great love for us. But just as Chelsea’s love for Rascal did not depend on him being a “good pet,” so God’s love for you does not depend on you being a “good person.” Nothing you do will ever change God’s love for you. He loves you now and forever, no matter what.
God loves you because of who He is, not because of who you are.
My response:
» Do I try to earn God’s love, or do I believe that He loves me no matter what?
» Do I truly trust in God’s love, or do I worry and fret about how He feels about me?
» Do I show others the same kind of unconditional love (“love that does not depend on someone else’s actions or words”) that God shows to me?