How much does God love you, personally? Your happiness (here and forever) depends on how you believe it. None of us was born already believing; we all have had to learn how to believe; and for that we need the Good News in the Bible. Winning the lottery is not the way to learn that God loves you; everything of human happiness you've been given can take wings and fly away.
You may say that "God so loving the world that He gave His only begotten Son" sounds too far away--2000 years ago. But the Bible reveals His ongoing love for you. For example:
(1) Your Savior takes you by the arm to lead you "in the paths of righteousness." He actually takes you by your hand and says, Come, let's go to happiness! He loves you like a father loves a little son who is just learning to walk. Read it in Hosea 11:3, 4: "I taught Ephraim [My people] also to go, taking them by their arms; … I drew them with cords of a man, with bands of love." No, He doesn't force you; but He does everything possible short of it. If you don't refuse, He will be to you the Good Shepherd of Psalm 23.
(2) Isaiah says that He actually takes you by the hand to lead you to heaven: "I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee" (41:10, 13).
(3) If you make a mistake and take a wrong path in your blindness or foolishness, He does not forsake you. He will do for you what He did for Saul of Tarsus who was hell-bent on taking the wrong path. The Lord put obstacles in his path to make the wrong way seem like kicking against the goads (see Acts 26:14). Yes, the Lord made it "hard" for Saul to be lost! Isn't that personal love?
(4) And the Savior continually reminds you that He has made His "yoke .. easy, and [His] burden is light" (Matt. 11:28-30).
You believe it, or you dis-believe it; but if you are having trouble believing it, He "helps [your] unbelief" if you will let Him (Mark 9:24). In fact, ask Him to; you can never perish if you pray that prayer.
From the "Dial Daily Bread" Archive: December 20, 2002.Copyright © 2010 by Robert J. Wieland.
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