Dear Friend,
Do you believe that you are completely and wholly loved by God? Some people more readily feel it than others. Maybe those who grew up in nurturing families instinctively know that God loves them, while those who struggled with hard parental relationships have a tougher time believing that they are worthy of love.
But sometimes even those from the most loving homes have a hard time feeling God’s deep love for them. Why is that? Maybe it’s because the enemy of our souls does not want us to experience God in such a profound way. After all, 1 John 4:8 tells us “Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love” (emphasis mine).
Love is integral to who God is. And in that same chapter of 1 John, in verse 18, John says something profound: “We love because he first loved us.”
When he’s supposed to be in bed, my almost 4-year-old grandson will call me in. When I ask what the problem is, he will just say, “The thing is, Nana, I love you.”
I haven’t done anything to earn that love. In fact, I’ve probably scolded him a bit for coming out three or four times already. But still, he loves, because I’m his nana and he’s known my love for his entire little life.
So when you first lay eyes on your newborn baby? That love is from God. When you make a heart connection with a friend? Yep, God is there. When you marry the one who is your match? God is there. Whenever you love, you are displaying God. And wherever you look, you can see God’s love for you.
This month, our Redbud writers tackle the topic of Living in God’s Love. They address how living in God’s love changes us—freeing us from guilt, shame, and living to prove ourselves. We think we need to work harder to earn that love, but Romans 5:8 tells us, “but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
Our most profound prayer for you this month is that you would fully, wholeheartedly, without reservation know that God loves you. That you would live in such a way that you know that nothing can ever separate you from that love (Romans 8:38-39). Whether you are alone and feeling lonely, or surrounded by those who love you, or somewhere in between, may you always and forever know that you are loved by your Creator.
Many blessings,
Stephanie Reeves
Editor in Chief