06 December, 2005

You Are Loved By God

One of my favorite passages of Scripture is found in the 43rd chapter of the book of Isaiah. I just preached a sermon from this passage a week ago, but it just keeps coming before me again and again. In my sermon I focused on the aspect that we will all go through trials, no exceptions. However, this passage assures us that we that are in Christ do not go it alone. Our God says He will go with us, and the text tells us that the waters will not overtake us or sweep us away, nor will the fire burn us. In other words, we will not die there... we are going through! Praise God!

But there is another part of this passage that directly relates to what I just said, yet it also stands alone. Let's look at that passage, beginning with the last part of verse one, it reads, "You are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned...For I am the Lord, your God...you are precious and honored in my sight, and...I love you"

Focus on that last phrase. Perhaps you need to write it down and carry it with you: "You are precious and honored in my sight...I love you."
Wow! Isn't that awesome? You are loved by God.
Hey, let me ask you a question:
Is there anyone else that you need to impress?
What else to do you need?
God says that you are precious and honored in His sight, and that He loves you!
He loves me!
Just as we are... He loves us.
Man, that just does something deep down inside of me.

I have something I say to my daughter almost every day when I drop her off at school. I ask her if she is going to have a good day. She will always respond "Yes, I am daddy." Then I kiss her and I tell her these words, "No matter what happens today, no matter what anybody says or does to you or how bad things get today, you just remember, daddy loves you, and nothing will ever change that."

Can I tell you today, that no matter what happens this day, or any other day... no matter what anybody else says to you or does to you... no matter how bad it may seem...
your Heavenly Daddy love you... and NOTHING will ever change that!
You are precious in His sight.
I challenge everyone who reads this to try this experiment for the next 30 days:

Every morning when you wake up let your first words be "I'm loved by God."
And every night when you go to sleep let your last words be "I'm loved by God."
Write those words down and carry them with you.
When you're beginning to hopeless or let down because you've blown it again, take out the card and look at it.
When you're feeling pressured and overwhelmed by all you have to do, read it over and over to yourself.
When there is something tempting you to sin and to dishonor God...
When you are ready to react in anger and hurt someone, or deceive someone, or use someone... read those words, "You are precious and honored in my sight, and I love you."
When you're afraid, when you're anxious, when you're feeing alone, remember these words that give life: "I am loved by God."

Isn't that an awesome feeling... to know that you are loved by God?

2 comments:

Pastor Jeff said...

Hey, Darrell, thanks for posting this. Even though the whole premise of the Gospel is based on "God so loved...", it seems that it is so easy to forget. Thanks for the reminder.
~Jeff

Unknown said...

Thank you pastor for posting this , it encouraged me , somtimes i forget just how much God loves me no matter what i do, somtimes i let the Enemy hold me down when ive blown it and i let my mind keep thinking how disapointed God is with me, but He is merciful!! and he forgives me because he loves me !!thank you again for reminding me of this!!

AMY