Love Letters from God

I was thinking yesterday about the letters that my Dad gives me on my birthday some years. The ones that I cherish, that I’ve tucked away in my journals over the years. They are so encouraging and kind. He tells me how much he loves me and all the great things he sees in me. How valuable and I am.

I started to think about how would my dad feel if when I read his letter my response was, “You know, he has no clue what he is talking about. This is all a bunch of garbage. I’m a mess, a piece of work, a pile of broken pieces who can never get anything right.” If I crumpled up the paper and threw it in the general direction of the garbage can. I think he would be sad, he might even cry. Desperate to convince me of what he thinks about me, how much he values me, it would break his heart that I didn’t hear a single word of the beautiful things he was telling me about me.

I was thinking about the beautiful things God says about us in His ‘letter” to us...

You are loved (John 3:16)
You cannot be separated from My love (Rom 8:31-39)
You have been redeemed and forgiven (Col 1:13-14)
You are a child of Mine (John 1:12; Rom 8:14,15; Gal 3:26)
You are a friend of Jesus Christ (John 15:15)
You are a member of Christ’s body, our family (1 Cor 12:27)
You are chosen by Me; adopted as My Children (Eph 1:3-8)
You are heirs with Me and joint heirs with Christ (Gal 4:6,7; Rom 8:17)
You are hidden with Christ in Me (Col 3:3)
You have been bought with a price (1 Cor 6:19-20)
You are saved by grace (Eph 2:8)
You are a new creation (2 Cor 5:17)
You are righteous and holy (Eph 4:24)
You are justified (Rom. 5:1)
You are free from condemnation (Rom 8:1)
You may approach Me with freedom and confidence (Eph 3:12)
You are reconciled to Me (2 Cor 5:18)
You are a minister of reconciliation (2 Cor 5:17-21)
You are the light of the world (Matt 5:14)
You are complete in Me (Col 2:9-10)
You are My workmanship (Eph. 2:10)
You are My temple (1 Cor 3:16)
You are seated with Jesus Christ in the heavenly realm (Eph 2:6)
You can do all things through Christ, in His strength (Phil 4:13)
You are chosen by Me, holy and dearly loved (Col 3:12; 1 Thess 1:4)
You are more than a conqueror through Christ (Rom 8:37)
You are part of a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation (1 Pet 2:9)

Yet how many times do I read the ‘letter’ He has written me and doubt its truth? I can only imagine how He weeps when we refuse, when we can’t believe what He says about us. Much more than my earthly father, God would give anything for me to understand how much He loves me. In fact, He did. He gave His son. Knowing I would have a hard time and would need to be reminded over and over how much truly loves and cares for me, He set up ways for me the understand His love over and over.

He sent His son to die for me. He sent His word to convince me. He sends people and angels into my path to protect me and to love me. And sometimes he even wraps His arms around me, not physically, but in a way that feels so real I should be able to see Him.

Lord, in this season of giving help me to hear your voice – your message of love to me… to know your arms wrapped around me – through friends and family around me… and most importantly, help me to accept and believe that your love is true and real so I can share it with others. Help me to believe what you say about me is true so I can help others believe it about themselves.

Thank you so much for your many gifts…
xo