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December 30, 2009

A message from God — tell them that I love them

Anonymous The Jacksonville Daily Progress Wed Dec 30, 2009, 06:42 PM CST

Dr. SAM SMITH,

Butterfly Ministries

“Because He delights in me, He saved me.” — Psalm 18:18 NCV

You accepted Jesus as your Savior, and you are saved. Why? Why did God go to so much trouble to save you? Why did He send His only Son to die for you? Why did He allow Him to suffer unspeakable torture and ridicule and hang on the cross of shame and death for you?

“Because He delights in you.” — John 3:16.

He loves you that much.

Max Lucado put it this way: “And you thought He saved you because of your decency. You thought He saved you because of your good works or good attitude or good looks. Sorry. If that were the case, your salvation would be lost when your voice went south or your works got weak. There are many reasons God saved you: to bring glory to himself, to appease His justice, to demonstrate His sovereignty. But one of the sweetest reasons God saved you is because He is fond of you. He likes having you around. He thinks you are the best thing to come down the pike in quite awhile.

“As a man rejoices over his new wife, so your God will rejoice over you.” — Isaiah 62:5.”

If God had a refrigerator, your picture would be on it. If He had a wallet, your photo would be in it. He sends you flowers every spring and a sunrise every morning. Whenever you want to talk, He’ll listen. He can live anywhere in the universe, and He chose your heart. And the Christmas gift He sent you in Bethlehem? Face it friend. He’s crazy about you.” — From “A Gentle Thunder”

That is sooo good! That is why Max Lucado is my favorite Christian author. We cannot be reminded enough about how much God loves us. Sure times get hard. The economy is bad — but God loves us. Terrorism is a constant threat — but God love us. Injuries and diseases threaten us every day — but God loves us. Think of the worst thing that can happen or has happened to you, but never forget that God, Almighty God, the Creator and Sustainer of all there is, loves you — God Loves You!

“What then shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all — how will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things? — Romans 8:31-32

Some of you know that writing Christian songs is one of my greatest passions. A few years ago, during a quiet time with the Lord, these lyrics came to me:

“I got down on my knees and I asked the Lord,

‘Father, what would you have me tell them?’

I felt His voice from above, saying ‘Tell them of My love,

Tell them how much their Father loves them.’

Tell them that I love them. Tell them that I love them.

I will never leave nor forsake them. Tell them that My love is true.

All I ask is that they love Me, too.”

If we never understood anything else about Scripture, I believe if we truly knew the depth and power of God’s love for us, we would enjoy the peace and joy that He intended for us. Because once we deeply comprehend and embrace the strength and depth of God’s love for us, we cannot help but love Him in return. And with that love relationship — His loving us and our loving Him — we will have fulfilled God’s greatest desire for His children.

And with that relationship, how could we not love our neighbor, thereby fulfilling the number one commandment as directed by Christ, “Love the Lord you God with all your heart and with all you soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these.” — Mark 12:29-31

So we ask ourselves, “Do we love God the way Jesus said we should? Do we love our neighbor as ourselves?” If we can sincerely answer “Yes”, and prove it by our actions, then we have arrived at a very good place. If we feel that we have not reached that pinnacle, then we daily press on toward that goal. It must be possible, for Jesus told us to do it. And it is most definitely worth reaching for, for in the trying we will grow closer to our Lord and His will for our lives.

“Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; He is the faithful God keeping His covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love Him and keep His commands.”

DR. SAM SMITH,

BUTTERFLY

MINISTRY

ssmithkate@aol.com

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A message from God — tell them that I love them