Forgiven and Loved

You are forgiven and loved! If you're like me, those five words can bring such relief. I spend so much of my time trying to be perfect. Trying to convince people that I'm worthy of being loved. Trying to convince God that I'm worthy of His love. And, to hear those words remind me that it is less about me and more about Him. That there is nothing I can do to earn that. It rests alone in what Christ willingly did for each and every one of us. My only requirement is to repent and then accept it. I have the whole repentance thing down so many times, but where I stumble is with the whole idea that it can't be that easy. There has to be something I'm missing. Some way for me to make it right. But, I can't. There is nothing I can do to make it right. Only He can do that. And, He has chosen to do it at no cost to you and me. It's a free gift. There are times when my mind really gets itself wrapped around that and I feel like the weight of the world has lifted off my shoulders. My hope is that the older I get the more I can live there.

I'll never forget the very first time I felt loved by God. I was 20 years old. I had just started dating my wife, Tara, and was driving to her house. On the way, I was praying, thanking God for Tara. God started to remind me of how valuable Tara was to Him. He reminded me of how she would walk to school instead of riding the bus, so she could spend more time with Him. He reminded me of how she had whole chapters of the Bible memorized. He reminded me of how she was so innocent and loved by everyone at church. I was beginning to get defensive. Because, I was convinced that God was going to tell me "If you ever hurt her, you'll have to deal with me..." So as I was listening I began to pray, "God please help me to not hurt your precious child..." But, before I could finish, God spoke this to my heart; "You know how I feel about her, right?" I prayed "Yes, I do." Then, God spoke something to my heart I will never forget as long as I live. He simply said "That's how I feel about you, Joe." Needless to say, I had to pull the car over. I had never cried that hard in my entire life. For the first time in my life, I felt loved. And, it was God! That moment changed my life forever.

There's so much more our lives can become, more we can accomplish for Him, if we only knew we were truly loved. He has such amazing plans for our lives! He is not ashamed of us. He loves us! He loves you. Please be encouraged today and the next time you hear "Forgiven and Loved" from Jimmy Needham, I hope it reminds you of how valuable you truly are.

If I can be praying for you, please don't hesitate to let me know. joeb@newlifemedia.org




Joe Buchanan serves New Life Media as Network Music Director. www.newlifemedia.org