When you question God’s love for you

Devotional

Have you ever had a moment when you wondered if God still loved you?

For me, our older son’s cancer diagnosis several years ago comes to mind. I’ve also thought of my father’s death in 1979 at the age of fifty-five. At the time, it was hard even to admit my feelings to myself. But I knew that God was able to prevent our son’s cancer and my father’s death, yet he didn’t, so what option was left except that he chose not to?

And if he chose not to save me and my family from such heartache and pain, what does this say about his love for us?

When you question God’s love, I encourage you to make your way back to Maundy Thursday. This was the night when Jesus told his best friends, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death” (Matthew 26:38). He prayed three times that he would not have to go to the cross.

And three times his Father said no to his Son so he could say yes to you.

After saying to his Father, “Your will be done” (v. 42), Jesus then waited in the Garden of Gethsemane for the soldiers to come. He could see them as they marched out of the walls of the city of Jerusalem, down into the Kidron Valley, and up the Mount of Olives. At any point, he could have fled into the Judean wilderness and returned to Galilee out of their reach.

Instead, he watched and waited for the shame, the thorns, the whipping, and the nails he knew were coming. He chose to do all of that, for you.

This was all before you could do anything to earn or even receive his love. This was before you asked Jesus to forgive your sins and become your Lord. It was before your first act of obedience to his will.

Scripture is clear: “God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8, my emphasis).

The next time you wonder if God loves you, return to Maundy Thursday.

Today’s devotional is written by Jim Denison