This day is a special one for me – March 16.
The date, 3-16, reminds me of John 3:16 in the Bible. For me, it’s a powerful fear-not verse:
For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.
As people grieving amid a world of grief, we desperately need to be seen, heard, and understood. We need to be loved – truly loved.
The word love is this verse is the Greek word agape. It was rarely used in Jesus’ day, because it meant perfect love – love that acts for the ultimate good of the other person at all times in all situations. Agape is completely selfless love.
Though the word agape was rarely used because it was viewed to be unattainable, it is used all over the New Testament to describe God’s love for us.
Try reading John 3:16 again – and this time insert your own name for “the world”.
“For God so loved _________…”
You are loved. He sees you. He hears your heart. He knows you.
Many of us might say, “How can He love me when…?”
Our human tendency is to let what happens to us and around us rule our lives. Life is full of loss, hardship, and difficulty. Most of life is about overcoming, rising above what’s happening, and loving those around us.
John 3:16 is not about God delivering us from loss, grief, and pain. It’s about rescuing us from ourselves – our pride, greed, envy, jealousy, selfishness, dysfunction, and self-destructiveness.
I’ll speak for myself. I’m a mess. All of the above apply to me, in some form, every day. I am in constant need of forgiveness.
My soul cries out to be seen, heard, forgiven, loved, and completely accepted. My heart longs for real life – something far beyond anything that this world can offer.
Above and beyond all the noise of our circumstances and situations, John 3:16 whispers, “I love you. I have given you my Son.”
Our brokenness, failures, and sin were shouldered by Jesus on the cross. The Son of God died there in our place. Three days later, He rose and conquered death.
He offers us total forgiveness. He offers us life – His life – eternal life.
That’s good news indeed.
Amid all the turmoil, pain, and fear, John 3:16 calls to me again today.
“For God so loved Gary that He gave…”
Question: How are you handling this current world situation? What do you hear God saying to you through John 3:16?
I have recently started attending church on Sunday and this helps me to learn more of Gods teachings and their true meaning as it pertains to me.As I go through this terrible thing called grief over the loss of my husband, my love, my soulmate, I find myself looking more and more to Jesus to help me through this, by far, the most awful time I my life. I know tat there is nothing I can do on my own to get through the brokenness tat is my life now I find myself looking more and more to Jesus for strength and guidance. I find when I truly let go and put my life in His hands those days are easier to navigate.
Beautiful, just what I needed to see today!!
Thanks Gary
In this current world crisis I hear the Holy Spirit saying to me: turn to me and I will give you rest…