You Love Me, Jesus

By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us.  

A while ago during the congregational singing in a worship service, the worship leader exhorted everyone, “Tell Jesus you love Him.” This was a perfectly good thing to encourage people to do in a service where Jesus was the focus of our praise. For me though, it was one of those times where I just didn’t feel like participating. I don’t think I really wanted to be there. I had had a rough day, and I didn’t want to tell anyone I loved them, including Jesus

As the singing progressed I began to ponder the promises in the Bible about the love of God for me. I thought about the verse that says, “I have loved thee with an everlasting love, therefore with loving kindness I have drawn thee.” Wow, I thought, “He loves me.”

The next thing that rocked me was where the Apostle Paul writes, “God demonstrates His love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

Then bam! “We love Him, because He first loved us.” This was confirmation to my spirit.

At that point the thought was complete. Though I couldn't say to Jesus right then that I loved Him, I gladly began proclaiming out loud, “Jesus, You love me!” I repeated this many times that evening during the service. Over the next few weeks I began to understand in a fresh way that my feelings did not change God’s divine love and care for me. He is love, and that love is centered, and always will be, on me.

Now when I don’t feel like loving Him, I am comforted by the knowledge that no matter how hard my day may have been, or how inadequate I might feel in the face of the challenges that confront me, or how horribly I may have failed, He still loves me. That’s my comfort. That’s my assurance That’s my peace.

Scripture References 1 John 3:16, Jeremiah 31:3, Romans 5:8, John 4:19