Every time my wife and I finish a conversation as we’re getting ready to leave each other, I make it a point to say, “I love you.“ I do the same thing with my children. And my mother. I even try to make sure I do this with my other family members. Sometimes friends and I will tell each other the same thing. There is no doubt that I love my wife and my family. I love my friends as well. And I try to do all that I can and make sure they know this.
Do you know who else I love? I love Jesus. I love our Lord and Savior. I love the Holy Spirit. Basically, I love God and everything about him. And I know he loves me. He loves us all. I do not doubt that. I have full confidence in that. But you know what, I have never heard the words out of his mouth, “I love you.“ I have never received an email or a text message saying so. I’ve never had a voicemail saying it. Not even a piece of regular mail. Although I have never received any of these types of correspondence from him, I still know he loves me.
God does not need to tell me he loves me. I know he does because he sent Jesus to be with us. Think about that. Jesus left paradise. He left his home in heaven to be with us. He came to earth to be human. He left peace and comfort to endure pain and suffering. He left the protection of his father, the protection of being in heaven, to come and be persecuted by man. Jesus died on the cross for me. He died on the cross for you. He died on the cross for us all. That’s how I know God loves me. That’s how I know God loves you. There’s no doubt about it. Maybe today is the day for you to start believing this. Maybe today is the day for you to tell him you love him and want him in your heart. Maybe today is the day for you to begin feeling the peace and knowing the hope that only comes from God. Because he loves you. Always has. Always will.