Here are three letters from God to you. Each letter represents how God has shown his love in the past, present, and future. Feel free to share them with friends who need encouragement!
Past
My Child,
Here’s a riddle for you. Who
has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, or with the breadth of his
hand marked off the heavens? Who has held the dust of the earth in a basket, or
weighed the mountains on the scales and the hills in a balance?
I’ll give you a hint – I have
done all those things.
But I also created your
inmost being; I knit you together in your mother’s womb. When you were a child,
I loved you. And I taught you how to walk, taking you by the arms. You were a
cutie, and you still are.
But like a sheep, you
wandered astray. You disobeyed and did your own thing.
I know you’ve heard this
verse a million times, but let me tell it to you again:
For God so loved the world
that he gave his only begotten son, that whoever believes in him shall not
perish, but have eternal life.
Remember how every good and
perfect gift is from above? I have given you eternal life, and this life is in
my Son.
Jesus was pierced for your
transgressions, he was crushed for your sins; the punishment that brought you
peace was upon him, and by his wounds you are healed. Our relationship is
healed through my Son’s sacrifice.
Love,
Father God
(References: Psalm 139:13,
John 15:13, John 3:16, Isaiah 40:12, Hosea 11:1-4, Isaiah 53:5-6)
Present
My Child,
I’m sorry that you live in a
fallen world of fear and worry. People are always asking things like…what are
you going to do when you’re out on your own? Where will you live? Who will you
marry?
Don’t worry about your life,
what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Life is
more important than those things.
Take the birds of the air,
for example; they don’t sow or reap or store away in barns, but I still feed
them. You are valuable and precious to me.
I am your shepherd, and you
lack nothing. I make you lie down in green pastures, I lead you beside quiet
waters, and I am the one who refreshes your soul. The reason you don’t need to
fear is because I am guiding you along the right paths for my name’s sake.
Don’t worry about tomorrow! I
am here with you right now. I will rejoice over you with gladness, I will quiet
you with my love, and I will rejoice over you with singing. Come to me if you
are weary and burdened, and let me give you rest.
Sincerely,
Father God
(References: Matthew 6:25,
Zephaniah 3:17, 1 John 4:18, Psalm 23:1-4,
Matthew 11:28)
Future
My Child,
Here’s something you can take
confidence in: you will see my goodness in the land of the living. The former
things have taken place, and new things I declare to you.
I know the plans I have for
you. They’re plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope
and a future. You will dwell in my house all the days of your life. You will
gaze on my beauty and seek me in my temple. In the day of trouble, I will keep
you safe in my dwelling; I will hide you in the shelter of my sacred tent and
set you high on a rock.
Because of Jesus, I will not
deal with you according to your sins, and I will not repay you according to
your iniquities. As high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is my
steadfast love towards you; as far as the east is from the west, that’s how far
away from you I have removed your sins!
The life of mortals is like
grass, they flourish like a flower of the field; the wind blows over it and it
is gone, and its place remembers it no more.
But my steadfast love is from
everlasting to everlasting on those who fear me.
Trust me – neither death nor
life, angels nor demons, things present nor things to come, nor anything else
in all creation will be able to separate you from my love in Christ Jesus.
Sending all my love,
Father God
(References: Romans 8:38-9,
Jeremiah 29:11, Isaiah 42:9, Psalm 27, Psalm 103)
© Keith Cantrell, 2014
