Wednesday, February 19, 2014

Love Letters from God


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