For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.
John 3:16 (NLT)
The other day I learned a friend of mine is dating someone new. She told me they had been friends for a while and that he finally appears to like her. Before I could send her all the confetti and heart-eyed emojis to celebrate this fun update, she followed up her news with a long list of questions.
“But why does he like me? How could he? I’m so selfish and stubborn and . . .”
Her doubts went on for a while before I broke in to remind her of her many good attributes and the fact that it’s not impossible someone could care for her so much that all those “bad” things wouldn’t matter.
At first, I shook my head at my friend. But then I thought of how many times — and how deeply — I’ve wondered how God could possibly love me.
“But why does He like me? How could He? I’m so selfish and stubborn and . . . ”
Sometimes, trying to comprehend God’s love can leave me bewildered and insecure. I consider the Creator of this universe, the One who sees all and knows all, the One who holds the entire world in His hand — He loves me? And not just in a vague or distant sort of way but in a highly specific and incredibly intimate way? Well, it’s baffling! And maybe even feels impossible at times.
But it’s true.
God loves me, and He loves you. Not despite who we are, but fully acknowledging and accepting who we are. Not when we get our act together or live up to our potential, but every moment since the beginning through the end of time, no matter what. He loves us without reservation, without conditions, and without end.
He loves us enough to send His Son to this broken planet to take our place and our punishment, to rewrite our stories, to redeem every single part of us. He loves us enough to follow us to the ends of the earth — and He did. Why? I still don’t quite know. But His love for us, in all its glory, is as undeniable as it is unimaginable.
And that’s the best news anyone could ask for.
May you take time to rest in the knowledge that God loves you beyond question and beyond measure. You are beloved, friend.
This article was written by (in)courage writer Mary Carver.
We all have times in our lives when we feel like we can’t find or hold on to hope, and it’s easy to get caught up in the distractions and troubles in this world. But what would happen if we took our focus off the trials we face and instead set our minds on things above? If we focus on God’s heart for us, we can rest in His peace, fully knowing we are loved by an almighty Father who is the King of all kings.
DaySpring has a resource that can help remind us just how loved we are — meet the DaySpring Hope & Encouragement Bible!
Throughout the pages of this Bible, you will find twelve life-changing truths that highlight different dimensions of our identity as children of God. For example, you are loved, you are known, you are held, you are His.
This year, we’re going to discover these truths together, starting right here: You are loved. God deeply loves you. He chose you before you chose Him. You are His cherished child.
Have you ever thought about it? The God who created everything you see — the One who set the first planet into orbit, who gives breath to every single living creature, who directs all nature and life — loves you. He not only loves you, but He cares deeply about every detail of your life. He delights in your uniqueness. In fact, when God created you, He set you apart with your very own assortment of special abilities and gifts that compare to no one else’s. Isn’t that amazing?
Sign up here for a free sampler excerpt from the Hope & Encouragement Bible! We want these truths to sink into your soul so that you may know how loved you really are, so we’re giving away a Hope & Encouragement Bible! Just leave a comment telling us what it means to you that you are loved by God.
Giveaway open until 11:59pm central on 2/4/2022 to US addresses only.
Listening to these truths really are encouraging and uplifting. How often we forget them. Great way to start my day. Thank you!
Being loved by God, the One Who created the universe, means He sees me, and has always been there. He’s been with me all of the days of my life. When I was scared and lonely, He was there holding on to me. He was there during my parents’ divorce, and when life seemingly fell apart. He loved me when I didn’t quite fit in with everyone else, and when I felt I wasn’t good enough, He reminded me of His love. He never left me, even when I drifted so far from Him. But God’s love is so much more than the comfort and peace He brings during our brokenness. He shares in our God times and celebrates our successes. He delights in every detail of our lives (Psalm 37:23 NLT). He loves our children and cares about the things we care for. Being loved by God means more than I could ever express. What an amazing gift to be loved by Him!
Rhonda,
You described God’s love in such a beautiful way- each one resonating deeply within me. I see Him just as you described Him, being our comfort in times of sorrow and rejoicing over us in times of triumph. Seeing us, every part of us, for who we are and loving us beyond our comprehension, even when we struggle to love ourselves. When we run, he chases us. When we celebrate, He sings over us. I love the scripture you mentioned from Psalm. Just to think of the very Creator and Savior of the World delighting in us gives me the warmest feeling of love, reaching deep down to my very core. “He loves our children and cares about the things we care for.” I can’t help but to smile reading that. Thank you for your sharing this beautiful message on God’s love! It was a blessing to my day!
To think that we are loved for WHO WE ARE, our whole selves…it is so hard to fathom…I’m still working on believing and feeling this truth. I know I am a child of God, but struggle to look past the imperfections, ones I created and ones that I was created with but haven’t accepted. THANK YOU for sharing these truths, hope and encouragement!
The fact that God loves me makes all the difference! I have security in my future, joy in the present, and relief that all the sins in my past have been forgiven.
Sometimes it’s really hard for me to understand or even believe how much God loves me, even with all the evidence I see when I look back at my life. My word for the year turned out to be beloved, so apparently God is trying to remind and encourage me to remember how much he loves me. Thank you God.
Ruminating on this and thinking about how I can reflect this in the way I deal with the kids I work with every day. May I understand and know this for myself and may God use me to show it to others and how He loves them, too.
Dear (in)courage, in my quiet time this morning, I was asking God about this very issue. He is such a personal God that He used my daily devotion to show me this and used you to help me apply this knowledge. Thank you all for being so faithful to this ministry. Blessings upon you all.
My answer to what it means to me to know God loves me : It means EVERYTHING to me! I am alive because of God & I live for God! Thank you Lord for saving me & loving me! Amen!
It means that no matter what I have done in my past that He will be with me in my future.
Oh the wonderful God that loves a wretch like me! I am amazed every day what a loving and forgiving God we serve!
Being loved by God means: having access to a grace that makes a past disappear and makes a future full of promise, experiencing a joy that shines even through our mourning, witnessing a truth that breaks every lie we once believed about ourselves, and knowing that we are never alone because Jesus is a friend who is closer than the very air that we breathe. God’s love transforms and empowers. His love transcends through times and through trials. His loves always reaches us- it doesn’t matter how far we run or how well we try to hide. He comes running after us and meets us where we are. His love whispers to us every morning. We can see it throughout the day in the beauty of creation and feel it in the breeze as it brushes our face. His love is tangible, palpable, but it’s also a wonder and goes beyond anything we’ve ever imagined. It can’t be contained and completely overwhelms us in the best way when we allow ourselves to feel it. His love is a refuge, a hiding place for a weary soul. His love is a strong tower that constantly builds us up when the world attempts to break us down. His love makes our feet like the feet of a deer and gets us to the high places we could never reach on our own. His love is everything good- it’s a gift to us that we never deserved on our own, but because of His love, we are worthy to feel it.
That is hard for me to imagine, but it gives me great comfort. I usually feel unworthy of His Love. This Bible sounds exactly like what I need and it would mean the world to me to win this Bible. Blessings to you.
Knowing God loves me releases the pressure of trying to be perfect.This realization helps me to maintain my emotional sanity without which I cannot function.
What it means to me to know I am loved by God? It means He created me for His purpose, for great things. I am His, I lack nothing because in Him I am complete. He’s given me everything I need to live in Him and glorify Him with my life!!
God’s love for us in spite of us is mind-boggling for sure! You reminded me of Psalm 103, Mary, where David celebrates numerous blessings we enjoy because God is loving and compassionate–even though we’re undeserving. “As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him” (v. 13)! Such good news!
our god loves us he made us we are his children even thou we are also sinners he forgives us over and over
To be loved by God makes me feel special, He is so faithful! I feel taken care of and thought of ❤
That I don’t have to be better than anyone or look better or {insert anything} better than me. He loves me no matter what.
After a bicycle accident resulting in a compound ankle fracture that broke through the skin this past June, a friend that I trusted told me that I was unlovable. It was such a blow to my spirit that I was terrified by what was facing me without anyone who I knew truly cared about me. I am still recovering from the accident & God is the only one that I can depend on or trust & knowing that He loves me no matter what, has given me courage & strength to face each day by the power of His love.
Three years ago, through a Mending The Soul mentoring group at my church, I began to understand this great truth: the God I’ve loved and followed all my life was deeply in love with me. ME! At a very personal level God loves me. I’ve tried since then to live in the joyful reality of that incredible personal love.
Today I took a leap of faith into His arms. I’ve felt His prodding to move, to leave my church and friends and the safe comfort of my cluttered apartment and move far away to live with and care for my sister and her family. I absolutely could not do this in my own strength. I hate to move. I hate leaving behind these symbols of love/security. But knowing (KNOWING) my Lord Jesus has prepared my path and is carrying me across the ocean helps me step forward in faith.
Thank you so very much for today’s message of encouragement. I am blessed to have found (in)courage.
This is such an inspiring article you wrote. I often question my worth because there have been many times when I felt like there’s nothing all that great about me. But from this article, I’m reminded that I’m a daughter of the King, and created for a purpose. He loves each and every one of us deeply.
Such an important truth! I have long held to the deep needs of security, significance, and satisfaction…the mystery and truth of God’s great love supplies our deepest needs!
To be loved by God gives my life such security! It means that I don’t have to worry or figure everything out, He has taken care of it all. Of course, the challenge is living like I truly believe that. The assurance that God really loves me, not only helps me live in peace with myself, but also helps me to live with those around me that need His love also.
Beloved is my word for 2022. I struggle with the idea that I sm lovable and that God can love me.
I am so glad that I am God’s Beloved and that He calls me His beloved. What a life changing truth!
God loves me
Growing up in church, kids (including myself) would frequently sing the words “Jesus love me, The bible tells me so”. And for a long time, that was it, the bible says it, so it is. It has only been through hardships and loss, that I have really needed to dig deeper into what it means to be loved by God. On days when I wake up without hitting the snooze button (very rare, honestly), when there is no rush felt, it is very easy to feel loved. On the days when the crushing weight of it all is too much to handle, it is harder to feel it. These are the days filled with questions and doubts. These are the days filled with a constant one sided conversation until I am still and allow Him to show me through His ways that He is with me. At my deepest moments, He has been with me and He is with me still. When I am still, I can feel His love. A love that is not shifted to anger or frustration by my constant questions, but a love that is ever welcoming and unchanging.
It means i am always forgiven, I am saved by his grace, His love is never ending! It means with His love, I have all I need, I can do it all through Him.
The fact that God loves me is absolutely amazing and wonderful!! It means I am seen, known, and am a child of God. He gives a peace that is so much more than we can imagine!
What it means to me that I am loved by God. It means that I am free to love every race of people because he first loved me. I have no right to hold back love for all of the people in the world whether save or unsaved. Because he sent his son to die for my sin and that’s LOVE.
His love is like a warm blanket wrapped around me – keeping me warm, caring arm around me to guide, to listen, to suggest, and always there for me. ALWAYS.
Mary,
It is hard at times to see how God could love me. How He would send His only son to die a horrible death just for me–WOW! I don’t take that lightly. I treasure His loving care though thick & thin. He was there with me when dad went into Gero Psych hospital & I cried many times in the lobby. He was there when I met my husband. He’s been there for me through ups & downs of caring for aging parents & now giving me a good full-time job. He will always be there loving & caring for me, my friends & family. Everyone is beloved by God & that is a great nugget to cherish
Blessings 🙂
thankyou for your loving encouragement