We love because He first loved us. —1 John 4:19
The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; He will save, He will rejoice over thee with joy; He will rest in His love, He will joy over thee with singing. —Zephaniah 3:17
A Prayer
Lord, I want to hear what You’re saying, and see what You’re doing, and know what You’re thinking, and feel Your emotions.
…that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. —Ephesians 3:16-19
Read the stories of the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the lost son in Luke 15.
“As the Father has loved Me, so have I loved you.” —John 15:9
“…that the world will know…that You love them as much as You love Me.” —John 17:23
To Get A Revelation of God’s Love
• Feed my soul on the truth.
God’s love for me is unconditional.
Romans 8:38,39
• Read through the Bible.
Find, meditate on, memorize, and personalize God-loves-me verses.
Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! —1 John 3:1
The Spirit’s role is to turn our postcard apprehensions of Christ’s great heart of longing affection for us into an experience of sitting on the beach, in a lawn chair, drink in hand, feeling the warmth of the sun on our face raised to the sky on a cloudless June day, enjoying the actual experience. The Spirit does this decisively, once and for all, at regeneration. But He does it ten thousand times thereafter, as we continue through sin, folly, or boredom to drift from the felt experience of His heart.
—Dane Ortlund, Gentle and Lowly
RECOMMENDED RESOURCES
Books by Brennan Manning
Ragamuffin Gospel
Abba’s Child
Daily Bible Reading Plan
gracestl.org/resources/bible-plan
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. How does the thought that God loves you affect you? Are there any changes that other people might witness?
2. It’s one thing to know “God so loves the world…” but it’s another thing to believe it about yourself. Do you have a hard time believing it about yourself? If so, why? If not, any idea why some do?
3. How would you respond if someone said that it feels arrogant to say God delights in them?