Accepting God’s Unconditional Love

As a parent I sometimes caught myself withholding my affection from my children.  If they displeased me I thought I would get them back on track if I withdrew my love.  When I realized I was doing this I recoiled in horror and corrected my mistake by enveloping my kids in unconditional love.

Photo by David Goehring

Somewhere in my youthful past I remember learning that God, my heavenly Father, withholds His love from me when I sin.  But after studying up on this in the Bible I have learned that the exact opposite is true.  He loves us even when we fail Him and does all He can to bring us back in line with Him.  Although God promises to bless us if we walk in His ways I have found that in His mercy He even often blesses us inspite of our disobedience.

God’s protection and care and blessing on the Israelites during their rebellion in the wilderness clearly shows God’s unconditional love. God does discipline us and even punishes us when we turn from His path and lets us bear the consequences of our sins.  But we can be assured that God never withdraws His love from us.

“For I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from his love.  Death can’t and life can’t.  The angels won’t, and all the powers of hell itself cannot keep God’s love away.  Our fears for today, our worries about tomorrow, or where we are – high above the sky, or in the deepest ocean – nothing will ever be able to separate us from the love of God demonstrated by our Lord Jesus Christ when he died for us.” Romans 8:38 [The Living Bible]

 

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I want to walk with you spiritually this year, inviting you to read the Bible through from cover to cover; from Genesis 1 all the way to Revelation 22:21.  If that sounds too difficult for you and your kids, you can join in again after you have taken a break or join us for the days you’re up to it.  I promise that you will understand the Bible in a much deeper way if you read it through from cover to cover in a year’s time.

Accept my challenge to read the Bible through in one year chronologically, including the Old and the New Testament.

Today read:
Deuteronomy 9:1-10:22
Luke 8:4-21
Psalm 69:19-36
Proverbs 12:2-3
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