Loved Regardless

Day 265

Today's Bible Reading: NEHEMIAH 5:14-19, 12:27-13:31; MALACHI 1:1-2:9

Listen

Malachi 1:2

“I have loved you,” says the LORD. But you say, “How have you loved us?” “Is not Esau Jacob’s brother?” declares the LORD. “Yet I have loved Jacob.

In a world full of hate, what a great truth. I have loved you. No sweeter words have ever been expressed. Consider the times you have been loved by the Lord.

In trials, He has loved you. In tribulations, He has loved you. In trouble, He has loved you.

In turbulence, He has loved you. In transgression, He has loved you. Through sorrow, sickness, stress, suffering, and strife, He has loved you. Even when you reject Him, He has loved you. There is never a time when He has not loved you. God has loved you. 

His love is consistent. It is unchanging. It is unconditional.Through thick and thin, you have been loved. Through happiness and heartache He has loved you. He has loved you. 

He loves you still. 

Israel is a beautiful portrait of God’s persevering love. Even though they were released from captivity and they revert to self-righteousness, He loved them. Through all their obstinence and opposition, He cried “I have loved you.” Through their disregard and disobedience, He called out, “I have loved you.” Through every encounter of disbelief and disdain, He proclaimed, “I have loved you.” Through their continual rebellion and rejection, He affirmed, “I have loved you.”   

Yet even in these magnificent expression of His love, His people still inquired, “How have you loved us?” Really? How could they not see and sense how He has loved them. His love was demonstrated by His presence with them, His patience toward them, His provisions for them and His protection of them. Everyday, His graciousness was multiplied before them and His goodness was made known to them. Yet they give Him no regard. They displayed no reverence toward Him. They discounted all that His love had done for them. Yet He loved them still. 

His eternal all-encompassing love reached them and reaches toward us. It is in Jesus that we find His love manifest to all mankind. Paul says, " . . . but God shows us His love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8). John adds, "In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son (Jesus) to be the propitiation for our sin." (1 John 4:10). His great love for you was expressed on the cross. His love has been freely given and fully expressed in Christ. It is in Jesus that we see that we have been loved. It is in embracing Jesus that we encounter the full measure of His love for us.

So rather then asking “How have you loved us?”, Turn to and trust Jesus and you will find the love you have been looking for and longing for. Regardless of the response, His love is not constrained by or contingent on us. It is not relegated by man’s perspective. 

God's love for you has been made manifest in Christ. It may be obscured by your disbelief, yet it remains. Like Israel and all humanity, you have been loved. You are loved. 

You will be loved. 

Today, thank God that He loves you in spite of you. Ask Him to help others see and experience the overwhelming magnitude of His abundant love in Christ. 

Pray that they will know and embrace the love of Christ that surpass all understanding.