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God Dearly Loved the World
Andrea Lende • January 24, 2020
John 3:16-17
Daily Word:
John 3:16-17
"For God so greatly loved and dearly prized the world that He [even] gave up His only begotten (unique) Son, so that whoever believes in (trusts in, clings to, relies on) Him shall not perish (come to destruction, be lost) but have eternal (everlasting) life."
"For God did not send the Son into the world, in order to judge (to reject, to condemn, to pass sentence in) the world, but that the world might find salvation and be made safe and sound through Him."
John 3:16 is the most widely known Bible verse.
It is the most quoted verse.
I love the amplified version of this verse because we get an even more descriptive story of God's love.
He "greatly loved the world".
He "dearly prized the world".
So much so that he sent His Son.
And all that we have to do to claim the eternal prize of everlasting life is to believe in His Son.
However, believing is more than simply a mindful task.
The amplified definition of believe is: "trusts in, clings to, relies on".
These are highly actionable words.
We need to trust.
Through all things, we are called to trust.
Even when it seems impossible to trust, this verse calls us to trust.
We also need to "cling to" our Savior when things get difficult.
When I think about clinging to someone or something, I imagine this is what I do when things REALLY get difficult and I need extra strength.
Lastly, we need to rely on His perfect watchful eye over us.
It seems that believing has three parts to it.
Trusting even when it seems impossible.
Clinging as we hang on - maybe to the last thread.
And then relying on God and His Son to take care of us in every way.
At the other side of these actionable items, we are made safe and sound through Him Who came to save us.
Today I choose to believe in, trust in, cling to, and rely on God's Son to cover me and make me safe and sound.
May you find that as you believe in Jesus, trust in Him, cling to Him, and rely on Him that He will care for you in every way and make you safe and sound as well.
Blessings be to you!
Daily Prayer:
O Lord, my God, thank You for your constant watch over me and the family You have given me. Thank You for all the promises in Your Word. Thank You for the love You have for every single human being, Father. Thank You that You would love us so much that You would send Your Son to save us. You would send Your Son as a sacrifice to save all people. Thank You, Father, for such a great sacrifice. Thank You, Jesus, for willingly leaving heaven's door to live in this world of pain and suffering - all the while knowing You would have to die to save us. Thank You, Jesus, for every day You spent on this planet. Thank You for every story You told, every person You healed, every sermon You spoke, and every life You touched because You came to live on this earth. Thank You for showing us the kind of love that heaven is made of. May Your love pour into my spirit so that I may love as You do. Fill my heart with compassion for Your people. Help me bless someone today. Thank You for hearing my prayer.
Answer: My Son's sacrifice is for all people and has been and will be through the ages for My love has never changed.
Response: Undeserving of such a love as this, thank You, Lord God Almighty.
We start a New Year! How exciting! Paul had just finished telling the Ephesians to put off their old nature. They had been run around by their feelings and desires. He told them to be renewed in their spirit. The Amplified Bible defines this to be “having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude.” As we say goodbye to this year, let us put on the new and leave the old behind. We have an opportunity to reflect on what to bring forward into this New Year.
This is a great message for the New Year. We can be in control of our own words. As a mother, I used to tell my children to use their words to explain what was happening in their minds. I tried to help them find the right words. Words that would help the situation and not make it worse. I must do the same thing when talking to them. It’s important to use words that do not damage their spirits. Words that lift up instead of tear down. Even though my children have grown, I still want to be careful how I speak to them because my worlds will impact them for the rest of their lives.
As we approach the New Year, it is a perfect time to take inventory of what part of our lives, our hearts, and our souls are not bearing fruit. What can we give up as this year comes to a close? What do we need to give to the Lord for His cleansing and pruning? The answers to these questions take time. Time with the Lord. We are creatures of routines and habits which serve us well. But we can also change our routines and habits to serve us and the Lord better. So, we can ask God to show us what He wants us to give up so that He can have more of us.
I cannot think of a better verse to meditate on as we approach the New Year. Jesus said, "the kingdom of God is within you [in your hearts] and among you [surrounding you]." For so many years I believed I had to wait to go to heaven to experience the kingdom of God. I have longed to step into heaven and meet the Lord and His Son. However, as we read the Gospels and study Jesus and all that He said, we begin to understand the kingdom of God is all around us. The kingdom of God is within.
Paul wrote to the Colossians and told them he was praying for them. He prayed they would be refreshed, renewed, and invigorated. He also prayed they would be strengthened. May his prayer be heard by the Lord God Almighty on our behalf today just as it was received two thousand years ago. God is the Source of all things beautiful and wonderful. There is no shortage of renewal, refreshment, or inspiration in His kingdom. And as the Creator of this universe, He continues to pour all good things into His people. Paul wrote that refreshment and strength are needed so we may have endurance.
This verse is the perfect verse to reflect on as Christmas comes to a close. The Lord sent His Son to us. He sent Him to this world as a babe. Jesus was given the task of growing up. A difficult one for all of us. He endured the awkward stages we all go through as we grow past them. I look back at old picture and cringe, yes, I cringe. This life provides plenty of opportunities to feel awkward and just plain weird, but our Father loves us as though we are perfect every day of our lives. This is why Jesus came. He came to make us perfect in God’s sight.
God made Himself flesh so He could take away the sins of the world. The story of the very first Christmas was humble, yet the most powerful and loving birth ever recorded in history. All humanity changed in an instant. When Jesus was born, love filled the earth. Love came down and lifted us up. The angels came to tell the shepherds of this beautiful birth. The stars in the heavens also told the story. As we do all tasks that we do to ensure a beautiful Christmas day, may we remember the miracle that God sent long ago. The miracle of all miracles.
The first Christmas was going to be documented, so that it could be read many times over for all Christmas’ to come. It was also documented so the prophecy of the Messiah’s birth would be known to be fulfilled. Prophets of old foretold Jesus would come from the house of David. They also prophesied that He would be born in Bethlehem. And all this came to pass. Even though Jesus would be known as a Nazarene, His beginning began in Bethlehem. God’s divine plan was set in motion with the first census while Mary was at the end of her pregnancy.
What a wonderful passage to read during Christmas week. Our passage touched my heart as I read it through the lens of Jesus’ birth. “It was God [personally present] in Christ, reconciling and restoring the world to favor with Himself.” We have so much to be thankful for in these few short words, “restoring the world to favor with Himself.” So undeserved and yet so graciously given. We are offered favor with the Lord. Imagine having favor with the almighty God, the Creator of the universe. Jesus chose to leave heaven’s door where all was perfect. He chose to be born into this dusty messy world.
Jesus had just spoken to a fig tree and deemed it unworthy to live because it had no fruit on it. His disciples were amazed when they saw the fig tree wither and die. Then the Lord talked to them about prayer and belief. He told them that whatever they asked for, if they had the faith and belief, they would receive it. I remember the day I started hearing music and lyrics. I had just bowed my head at the piano and asked if the Lord would bless praise and worship music. As soon as I prayed that prayer, the Lord bestowed the gift of song writing upon me.