Week 4
On the third day of our devotional, we found out the bad news – we are separated from God
because of our sin. But the good news is that God did not and does not give up on us. He
developed a plan to call us back to himself. That plan led to God deciding to come to earth to be
with us and then dying on a cross to rescue us. This is how John describes it.
John 3:16-18 (NIV)
[16] “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. [17] For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. [18] Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son.
[16] “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. [17] For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. [18] Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son.
In sin, we condemn ourselves. We can do nothing to earn forgiveness or heal our own
brokenness. So God did it for us. Instead of Jesus coming to condemn us, he gave up his life so
that we might have life. That shows the extent of God’s love for us. As Jesus himself said:
John 15:13 (NIV)
[13] Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.
[13] Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.
This is ultimate love. God gave himself up for us so that we could live in relationship with him,
even though we do not deserve it. As we accept this love as a gift, we are forgiven, healed and
made whole. We are free to live in love with God and others. This gift of God’s love is meant to
be shared with others. But as I have said before, we cannot share what we do not have. Before
we can go out in love, we must come in and find love. The Father invites us again and again, to
come inside his house. Whether we are the child who ran far away or the child who stayed home
out of duty but is still standing outside the house, the Father wants us to come in.
Take time to talk to the Father now. Listen to and experience his love for you. He loves you more than you can ever imagine. He wants to be with you and live with you.
Time of Prayer:
1) 1 min – What is God saying to me through this devotional?
2) 1 min – What am I going to do about it?
3) 1 min – What do I want to say to God?
4) 2 min – Listen for what God wants to say to you now.
Take time to talk to the Father now. Listen to and experience his love for you. He loves you more than you can ever imagine. He wants to be with you and live with you.
Time of Prayer:
1) 1 min – What is God saying to me through this devotional?
2) 1 min – What am I going to do about it?
3) 1 min – What do I want to say to God?
4) 2 min – Listen for what God wants to say to you now.