September 12, 2001
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,
John 3:16
"The LORD appeared to us in the past, saying:
I have loved you with an everlasting love;
I have drawn you with loving-kindness. "
Jeremiah 31:3
This morning I've spent a lot of time wondering what God thinks feels about the events of yesterday. I can only imagine the grief and pain he feels. His heart aches with pain for those who suffer unimaginably right now, pain over what mankind, people, individuals are capable of. I'm sure the world isn't big enough to hold the tears he's already shed... then I thought about the fact that he still loves in spite of the magnitude of the atrocities committed... God still loves people. It's certainly not okay, sin always needs to be dealt with but God still loves... ultimately he wants all mankind, everyone to repent and come into a relationship with him. We are inclined to be more outraged because the devastation is so much greater, because it's hit closer to home... it's humbling and sobering to think that when we sin it's no less horrific to God. This is not to take away from the tragedy of yesterday but I don't for a moment want to lose perspective on my own life. All sin is horrific to God because he sacrificed his only son on the cross... in that he made a statement about our value... despite how unlovable we can be as a people, as individuals, God still loves us. When we sin he doesn't remove his love from us... events of yesterday and the feelings it stirs inside me help me to grasp a little better just how amazing God's love is and allow it to become more than words. We are all of us a mess before God in part by things that have happened in our lives but largely because of thinsg we've done, decisions we've made to sin... we become unloveable but we are never unloved by God. His love for us creates a value in us that could otherwise not exist.. it turns ragdolls into priceless treasures!