December 26th – It Really Is Unconditional

God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. —1 John 4:16

Jesus tells us…Every second of every day, I give you the gift of My unconditional Love. It is truly a gift, with no strings attached. Many of My children have trouble understanding the “unconditional” part. It means that nothing in heaven or on earth—not even your sins—can cause Me to stop loving you.

Jesus adds… When you think you are doing all right, you may feel more loved. And when you mess up, you may feel less loved. But those are only your feelings. My Love is perfect, and that means it never changes. When you’ve messed up, you often feel unworthy of My Love. You may pull away from Me without realizing it—and then think I have pulled away from you. But the whole time, all I want to do is wrap you up in My arms and surround you with My Love.

Jesus concludes… No matter how you are feeling, come to Me. My Love really is unconditional.

1 John 4:16; 1 John 4:15-18; Deuteronomy 33:27; Psalm 13:5

Footnotes 1 John 4:13 When we become Christians, we receive the Holy Spirit. God’s presence in our lives is proof that we really belong to him (also see Romans 8:16 ). He also pours out his love in us and gives us the power to love. ( Romans 5:5 ; 8:9 ; 2 Corinthians 1:22 ). Rely on that power as you reach out to others. As you do so, you will gain confidence.

Passage 1 John 4:15-18 If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God. 16 And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. 17 This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. 18 There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.

Footnotes 1 John 4:17-18 The day of judgment is that time when all people will appear before Christ and be held accountable for their actions. With God living in us through Christ, we have no reason to fear this day because we have been saved from punishment. Instead, we can look forward to the day of judgment because it will mean the end of sin and the beginning of a face-to-face relationship with Jesus Christ. 4:18If we ever are afraid of the future, eternity, or God’s judgment, we can remind ourselves of God’s love. We know that he loves us perfectly (Romans 8:38-39).

Passage Deuteronomy 33:27 The eternal m God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms. He will drive out your enemies before you, saying, ‘Destroy them!’

Footnotes Deuteronomy 33:27 Moses’ song declares that God is our refuge, our only true security. How often we entrust our lives to other things—perhaps money, a career, relationships, a noble cause, or a lifelong dream. But our only true refuge is the eternal God, who always holds out his arms to catch us when the shaky supports that we trust collapse and we fall.

Passage Psalm 13:5 But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation.

Footnotes Psalm 13:5-6 David was faithful to God and trusted wholeheartedly in him, but he felt the pressure of his problems as much as anyone. Instead of giving up or giving in, however, David held on to his faith. In times of despair, it is much harder to hold on than to give up. But if you give up on God, you give in to a life of despair.

If we look for Jesus…we will see His Story!

THE EVENT

CALVIN COOLIDGE; 1789-1899 BORN JULY 4, 1872 – JANUARY 5, 1933, WHO SERVED AS THE 30TH PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES FROM 1923 TO 1929.