The well-known speaker began his seminar presentation by holding up a new twenty-dollar bill. In the room of two hundred persons, he asked, “Who would like this twenty-dollar bill?” Hands were slowly raised up. He continued, “I am going to give this twenty-dollar bill to one of you, but first let me do this.” He then proceeded to crumple up the bill. He then asked, “Who still wants it?” Again, the hands went up in the air. “Well,” he asked, “what if I do this?” Dropping the crumpled bill to the floor, he ground it beneath the heel of his shoe, until the bill was not only crumpled but also dirty and torn. “Now who still wants it?” he asked. And again, the hands went up.
“My friends,” he said, “you have all learned a very valuable lesson. No matter what I did to the money, you still wanted it because it did not decrease in value. It was still worth twenty dollars. Many times in our lives we are dropped, crumpled, and ground into the dirt by the decisions we make and the circumstances that come our way. We feel as though we are worthless. But no matter what happened or will happen, you will never lose your value in the eyes of those who love you. You are special, and never forget it.”
I totally agree with this speaker and believe the biblical record of God’s LOVE relationship with his people consistently confirms his message. You were born great, unique, and full of potential. And now, years later, you are even greater, more unique, and still full of value and potential.
In his book Experiencing God, Henry T. Blackaby writes, “God is far more interested in a love relationship with you then He is in what you can do for Him.”
Some of the most profound teaching regarding God’s love is found in the third and fourth chapters of John’s first letter. In verses eight and sixteen of the fourth chapter, John tells us that “God is love.”
Those three little words get to the heart of what John believed about God. They tell us that God is pure self-giving love, and that God cares deeply about you and me and covets our love relationship with himself. The character of God is love and his greatest desire is that we be in a daily love relationship with him as our loving Father, caring Mother, and glorious King. Yes, I said it. You are a child of the King, loved and cared for in the family of God.
It seems to me that John’s thinking about God’s love causes him to gush with joy in proclaiming how much God loves and cares deeply about us. Read slowly and let your mind and heart fully absorb John’s message. “How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! … This is how God showed his love among us; He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love; not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. (1 John 3:1, 4:9-10).
How deep is God’s love for us? Read those verses again. Such remarkable, amazing love is at the very core of God’s character and at the very center of God’s heart of love. And nothing we can ever do will stop or hinder God from loving us.
“See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” (1 John 3:1).
We are children of God, who is LOVE. And there is nothing that can stop God from deeply loving us. “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38-39).
Yes, God will never, can never stop loving you. He created you in your mother’s womb and breathed life and love into you. You are his amazing and glorious creation of eternal purpose and potential.
And so, you may feel as though you are worthless. But no matter what happened in your past or may happen in your life, you will never lose your value in the eyes of your Heavenly Father and those who love you. You are special, and never forget it. You are loved, today and always.
Let us pray and sing with the psalmist!
“Your unfailing love, O Lord, is as vast as the heavens; your faithfulness reaches beyond the clouds. Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, your justice like the ocean depths.
You care for people and animals alike, O Lord. How precious is your unfailing love, O God!
All humanity finds shelter in the shadow of your wings.
You feed them from the abundance of your own house, letting them drink from your river of delights. For you are the fountain of life, the light by which we see.” (Psalm 36:5-9, NLT).
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“Healing Rays of Righteousness” – May 18, 2023
Ray M. Geigley
Healing Rays of Righteousness 
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