Healing Rays of Righteousness

Apostle John’s pen is bubbling with joy as he writes, urging his readers to open their minds and consider how deeply God loves and cares for them. “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).

 He then paints in the background. “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 4:9-10).

I remember reading the story of a well-known speaker who 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?”  And 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 just 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 agree with this speaker and am convinced that the biblical record of God’s LOVE relationship with his people consistently confirms this message. You and I were created and born being wonderfully great, unique, and full of potential. And now, years later, we are even greater, more unique, and still full of wonder-filled value and potential.

Some of the most profound teachings 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 amazing 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, the King of kings.

Just how deep is God’s love for us, you ask? Read those verses from John’s first letter again. Ponder the remarkable good news that amazing, gracious, endless love is at the very core of God’s character and at the very center of God’s heart.

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.”

At this very moment, we are children of God, who is LOVE. And, most amazing, there is nothing that will ever be able to prevent God from continuing to deeply love us. The apostle Paul believed this and writes, “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).

Even though I have had experiences that caused me to question this truth, I now am convinced that God will never, can never stop loving us. He created us in our mother’s womb and breathed life and love into you and me. We are his amazing and glorious creation, filled with eternal purpose and potential.

And so, no matter what happened in your past or may happen in your tomorrows, you will never lose your value in the eyes of your Heavenly Father who dearly and forever loves you. You are special and never forget it. You are loved, today and always! Amen!

Together we 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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Ray M. Geigley – “Healing Rays of Righteousness” – www.geigler13.wordpress.com – 7/08/25