When July 14 rolls around (as it did yesterday), two things immediately come to mind. First, it is Bastille Day, French Independence Day–after all, I am French by heritage. The second thing is that it is my former pastor’s birthday. Pastor Jim, I think, would have turned 70 this year. Still miss him.
Whenever I think of him I recall the great truth he shared; the truth that totally changed my life as a child of God. He would often say, “It is easier to get people to love God than to get people to allow God to love them.”
I write a lot about the love of God for us. Some of you may think I write too much about it. You may think I sound like an old broken record. “God loves you!” “God loves you!” “God loves you!”
Well, I am old and I do sound like a broken record. If there is one truth the enemy of your soul will try to drive out of your life, it is that God does love you. The enemy will bring up your past, your present, even your future. He will try to create doubt in your heart that you are worth God’s time or His concern and care. If he can get you to forget the love God has for you, get you to doubt God’s compassion and mercy, he will drive you to despair in every circumstance and situation in life.
What keeps us strong is not that we love God, it is that He loves us and proved that love at Calvary. So yes, this old broken record will keep reminding you of that great truth I learned from Pastor Jim. God loves you!
“May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.” [2 Thess 2:16-17 NIV]
