You Are Loved! (John 15:8-11)

Today's scripture: John 15:8-11

You are loved. You are loved.

The entire Bible is about how much you are loved by the God of the universe, the Creator of all things. The Father loves you so very much that He sent part of Himself to earth to die for you. For you.

From the beginning of time as we know it, God knew about you. He knew the moment you would be conceived and the day of your birth. He knew when you'd cut your first tooth, take your first step. He knew your fear when you started kindergarten and smiled as you learned your ABCs. He saw you through the angst of junior high and the peer pressure of high school.

He knew the choices you'd make, including those that displeased Him. He knew you'd sin. But He loved you anyway. The Bible tells us that "... God showed how much he loved us by having Christ die for us, even though we were sinful" (Romans 5:8, CEV). Even though He knew everything—everything—you'd do, He loved you so much, He put a plan in place so that He could be in relationship with you.

Oh yes, you are loved.

We've just spend four days focusing on 11 verses in John, chapter 15. We've seen that we are to abide in Christ, which means we're to focus on Him and surrender to Him and cling to Him. We've seen that those who do this will bear fruit of many, for lack of a better term, flavors. We've seen that if we commit our lives to God, our prayers will be answered according to His will.

Why did Jesus speak these words? He tells us in verse 11: So that His joy would be in us, and that our joy would be "made full." Jesus wants us to be joyful, to enjoy the blessings He delights in showering upon us. The Amplified Bible interprets this verse in a wonderful, encouraging, joy-producing way:

I have told you these things that My joy and delight may be in you, and that your joy and gladness may be of full measure and complete and overflowing.

Is your life full of joy and gladness? It all comes down to abiding in Christ. How much time do you really spend with Him? How often do you meditate on the word of God? How frequently do you spend time in prayer and listening to His voice? These are what bring God joy, and these are what fill our hearts with joy—complete and overflowing.