Pssstttt . . . God loves YOU.

Have you ever heard that saying “He hung the moon just for you?” I know I’d never thought much of it until recently. Yesterday, I was sitting outside FSCJ at a picnic table in the shade studying for the SAT and enjoying the beautiful day. It was breezy and warm and just all around lovely. All I could think was “Wow, God. You must have made this day just for me! It’s gorgeous!”

At that point, I was just overwhelmed with the thought that the God of the Universe loves me. Do you ever think about that? God who created the heavens and earth from nothing, who existed from the beginning of eternity, and who gave you that breath you just breathed LOVES you. He thinks the world of you. He wants a relationship with you. He wants to be your strength and your encouragement because He knows what’s best for you.

Today in Judges 10, I was reading about how the Israelites turned away from God even after God rid them of Abimelech and their oppressors in Shechem. They were judged by Tola and Jair after the death of Abimelech, and after Jair died, they immediately turned back to Ashteroth and Baal and the gods of the neighboring cities. It says in that chapter that God burned with anger because the Israelites had turned their affections completely away from Him. He allowed them to be oppressed again, and the Israelites turned back to God and it says in Judges 10:16 that the Lord’s heart was grieved because the Israelites were so miserable.

Can you believe it? What the Israelites did had an effect on how God felt! God was angry at the beginning of the chapter, compassionate toward their repentance and grieved because they were miserable. God is the God who is interested in your everyday life…even when you make mistakes that anger Him or push Him away (Romans 5:8). He loves you, and knows everything about you (Psalm 139). He wants you to be open to His love and to accept Him with your life.

You will have certain days in life that are like giant hugs from the Creator. On those days especially, you should remember that He made the ultimate sacrifice for you, and that He loves you enough to show you every day. He loves when we notice that He loves us because it should mean that we reflect that type of love back to Him unconditionally (1 John 4:19).

So think about it! God hung the moon for you. God made it extra sunny during your walk between classes because you were feeling a little chilly. God made it rain so that you could smell the scent of it. He rehearsed the perfect sound of the thunder that gives you chills so that He could display his omnipotence. He woke you up a little before the alarm so that you could see the sunrise. He let you have a restful sleep just because He wanted you to have a good day. He saved the last piece of cake for you. He allowed you to finish your homework early so that you could spend time with your friends and family. He surprised you with an A on the test in your most difficult class. He let you read a passage from His Word that touched you right where you needed to hear it.

In case you didn’t catch it the first time, the God of the Universe is in love with you. What have you done to show that you love Him lately? Have you thanked Him? God loves you.