The title of this blog post is the title
of one of the most beloved and well known hymns, Jesus Loves Me, to Christians throughout the world. In preparing to give a short devotional talk
at a nursing home, the Lord gave me this title/topic—a topic that would be
meaningful for those who would be listening (what follows is an expanded
version of that talk). My goal was to
keep my words to a minimum, yet convey some deep truths and comfort many
elderly saints. A brief internet search
led to learning about the background behind this meaningful song. Please check out the following website to
learn about this beautiful hymn. The story behind the hymn "Jesus Loves Me".
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that
whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16
KJV)
Jesus loves me this I know.
What an amazing simple yet profound truth! Jesus loves me this I know—simple enough for
a young child to grasp and share in great confidence. Jesus loves me this I know, profound enough
to bring grown men and women to tears.
“Jesus loves me this I know for the Bible tells me so.”
But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8
KJV)
Throughout the Bible we read of God’s deep, stubborn, everlasting
love for us. We can see His love in the
Old Testament as He freed Israel from oppression in Egypt. God’s love was apparent even when Israel
constantly wandered from God’s plan for them and He disciplined them. (Similarly, human parents discipline their
beloved children.) In the New Testament,
we see His love through Jesus. He loved
us even when we were still sinners. He
loved us so much He sent His only Son, Jesus, to die a criminal’s death on a
cross! That is amazing love! Love that sets us free to truly live.
O death, where is thy sting? O grave,
where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is
the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our
Lord Jesus Christ.
(1Corinthians 15:55-57 KJV)
In dying and rising again, Jesus gave us victory over death
and the grave. Now that is LOVE! We have eternal life that matters when we
have Jesus as our Savior and Lord. That,
my beloved, is love. Therefore,
in our life and in our death we can find joy and peace, even when the world
around us is crumbling to pieces.
The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he
will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing. (Zephaniah 3:17 KJV)
God loves you so much.
He rejoices over you with joy. He
sings over you in joy. You are God’s
beloved child! His heart is for you, not
against you. Knowing and experiencing
this should change how we see and interact with the world and with others
around us.
Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into
the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to
love one another. No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us. (1 John 4:7-12
KJV)
Remember and rest in
the fact that Jesus loves you more than your mind can begin to conceive. Jesus loves you and me because the Bible
tells me so! Share the love of Jesus
with those around you each day. You’ll
discover the amazing blessing of blessing others.
Listen to "Jesus Loves Me"
Please join me in prayer:
Father, thank you so much for the love You demonstrated to us
through Jesus. Help us to open our hearts
to Your amazing love and experience the transformation that love does in our
hearts. In turn, may we share Your love
with those around us. In Jesus’ precious
Name. Amen.
From My Heart to Yours,
Kim
