When my youngest son was little, he went through a period of time when he wouldn’t be able to eat all the dinner on his plate. I don’t know why I just didn’t put less on his plate; I thought I did, but it would never be “less enough”. He would start his dinner, and then all of a sudden run out of steam, and not be able to finish.

“Nicholas, I see you didn’t eat all your dinner again,” I commented to my young son sitting at the dinner table. “That doesn’t make me happy.”

“But you still love me?” he asked worriedly.

“Yes, I still love you.”

My son was reassured, and although he hadn’t finished his dinner, and sensed my disappointment, he was secure in the knowledge that I loved him anyway. Bone of my bone, and flesh of my flesh, Nicholas had been our son for five years now. He had the privilege of calling me “Mum”. By reproving him, I was not being mean or against him, I just wanted the best for him. My job was to guide his life and teach him what I expected of him.

“I [God] knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb.” (Jeremiah 1:5 NLT)

Unlike parenthood to our own children, God is eternal, and has known us forever. He even knew us before we were born. Out of His love for us, he gave up His own son, and when we accept His gift, we can be part of His family forever. We gain the privilege of calling him “Abba, Father”, an Aramaic term of endearment, the term a beloved child would use –“Daddy”. [Romans 8:15 NLT]

“If God is for us, who can ever be against us?” (Romans 8:31b NLT)

God is a good father. He looks after His children, as I attemped to look after mine. He wants the best for us, but from His eternal perspective only He can understand what is His best for us. Nothing we do or don’t do will ever change His love for us.

“Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute or in danger, or threatened with death? …No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.” (Romans 8:35,37 NLT)

“And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels or demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love.” (Romans 8:38NLT)

Let’s always remember that we are secure, because God will always love us.

Prayer: Thank You, Lord, that you always love us, no matter what we do or say. Thank You, that nothing can separate us from Your love. Amen.

Alice Burnett
Red Deer, Alberta, Canada