Grow: First Steps with JesusSample

GOD’S LOVE INITIATIVE

Our discovery today will be that God took the first steps towards us. We will see it in the testimony of Saul, whom we spoke of in the previous chapter. Saul—renamed Paul after his Damascus experience—wrote many of the books of the New Testament. In a letter to the believers in Rome we read the following:

Romans 5:6-8: Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

This shows how God took the first steps towards us even when we were not willing to respond to His love. He directs His love in our direction in spite of our mistakes and in spite of our past. It is like a good father who loves his children notwithstanding their choices and decisions. 

This indicates how much value God, the Creator, places on you as a person. He values us because He loves us. This kind of love is much more than an emotion. It’s a value statement. We are God’s creation, we are His children. He is a loving Father, He loves His children. God loves you!

The New Testament reveals that God is our Father and our best response to this love would be to read and study the Bible to help us understand it. We will show you where to start in a later chapter.

As we study the love of God in the Bible, we will start to understand God’s love and it will develop a capacity to love Him. Love will increase in our hearts as a reaction to His love for us. 

I encourage you to also begin to listen to music that reinforces this message. One song that does this is "Wonder of Your Love" by Revelation Enterprises. Please find it on your favourite streaming platform. We pray, as you listen to this song, that you will experience the love of God.

Here is a reminder that we will make a daily affirmation as we discover more of what the Bible teaches. Repeat it a couple of times today:

"I am deeply loved by God."

Action Step for Today: Consider events in your past where, when you look back, you now can see that God was at work in your life.