“For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.
John 3:16
This is likely the most widely known verse in the Bible. It summarizes the gospel in a single sentence, God's love, his gift, and the promise of eternal life. Its message is for everyone, which is why it is shared so often.
ReflectRead this verse slowly and notice each part, God loved, he gave, everyone who believes. Which phrase stands out most to you?
And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8:38-39
Paul lists everything he can imagine, death and life, angels and powers, today and tomorrow, heights and depths. None of it can separate us from God's love. The list is meant to be exhaustive, and the conclusion is complete security in God's love. It is one of the most confident statements in all of Scripture, and many readers return to it again and again.
ReflectMake your own list of things that cannot separate you from God's love, naming specific worries or situations from your life. Read your list aloud and end with Paul's conclusion, nothing in all creation. How does that confidence change the way you face today?
Long ago the Lord said to Israel: “I have loved you, my people, with an everlasting love. With unfailing love I have drawn you to myself.
Jeremiah 31:3
God describes his love as everlasting and unfailing. He also says he has drawn his people to himself, love that pursues. It is a verse that speaks of a love that began long ago and never ends.
ReflectHow does it change your day to know God's love for you is everlasting and that he has drawn you close on purpose?
God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.
1 John 4:9-10
John defines real love by pointing to what God did. Love began with God, not with us. Sending his Son was the clearest demonstration of how much God loves people.
ReflectHow might knowing that love started with God, not with you, bring rest to your relationship with him?
But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.
Romans 5:8
Paul highlights the timing of God's love. Christ died for us while we were still sinners, before anyone had earned it. It reveals a love that is generous and unconditional.
ReflectWhat does it mean to you that God loved you before you did anything to earn it?
For the Lord your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.”
Zephaniah 3:17
This verse describes God not only living among his people but delighting in them. The picture of God rejoicing over us with joyful songs is one of the most joyful in Scripture. It reveals a God who is glad to be near his children.
ReflectHow does it feel to imagine God singing over you with joy? Let that picture shape how you see yourself today.
Give thanks to the God of heaven. His faithful love endures forever.
Psalm 136:26
Psalm 136 repeats the line his faithful love endures forever in every verse. This final verse brings the song to a close with thanksgiving to the God of heaven. The repetition invites readers to let the truth sink in.
ReflectTry writing your own short psalm of thanks, ending each line with his faithful love endures forever.
