Carol McClain

How To Know God Loves You

By Carol McClain @carol_mcclain

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16.

Years ago God I learned a valuable lesson.

I love tomatoes, and I hoard the the end of summer bounty until the last one rots.

Neil and I had been away for the weekend. When we returned, the stink of rotten tomatoes filled our kitchen. He, who does not like the tasty veggie, swept them off the counter into the trash–the good with the putrid.

“What are you doing? I have good tomatoes in there!” I stormed to my study and slammed the door.

He doesn’t love me.

And that thought filled my soul while I cried. Stupid, I know. More may have transpired to cause my meltdown, but one certainty filled me, my husband didn’t love me.

Then God intervened.

“How many times has he told you he loves you?” God asked.

I pouted and thought. “Everyday.”

“Does he ever do good things for you along with the bad?” God has a way of persisting.

“He plows the garden, mows the lawn, builds a porch…”

“Well, then,” God continued. “If you don’t believe him when he tells you and does things for you, how can he convince you he loves you?”

I shamefacedly dried my eyes. “Nothing he can do will convince me if I don’t believe him.”

And God smiled.

How do we know God loves us?

1. His word tells us. “The LORD appeared to us in the past, saying: “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness” Jer. 31:3. The Bible has many verses just as this that tell us. But what if you don’t believe the Bible?
2. His actions tell us. Taste and see that the Lord is good (Ps. 34:8). In your life, what is good? Health? Family? The cool breeze on your face? A child’s hug? Look around and see the myriad ways God shows you favor, even in the midst of trials.
3. Faith. I refused to believe my husband loved me even though his words and actions showed it. He did one thing I didn’t like, and I melted down. Sometimes really bad things happen to us and those we love. No one will deny this. Knowing of God’s love will not stop evil. If we believe, though, the faith we have will enable us to survive.

Knowing God’s love is an outgrowth of my discipling of gratitude. Over the next few weeks, we’ll explore the absolute truth that God loves us. As sure as the sun returns after the rain, as sure as the seasons change, as sure as mountains rise, and rivers flow, as sure as tomatoes grow in summer, God loves us.