The Joy of Glory

2 Corinthians 5:17-6:2 (click here)
…we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Corinthians 5:20-21)

Reflection
Have you ever heard God tell you that he loves you?

One of the deepest struggles we all have as human beings is believing that there is anyone out there who actually loves us. We may have people in our lives who tell us of their love regularly, but one way or another we rationalize these professions of affection away… believing there is no way someone could actually, truly love us.

If we are able to do this with people present and speaking their love into our lives… how much easier is it for us to doubt the love of God who can seem so distant and mute! God doesn’t speak his love into my life… and I know why… because he sees, more than any human, all the reasons I should not be loved! He sees everything about me that is unlovely!

I think so many of us feel this way, even though most are unwilling to admit it. So allow me to speak directly to your feelings for us just a moment…

God loves you.

That is not me saying that! That is the Lord speaking truth into your life! I can make that claim not because I am God, but because of 2 Corinthians 5:20, “…we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us…”

Our God does speak! He does it through his people proclaiming the Gospel! Every time a believer in Jesus declares to you the good news… that is God speaking his love into your life! He is imploring your heart through his people!

And yes… he is showering his love upon you in this way even though he sees everything about you and me that makes us unlovely! He does that because the good news is precisely this… he has taken our unloveliness upon himself and given us his own loveliness!

2 Corinthians 5:21, “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

This is the news of God’s love that he announces to you through other believers! This is the good news he is announcing through me to you right now! God is imploring you right now with his love!

Have you ever heard God tell you he loves you?

Hear him right now! HE… LOVES… YOU!!!

*All previous devotionals may be found at www.thejoyofglory.com
*The complete SVCC Lenten reading guide is available here.