The Child of God

This morning I woke up and began my normal routine which involves getting Emma up out of bed, dressed, and ready for the day. This morning a rarity occurred and she was still asleep when I walked into her room. I sat on my knees by her little bed and watched her sleep. She was so peaceful. So beautiful. As she woke up and recognized that I was there she sat up and eventually gave me a big hug and snuggled up on my lap. This moment, like many moments since she came into my life over two years ago, I really focused on how deep my love is for her. As I focused on the emotion that was welling up inside me I realized that I would be willing to give up anything, even my own life, for her.

Then God placed a Bible verse on my heart:

John 3:16
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.

I remember growing up in Sunday School learning John 3:16. I remember trying to recite it so very quickly so I could hurry up and get it over with. It became common place to me. Everyone knew the verse, and everyone took it for granted. But today, as I held my daughter on my lap this verse became very real to me.

Think about the love that you have for your child. It is probably no different than the love that I feel for my child. It is a love that is so deep and so pure that it would cause me to do anything in order to protect her, to make her happy, to keep her safe. But Isaiah tells us:

Isaiah 53:10a
Yet it was the Lord's will to crush him and cause him to suffer...

God loved you and me so very much that He was willing to let His only son die a most horrible death, and sometimes it is very easy to take that gracious gift for granted. Take a minute and thank God for the amazing sacrifice that was made, simply because He loves you.