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
One of the biggest struggles many people face is a feeling that the Lord couldn't possibly love them. Yet the Bible clearly tells us He does. Far from just saying so with words, God has also given us ample proof. Creation itself is an expression of His awesome care for us. He designed this earth as the perfect habitation for humanity and provides us with the necessities of life. But the highest expression of His love is manifested in His provision for our eternal needs. He sent His Son to redeem us from sin so that we could be forgiven and reconciled to God - and then live with Him in heaven forever.
So why, with all this evidence, do so many of us still doubt His love? Perhaps the reason is that we are looking at it from our own limited perspective: since we can't love others unconditionally, we doubt that the Lord can. After all, human logic considers it reasonable to be loving towards people who measure up to our standards - but to hold ourselves aloof from those who don't.
We've been hurt way too many times and have had so many inappropriate role models that can't show love because they weren't shown love either. It's hard to feel safe to trust God enough to let our guard down and love Him.
Maybe we just feel unworthy of His love. Well, I have news for you: no one is worthy. God's love is not based on whether we're deserving or not. We don't have to earn His love, it's not by works. He already loves us, just the way we are, for God IS love.
Divine love is conditioned not on our performance but on God's nature. It's like the ocean's tide. You can stand on the shore and say, 'I don't believe in waves,' but that doesn't stop them from coming. Likewise, nothing you do or feel will stop the Father's love from washing over you.
Father, I pray that You wrap Your arms around us. Tell us how much You love us. Show us how much You love us. Help us to believe how much You love us. Help us to love You back. In Jesus' name, amen.