Jeremiah 31:3-4a - “God told them, ‘I’ve never quit loving you and never will. Expect love, love, and more love! And so now I’ll start over with you and build you up again.’”

One of the difficult things children must deal with are the lies that can come into their minds masquerading as truth: “I’m not loved,” “I’m not accepted,” “I’m not appreciated,” “I’m not attractive,” “I’m not good enough,” “I’m too fat,” “too thin,” “too tall,” “too short,” “too dumb,” “too smart,” “too everything.” These lies escalate as children move into their teenage years and often are carried into adulthood. That’s why I’m convinced it’s never too soon to start praying for a child to feel loved and accepted-first by God, then by others.

The opposite of being loved and accepted is being rejected-something we’ve all experienced at one time or another in our lives. Who among us has never felt embarrassment, humiliation, failure, fault, or someone’s disapproval over something we’ve done? Whether it be by a family member, a friend, or a complete stranger, rejection happens to all of us. Some people can let such incidents roll off their backs, because they know, deep within, that they are accepted. Others, however, may bear deep emotional wounds from incident after incident of rejection. A person who already feels rejected interprets everything as rejection-a mere look, a harmless word, an insignificant action-while someone who feels loved and accepted thinks nothing of the same look, word, or action. A person may not actually be rejected, but if he (she) believes he (she) is, the effect is just as damaging as if it were true.

The love of God, however, can change all this. Knowing that God loves and accepts us changes our lives. He says, “I have chosen you and not cast you away” (Isaiah 41:9). “I have loved you with an everlasting love” (Jeremiah 31:3). And He proves His love because “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). On top of that, the Bible assures us that “neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38-39).

Let us pray that we as God’s children would receive God’s power to take hold of his tender, relentless love for us. Pray for God’s parental love to more deeply penetrate your own heart and other’s hearts (small groups, fellowships, children, etc.) so that we all may be made whole and transformed more and more like him.
(Adapted from Stormie Omartian’s devotional.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=II1JKBuz-AY

-AP