God loves me enough

These beautiful orchids were sent to me by my friend Angela for Reformation Day, the day we remember the courage of Luther to stand against the world for the sake of Christ. They are beautiful, and so was the call of the Reformation: reformed by Christ and always reforming!

Last night as I woke off and on, I found myself wrestling with God. I mostly slept well, but at some point in the middle of the night, I found myself arguing before God and asking Him to draw me close to Himself, to give me confidence in Him, to hold me and keep my feet from slipping. I pray this prayer a lot, being painfully aware of how easy it is for me to be self-centered, and how I can forget God without even noticing. And as I begged God to be my God, somehow the truth dawned on me anew that God loves me enough to send what will work His best for me, no matter how painful it may be for me. He loves me enough to inflict pain that He then bears for me. And He always bears more pain than He inflicts (see more on this idea here- with thanks to RG.) He loves me enough to sacrifice His only Son.

This morning, in my one-year-through-the-bible reading, these passages stood out to me, from Jeremiah 32:37-41:

Behold, I will gather them from all the countries to which I drove them in my anger and my wrath and in great indignation. I will bring them back to this place, and I will make them dwell in safety. And they shall be my people, and I will be their God. I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear me forever, for their own good and the good of their children after them. I will make with them an everlasting covenant, that I will not turn away from doing good to them. And I will put the fear of me in their hearts, that they may not turn from me. I will rejoice in doing them good, and I will plant them in this land in faithfulness, with all my heart and all my soul.

God loves me enough to make such promises, and keep them. That should be enough for me.