How Much Does God Love Us? Thiiiiis Much!

When our kids were young, we used to tuck them in at night with the words, “I love you thiiiiiis much.” We’d stretch our arms wide open and exaggerate the word this so they’d understand that our love for them was far bigger than a teeny weeny measure, and that it would always be there no matter what.

God’s amazing love

The memory makes me smile. It also makes me think about God’s amazing love for us.

Take Jeremiah 3:1 for example. He spoke these words to a disobedient Israel, but the message applies to believers today:

“If a man divorces a woman and she marries someone else, he is not to take her back again, for that would surely corrupt the land. But you have prostituted yourself with many lovers, says the LORD. Yet I am still calling you to come back to me” (emphasis mine).

Sometimes our love for the Lord can be fickle. We turn our affections to other things, spending more money on our comfort and wants rather than on what He values. Sometimes we allow a busy lifestyle – or even doing ministry – to become our god and override our time spent with Him.

Sometimes we make another person our god, investing ‘way too much time and energy in a relationship that may or not may not be appropriate. Rather than remaining faithful to God by loving Him more than anything or anyone else, we share what’s rightfully His with other lovers.

God remains faithful

And yet, God remains faithful. He desires us, He longs for us, He woos us. “I’m calling you to come back to me,” He says. “I love you thiiiiiis much.”

To erase any shred of doubt in our minds, He spread His arms wide and allowed soldiers to pound spikes through His hands, nailing Him to a wooden cross. “It matters not where you’ve been or who you’ve been with,” His actions say. “Come back to me. Please come. I love you thiiiiiis much.”