In Deuteronomy chapter 7, God tells Israel (and us!) that he chose us, not because we were more or better or greater than anyone else. He says, you were none of these things. You were actually less. But verse 8 explains that God chose you for the simple reason, “…it is because the Lord loves you.” That’s the central truth that God wants to get across to us all. It’s the central truth that we all need so badly.
During our Baptisms last Sunday a young woman shared about how she shifted from reading romance novels to reading the bible. She was astounded to find out that it was a love story. It was God telling us that he loves us. When she grasped the depth of God’s love for her it changed her life.
God realizes that love is our greatest need in life. In Jeremiah 31:3 we read, “The Lord appeared to us in the past saying, “I have loved you with an everlasting love. I have drawn you with loving kindness. There’s a Spanish story of a father and son who had become estranged. The son ran away, and the father set off to find him. He searched for months to no avail. Finally, in a last desperate effort to find him, the father put an ad in a Madrid newspaper. The ad read: “Dear Paco, meet me in front of this newspaper office at noon on Saturday. All is forgiven. I love you. Your Father.” On Saturday 800 Pacos showed up, looking for forgiveness and love from their fathers.”