He First Loved Us

Have you ever tried to make friends with a wild or shy animal—or a person that wasn’t very friendly? Maybe, like Tommy, you tried to be kind and they didn’t seem to care. Sometimes they even act worse and you wonder if it is worth it. But guess what? True love finds a way. It doesn’t give up.

That is the wonderful story about Jesus. The Bible says, “We love Him, because He first loved us.”* (1 John 4:19) God created us to trust and love Him. What happens when we are selfish and naughty, like Tommy’s kitten? We hurt others and separate ourselves from God. Without God’s protection we will get into real trouble, because the devil is ready to destroy anyone he can catch—just like the big mean dog. But what can God do if we don’t want to listen to Him and trust Him?

God loved us enough to make a way to bring us back to the safety of His arms. He sent Jesus to show us His love. Day by day, Jesus helped people and cared about their needs. He told them that God was good and His way was right. But many people didn’t want to love God and obey Him, so they treated Jesus badly. Did He give up and stop loving them? No, “while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”* (Romans 5:8) Even though Jesus had never done wrong, He took the punishment of a criminal so that our sinful hearts could be changed. That’s how much God loves us!

Do you want to know God’s love for you? Or, like naughty little Chase, would you rather keep doing your own thing? It doesn’t really matter how I live, you might think. Really? God made you and He cares a lot about what you do and think. Every day He watches you and holds out His hands to you. Are you scratching Him with your selfish words and running away from His voice? Maybe you are afraid to trust Him—or afraid of missing out on something fun. But do you think that the God who loves you wants to make your life miserable? Don’t wait until you are in real trouble to call to Him! He wants to protect you and be your truest Friend. Will you let Him?