December 17, 2021

Laurel Cavazos
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.
John 3:16-18

Often, I read this section of scripture, but I don’t let it fully sink in. Maybe because I feel like I have either heard it or read it hundreds of times, but this time as I read it, I can feel God convicting me to slow down and look at it closer. I am so quick to rush over the thing that I need to remember above all else.

I am a sinner who God deeply loves. So much so that he gave his Son Jesus to die for me. Jesus made the choice to go to the cross for me. Because of this, I have been given the gift of salvation. I don’t for a second deserve it. I couldn’t in a million lifetimes earn it. It is truly the greatest gift I could have ever been given. With that comes so much joy, knowing that that gift wasn’t only offered to me but was also offered to everyone.

Jesus dying on the cross was the greatest act of love this world will ever know. This love tells me my identity isn’t found in my mistakes. This love tells me I am forgiven. It calls me out of the darkness into the light. This love is what I need every single day.