It’s funny… but not like funny ha-ha. Funny like the cheese smells funny. I have no problem with the virgin birth; or the resurrection of Christ; the parting of the Red Sea; or the universal flood. I do however wonder about a recurring theme throughout Scripture.

When an old religious guy with questions on his mind met with Jesus one night, he led with a compliment. He called Jesus “Rabbi” and expressed his belief that Jesus had been sent to teach. He acknowledged His miraculous signs and went so far as to say that apparently God was with Him. Quickly Jesus brought him to the fact that he was loved by God. In fact, Jesus assured him that God loves the whole world. It seemed more important than anything else old Nic wanted to talk about.

It’s a good word. But to break that down and receive it personally is hard for me.

I mean, how CAN He?

He knows where I’ve been. He hears my thoughts.

An unexpected storm tosses us about and causes me to toss my cookies into the bait bucket. Immediately I cry, “LORD! Don’t you care?”

With Peter I warm myself by the enemy’s fire and swear I don’t know Him.

Yet He loves ME?

I really find that hard to believe.

Like broken hearted Peter, I go back to doing the only thing I know. The Lord of the universe has risen from the dead, but so what?

I have really messed up. Surely He’s done with me. Obviously I can’t be trusted.

Then in the distance, I see a little smoke rising. A small fire burns and a Man calls out a greeting. When I get there, He’s cooked breakfast of all things: Grilled salmon and hot buttered biscuits. My tummy growls but worse than that my soul hurts. My best Friend is standing there serving up my favorite meal though He knows I betrayed Him.

I’ll never understand it. But it’s true.

He loves me.

“Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean He no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted or hungry, or destitute, or in danger or threatened with death? As the Scriptures say, ‘For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.’ No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ who loved us!

And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death, nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow, not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below- indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.” — Romans 8:35-39NLT

Jesus loves ME and there is not a thing I can do to change that!

Halleluiah and pass the biscuits!

To hear the conversation between Jesus and Nic, find John 3:1-21; For more on being in a storm while Jesus takes a nap, read Mark 4:35-41; To warm up by a fire and watch Peter deny his Friend see Luke 22: 54-65; For breakfast by the sea with Jesus read John 21:1-14.

By the way…

He loves you too and there’s not a thing you can do about it either!

Lynna Clark lives in Salisbury. Read more at Lynna’s Wonderful Life at wordpress.com