“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”
John 3:16 (NKJV)
During dinner with a group of friends, a question was posed: “When did you first meet Jesus?”
I made sure I was the last one to answer! As each person described when they first met Jesus, I realized I did not have a polished story to tell. I was so captivated by what each person shared, and their experiences made me want Jesus more. My story didn’t compare to the beauty of what I was hearing!
As I thought through my journey, I wondered if I could escape this question. I would have to admit it took me years to meet Jesus. That would expose me to a lot of vulnerability I wasn’t used to.
Knowing of Jesus and truly knowing Jesus are two different things to me. I have known of Jesus since my early childhood. Yet I knew this answer wouldn’t be enough to describe when I met Jesus.
As my turn drew nearer, I wondered what everyone would think if they knew how long it had taken me to truly meet Jesus. Yet I knew I wanted to answer honestly. My turn finally came, and I jumped right in to tell them when I first met Jesus.
I first met Jesus in my late thirties when life was hard to bear. Everything around me seemed unwelcoming. Life experiences left me judging myself and others for not meeting the world’s standards.
Worst of all, I distanced myself from God because He didn’t fix all of this in an instant. My heart could not comprehend that Jesus could be my friend or that He desired to have a relationship with me. I thought my sins, failures, and shortcomings separated me from God.
Knowing my flaws, He met me where I was.
It started when I began reading the Bible early in the morning. Jesus gently entered my reading space. His words lifted from the pages of the Bible straight to the center of my heart. He filled the air around me with His presence. Then He assured me He has always stood by my side.
There was no turning back once this love penetrated past the deep hurt I was feeling. Healing began!
Jesus loved me when I felt unlovable.
He carried me through the loss of my oldest brother. Jesus held my hand while I restored the relationship with my mother. During a brief period when I lost a relationship with my kids, Jesus comforted me. He nurtured me through several bouts of sickness.
Through Him, I learned to forgive people who hurt me and ask for forgiveness from those I hurt. Lastly, Jesus continued to restore and deepen my relationship with Him, opening my eyes to see the truth of His mercy and love.
Where I once struggled to believe Jesus loved me, His Word began to overwhelm me with His love!
John 3:16 (NKJV) reads:
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”
This verse speaks volumes about God’s love for us. In response to humanity’s sins, God, in His extraordinary love and mercy, sent His only begotten Son into the world. Jesus, fully God and fully man, was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He took on human flesh and became the last and ultimate sacrificial lamb for our sins.
Through His life, death, and resurrection, we can be reconciled to the Father. And if that wasn’t enough, the Lord left us the Holy Spirit to help us not only to know Jesus but to grow in our relationship with Him. Jesus understands our suffering and is not afraid to be with us in it.
2 Corinthians 5:18–19 (NKJV) is a wonderful reminder of this when we get lost and need a nudge of remembrance:
“Now all things are of God, who reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.”
Jesus was, and still is, our living example of what a relationship with our Heavenly Father looks like. He has an open invitation for all of us to enter into a relationship with Him!
When you are unsure of your relationship with Jesus, turn to the Holy Spirit for help. Ask the Father for the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him (Ephesians 1:17 NKJV).
The One who saved you also loves you.
Would you be willing to accept this invitation?
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