Encouragement from the reality of John 3:16:

The all too familiar verse John 3:16 sometimes loses its incredible significance due to its great familiarity. We have seen the verse written on a sign and held up at football games. It has served as bumper stickers for cars. It is printed on t-shirts.

Right now, the world may wonder in its pain of Covid 19, “Where is God’s love now? Will not God give us a way forward? Will God’s love give us a cure? Where is the Divine response that claims to give its all and everything?”

God will give us what we need for each day. In our difficulty, we must never forget that! Being that God is love, it is God’s very nature to give and give what is best and most needful, so let us learn to persevere in faith.

I say this because God, motivated by love, will give. God has always been a good Giver. Think about it:

God gave us creation, a place where we could live and move and have our being. Into the darkness, God said, “Let there be light,” and God gave us light so that we could see God’s handiwork take place.

In Genesis, chapter 2, God breathed into us and gave us His breath. The very life we have is a gift from God.

God wasn’t finished giving. God gave Noah a way to escape the flood.

God gave Abraham a promise, when accepted, led to a new life of blessing.

God gave Joseph a vision. Many things happened that made Joseph’s life difficult and hard! But all of those events were God’s way of leading Joseph to a place of great power and purpose. Joseph, in his God given position, was able to save the people of Egypt and his own family. Despite the trials, Joseph learned God had given him more than he could have hoped or expected!

God gave the Hebrews freedom from bondage. God gave them protection from the Egyptian army. God gave them a way when their backs were to the ocean and their faces toward the fast approaching army. God gave them a way to salvation when a way didn’t exist at all!

God gave directions to the people in the wilderness. God gave them manna, food, and even water when they traveled through a barren land!

God gave the people laws and ordinances, so the people could learn to love God and love neighbor, if they so chose to do.

God gave people a new land, a land they could call home, a land where their lives could prosper.

God continued to give…

God gave David courage to face giants and sure aim with a sling.

Need I go on? There are so many more examples in the Old Testament.

In the New Testament, it is amazing to find God has not grown tired of giving.

God gave to Mary, Joseph, and the world, God’s only Son. God saw sin breaking the creation God had made, so God decided to take on flesh to do what we could not- conquer sin and destroy death! God did not wait for us to repent. God did not wait for us to ask. Motivated by eternal love, God did, what God always does, God gave; and it was what we needed most- salvation!

Jesus going to His cross is God giving sacrificially; even when it hurts! In Jesus, the best that God has to give, willingly gives all of itself to the very worst the world has to offer in return. But by taking the world’s worst upon Himself, Christ crucified sin, nailed it to a cross, and gave up his life to death so that we could live! That is the definition of giving!

If that weren’t enough! God wasn’t through! God raised Jesus from the grave so that Jesus could freely give us His victory and all of its benefits which He secured!

That still isn’t the end of the story! But rather than go on and on, read how the Bible proclaims God is still giving us His Holy Spirit, reassurance, continually pouring God’s love into our hearts…

So, in our time of need, even today, do not doubt! God, motivated by a love that does not fail, will give us exactly what we need each and every day because God is surely a giver!