Morning Moments

THIS IS MY BELOVED

Luke 4:3 (KJV)
And the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread.

Matthew 3:16-17 (KJV)
And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: [17] And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

It is imperative that we always compare very carefully what we hear and read with the Word of God.

Let me explain: There is no doubt in my mind that Satan witnessed the baptism of Jesus. The text in Matthew says that when God, the Father spoke from Heaven, He said, "This is my BELOVED Son, in whom I am well pleased". The difference can clearly be seen in the word "beloved".

Jesus never struggled with the fact that He was God's "beloved" Son, but I think it may be one of the things that so many Christians struggle with. When we fail, when we doubt, when we stumble, when we sin, there is rarely the thought that we are no longer the children of our Father, but we do sometimes question that we are "beloved" of our Father always, regardless. Even when He chastens us, it is proof that He loves us.

How often have we said or heard someone say to us, "IF you love me you would not have...". Then we turn around a assume that our Heavenly Father is just like that. But He never stops loving us, nor will He ever stop loving us. If you are a child of God through faith in Jesus Christ, you ARE His BELOVED and nothing will change that.

God does get angry, but He never stops loving His children. Father may discipline us, but through the process of discipline He NEVER ceases to love us. His is true unconditional love that NOTHING can seperate us from. It is a done deal.

So, the next time you lose a battle and Satan whispers in your ear, "If you are a son of God," seeking to implant doubt as to God's love for you because you failed, just remember that you are a "beloved" child of God and reject the enemies whispers. Just because he isn't the object of God's love doesn't mean you aren't - God has spoken and He says you are.

BLESSINGS!