For You

"He paid for you with the precious lifeblood of Christ, the sinless spotless Lamb of God. God chose him for this purpose long before the world began, but now in these final days, he was sent to the earth for all to see. And he did this for you." I Peter 1:19-20

As we opened the front door, we were met by our daughter who was wearing a gigantic grin on her face. A wonderful smell filled the air. We walked into the kitchen which was immaculately clean where the table was set with a nice tablecloth, linen napkins, flowers, and candles with instrumental jazz completing the atmosphere. The meal was delicious and the fellowship sweet. "I just wanted to do something special for you." she said. 
 
As Peter was writing to Jesus followers who were in the fires of persecution, he wanted to remind them of how much God loved them. He was very detailed about it so they wouldn't miss a thing. He's loved you from before the beginning. He spared no expense in covering your debt. He came close. No loving from a distance with God. He took mercy on your helplessness and moved with grace. Why? He wanted to do something for you.   
 
My hope and prayer that each of you reading this know personally the wonder of being loved this big. He wants you to enter into it, but he respects the will he gave us even if we use it to walk away. Some of us, like Peter's first readers, are in storms so thick we're beginning to question the reality of God's divine "for you." I am reminded in such times that if his "for me" is only about this life, how pitifully small it would really be. No, from eternity past to eternity God is for you. Storms will end, but his love has no borders. 

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