Are You Sure That God Loves You?

There are 40 days between Ash Wednesday and Easter Sunday, not including Sundays. This 40-day period of Lent is an intentional reflection of both the 40 years that Israel spent wandering the wilderness before entering the promised land and the 40 days that Jesus spent in the wilderness wrestling with temptation from the devil before beginning His earthly ministry.

In the wilderness, Satan tempted Jesus to turn a stone into bread, to achieve power and glory apart from the cross and to test God’s promises by throwing himself from the temple’s pinnacle. Yet, so much of His temptation boils down to one main question:

“Are you sure that God loves you?”

And when Satan’s temptation comes to us, the same question comes in so many forms: “Are you sure that God loves you? Maybe but you’ll be happier and safer if you also have ______.” Insert your temptation du jour:

• more money in my savings account
• more time to myself
• a different body (younger? smaller? stronger?)
• the approval of a particular person or group

“Are you sure that God loves you? He probably doesn’t because ________ and you should despair.”

• you’ve failed in some way
• your sin is too great
• no one could love you

“Are you sure that God loves you? There’s so much more that you can do and have if you take matters into your own hands.”

Recently, I was feeling ashamed and guilty about something in my own life. A friend had texted and asked how my day was going. As I was replying that I felt discouraged. The Holy Spirit used that moment to remind me of the lyrics of this worship song:

“When Satan tempts me to despair

And tells me of the guilt within

Upward I look and see Him there

Who made an end to all my sin”

“Before the Throne of God Above” by Sovereign Grace, 2003

Suddenly, it was as though a cloud had lifted and I could recognize that the weight of shame I was feeling had been the work of Satan getting me to despair. Praise God, He pierced that cloud and drove it away with the sunshine of the Gospel.

When Satan tempts you to doubt God’s love, to replace it with some other worldly idol or to despair, remember this verse: “He who did not withhold his own Son but gave him up for all of us, how will he not with him also give us everything else?” Romans 8:32

Are you sure that God loves you? Be assured ... He does!