John 3:16-17 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

God saved me. God is gracious to me. God has forgiven me. God did all this for me.

While this is true it is selfish indulgence to keep it to yourself. God gave up His throne of heaven to come be a man and suffer all the indignities that went with it, because we would not know His love without seeing it for ourselves. God is love and did all things to share that love with mankind. Then why do we hold on to it as if it is a personal gift that is ours and ours alone?

John 13:35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

John 15:8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.

His love abiding in you does not just reside, it bears fruit. That fruit must be harvested, the tree cannot keep the fruit less it rot on the branch and is useless.

Psalm 1:1-3 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

The very first psalm told us as much.

Isaiah 46:9-11 Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure: Calling a ravenous bird from the east, the man that executeth my counsel from a far country: yea, I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed it, I will also do it.

Yesterday I said the answer to the question was “Because I said so.” Some of you took it to mean I was being funny, using our own words uttered to our children who have frustrated us to the point of exasperation. Wrong, I meant it and these are the verses upon which I make my stand.

We cannot imagine how God could sit in eternity before time began, before anything in time was created and could see all that was about to happen in time, IF He were to speak creation into being. He knew before He spoke all the things that would happen in time, from the beginning to the end. I am not amazed so much about His ability to do so as I am that He decided it was all worth it and said, “Make it so!”

Can you give thanks to God for loving us so much that He declared all the suffering in this world to be worth it, just to have our love for Him? There is no other reason God spoke creation into being. God is love and His only motivation for creation itself. He tried to tell us that and we looked at it selfishly.