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Jesus Loves Me
by
Bill Walker
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
“When you get this concept into your mind and heart it will totally
revolutionize your life.”
That's just the way the Lord said it to me. And just what is this
revolutionary concept? His all-consuming, unconditional love for me.
(And each of you can say the same.)
"Jesus loves me! This I know
For the Bible tells me so.
Little ones to Him belong.
They are weak but He is strong."
"Yes, Jesus loves me!
Yes, Jesus loves me!
Yes, Jesus loves me!
The Bible tells me so."
(Words by Anna B. Warner 1860; Music by William B.
Bradbury 1861)
Is this simple song familiar to you? Did you ever sing it as a child?
Kenneth Osbeck writes in 101 Hymn Stories, “Without doubt the hymn that
has influenced children for Christ more than any other is this simply
stated one, written in 1860 by Anna Bartlett Warner. Miss Warner wrote
this text in collaboration with her sister Susan as a part of one of the
best-selling novels of that day, a novel written by Susan entitled Say
and Seal. Today few remember the plot of that novel…but the simple poem
spoken by one of the characters, Mr. Linden, as he comforts Johnny Fox,
a dying child, still remains the favorite hymn of children around the
world to this day.” Osbeck writes that William Bradbury “composed the
music for ‘Jesus Loves Me’ in 1861 especially for Anna Warner’s text and
personally added the chorus to the four stanzas.”
Ah, the simple faith of childhood. Jesus loves me. How do I know?
Because the Bible tells me so. End of discussion.
But now that you’re all grown up, can you still say that? More
importantly, do you still feel it? Now, don’t pass these questions off
with quick answers. Don’t answer with head knowledge—what you’ve learned
from years of playing “Christian.” Instead, take a moment and examine
your heart. Ask yourself, “Do I feel God’s love for ME? Unconditionally.
Consistently. Do I walk in it? I’ve heard that Jesus would have died for
me alone, but do I conduct my life—both inside and outside of church—as
if His love for me were real?”
Or, do I sometimes feel that He would love me more if only I would:
Be a “better” father, mother, husband, wife…
Read the Bible more, go to church more…
Or one of a thousand other things.
Do you ever feel that, while He may love you (in a general sort of way
because, after all. He IS God and maybe He HAS to love us), there’s
always a certain amount of disapproval you sense from Him. Sure, John
3:16 says, "For God so loved the world..." and I’m a part of the world,
so maybe His love is sort of a group thing—like saying “I love people,
but there are some persons I’m not too sure about. Am I one of them to
Him? Is God’s love like the love I show: sometimes yes and sometimes no?
Do I feel God saying to me, “Okay, I love you but I really don’t like
you.”
Maybe there’s something specific in my life that I feel keeps God from
accepting me fully, or maybe there isn’t. Sometimes it’s just a general
feeling that maybe He would love me completely, if only I’d start… or if
only I’d stop…
Remember, I’m not talking about all the things we know and say to each
other: “works” won’t get us there; we are saved by grace and grace
alone, and so on and so on. We sing “Nothing you could do could make Him
love you more. And nothing that you’ve done could make Him close the
door.” We know that Jesus said, “I will never leave you nor forsake
you.”
But do you know it experientially? Be honest, with yourself, and with
God.
You may be one who walks in God’s love most of the time, or you may have
a real problem in feeling for even a moment that God could possibly love
you at all.
If you’re in the latter category, please take some time to ask God to
show you the Truth. Approach Him with a sincere heart and persistent
determination and be willing to be led by the Holy Spirit into an
ever-growing love relationship with the Father.
But the same suggestion could apply to all of us.
What I’m talking about is the surety expressed in “Jesus Loves Me.” This
I know because the Bible tells me so. It’s what Paul prayed for the
Christians in Ephesus, and for us, when he wrote:
"My response is to get down on my knees before the Father who parcels
out all heaven and earth. I ask him to strengthen you by his Spirit—not
a brute strength but a glorious inner strength—that Christ will live in
you as you open the door and invite him in. And I ask him that with both
feet planted firmly on love, you’ll be able to take in with all
Christians the extravagant dimensions of Christ’s love. Reach out and
experience the breadth! Rise to the heights! Live full lives, full in
the fullness of God. God can do anything, you know—far more than you
could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does
it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply
and gently within us." (Ephesians 3:14-19 The Message)
“Jesus loves me! This I know for the Bible tells me so.”
Can you say to God right now,
“Heavenly Father, I know in my heart that You love me unconditionally
and totally. I know that through my acceptance of Jesus Christ as my
Savior and Lord of my life You love me as much as You love him.
“I ask, Holy Spirit of God within me, that you work through me. Lord,
cause me to experience the extravagant dimensions of Christ’s love. Let
me know its breadth and height. Strengthen me by Your Spirit, living in
me for a glorious inner strength.”
No, God doesn’t love everything I do and, no matter how I try, I can
never earn His love with my thoughts, intents and my actions. My hope
does not lie in “self-improvement”, but in His increase and my decrease.
Growth in the Christian life does not occur as we get better but as He
takes over. And I can best trust in Him to take over my life when I am
able to rest in the breadth and height of His love.
And if you’re tempted to say, “Yeah, but…”, remember: “Jesus loves me!
This I know for the Bible tells me so.”
How do I delve into the “extravagant dimensions” of that love? Well, if
“the Bible tells me so” I have to become familiar with what it says. I
could give you many verses that speak of God’s love, but those words
mean so much more when you seek out and find them for yourself.
And when you find them, personalize them. Speak them back to God. Claim
them for yourself. Meditate on them in your prayer time. During the day
practice the presence of God in your life, knowing He is always with
you.
If you want to read about who you are in Christ, study and pray over
Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians. And read these letters of Paul
as if they were written to you alone. God did not send Jesus to die for
“mankind” but for each individual who would accept that sacrifice as
full payment for his sin.
Full realization of God’s love for me is not still another thing that I
try to work up or do through my own effort. As I read, pray, and spend
quality time with our Heavenly Father His Spirit works in me according
to my request.
Seek out through prayer and study what God has to say about how He feels
about you. Pray the prayers of Paul for yourself and expect God to open
your mind and heart.
And why the emphasis on God’s love for me? Because true surrender to God
and true service for Him come not from the “knowledge” that He loves me
but from the experiential surety of that love. And just as I cannot
“work up” my own salvation or my Christian walk with Jesus, I must
depend upon the action of the Holy Spirit to saturate me in God’s love.
Just as in prayer, my part is to “show up” and ask. I must spend time in
God’s presence and wait in expectancy.
That’s what the Lord said to me. “I love you, my child. More than you
can imagine! When you get this concept into your mind and heart it will
totally revolutionize your life.”
“Yes, Jesus loves me. The Bible tells me so!”
Love,
Brother Bill
About the Author:
Bill Walker (Brother Bill) is the creator and webmaster
of
www.sarcalogos.com. Sarcalogos was created to offer Christian
encouragement and inspiration, as well as resources for Christian
Ministry. Letters such as this, by Bill and by others, can be found
here. You can contact Bill at
billwalker@sarcalogos.com
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