How worthy are you of God's love?

​1-8-23
My devotion for today is based on Matthew 3:17, “And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”

Whether at work, school, or home, we are constantly graded, compared against others, and rated. If they’re good, we feel good. If they’re lousy, we feel lousy. If they’re nothing special, then we are tempted to feel that we’re nothing special. How’s your approval rating with God? How have you been keeping up with those Ten Commandments? Remember, they’re not God’s suggestions; they are his commands. How’s it going between you and your neighbor, all your neighbors? Jesus said, “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

Will I ever meet with God’s approval? Will God ever say of me, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him, I am well pleased”? This is what makes Jesus’ baptism, as well as our own baptism, so special. God, in his grace, has connected me to Jesus. God has given me faith in Jesus as my Savior. Jesus has taken away all my sins and given me his perfection and holiness. When God looks at me, he can say, “This is my son, my daughter, whom I love! With him, with her, I am well pleased.” Approval ratings don’t get any higher than this. God be praised!

Please pray with me; Dear Jesus, when doubts of my worth come, drown them in the waters of baptism and remind me of your love for me in Jesus. Amen.