The LORD appeared to us in the past, saying: I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness. Jeremiah 31:3 (NIV)
You need to know that God approves of you. Even if you had great parents who gave you tons of encouragement, you’ll sense something is missing if you don’t realize that God loves and believes in you.
So, how do you know God approves of you?
Let me give you an analogy. My dad passed away suddenly a few years ago. One of the last things he said to me was that he was proud of me. He was always cheering me on and telling me he believed in me. Now that he’s gone, how can I get that approval from him?
Well, I have the memory of his words, which I’m so grateful for. But could you imagine if he had written those words down for me? Whenever I had a bad day, I could pull out that letter and read,
“Leon, I think you’re awesome. You’re going to do more than I ever dreamed possible.”
When you think about it, that’s how powerful the Bible is! It’s God’s letter to you!
When you read it, substitute your name in. “(Your name), you are going to ride up on the high places of the earth. (Your name), you are more than a conqueror through Christ Jesus. (Your name), you are part of a royal priesthood and a holy nation. (Your name), understand the love I have for you: its breadth, its width and its height.” (See Isaiah 58:14, Romans 8:37, 1 Peter 2:9, and Ephesians 3:18.)
There’s great power in meditating on the Bible and confessing it out loud. You’re reading a love letter from your heavenly dad, who thinks you’re awesome!