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God loves the whole wide world! Right? Of course, right, but so what?
I am very secure that my mother and father loved me. But if I told you that I know they loved me because they loved everybody, that would not describe their love for me. They loved me because I was their daughter; I had a special relationship with them because I was born into their family. They loved other people, true, but they loved me special.
When I tell you that you are special because God loves you, you may think: Yeah, but God loves everybody so how can I be special?
Well, if we were talking about earthly love, that would be a legitimate question. The only way that love is truly meaningful to us is if we know the person who loves us and if we value their love. It’s not enough for us to know that God loves the world; we have to know that God loves us individually, distinctively, uniquely.
I want you to know that God is love, and he is so totally all about love, that he loves you with a portion of his love that is meant for you alone. His love is so big, so deep, so beyond our earthly understanding of love, that he can give you all the love you need and it’s just for you. Yet there’s plenty more where that came from. God’s love is personal. He knows your name. He knows you better than you know yourself. He never loses track of you. He never forgets about you. He never gives up on you.
Can a mother forget the infant at her breast, walk away from the baby she bore? But even if mothers forget, I’d never forget you—never. Look, I’ve written your names on the back of my hands” (Isaiah 49:15-16 The Message).
There’s no other love like God’s love, and you can take it to the bank. He never leaves you or forsakes you and nothing can separate you from his love.