READ: PSALM 18:19; ISAIAH 43:4; ZEPHANIAH 3:17; 1 JOHN 4:9-10

If you’ve ever had a pet you loved, or saw your favorite animal at the zoo, or had the opportunity to hold a beloved baby in your arms, think about what it felt like when you looked at them.

When we truly delight in an animal or a baby, we don’t need anything from them. We don’t expect anything from them, except to just be themselves. Even though they can’t do anything for us, we love them anyway, and we enjoy the time spent together.

And this is similar to how God sees us. Sometimes, when we think about God, we can be tempted to believe the lie that He is distant and cold, just waiting for us to slip up. But that’s just not true. We are His creation made in His image, and when He looks at us, He sees that we are fearfully and wonderfully made (Genesis 1:26-27; Psalm 139:14).

God adores you so much more than you could ever imagine. He delights in you. And not because He needs anything from you (Psalm 50:9-11; Acts 17:25). He chose you because He loves you, and He wants to spend eternity with you (John 3:16; Ephesians 1:4-8).

I don’t know what you’ve been told about God or what kind of experiences you’ve had in church, but no matter who you are, where you’re from, what you look like, or what you’ve done, Jesus loves you so much that He died on the cross and rose from the grave so that you would have the opportunity to walk alongside Him for all eternity. • Elizabeth Blanton

• Do you have a family member, a friend, or an animal you delight in? God cherishes you even more than that. He even knows how many hairs are on your head! (Luke 12:6-7)

• Can you think of a time you felt like God was distant and cold, just waiting for you to slip up? We all fall into believing this lie from time to time, even after we’ve put our trust in Jesus, but God always looks at us with love, He always wants to be with us—and He knows we need reminders. Can you think of a time God reminded you of His love? What was that like?

But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8 (NIV)