The Loved Ones

READ: DEUTERONOMY 7:7-8; PSALM 34; ROMANS 8

I twirled the marble beads on my bracelet, cool against my skin. Grey, grey, bright blue. The turquoise color had intricate swirls of sky blue, the result making the bead look like an ever-moving sky. These bracelets reminded us of the love of Ahavah, the love He daily shows us. Quickening my pace, I hurried to the meeting of the Loved Ones. Every week we met to share our stories, and this would be my first time to share.

Laughter and soft conversation spilled from within the willow tree leaves as I parted the delicate branches. They sat in a semi-circle beneath the great willow, this group I had come to cherish. Aspen waved me over in excitement, her own beaded bracelets sliding up and down her slender wrists.

“Welcome, Loved Ones!” Rowan’s brown eyes were warm as he addressed us individually. “Who would like to share their story of the week first?” Aspen placed her hand on my shoulder encouragingly.

I stood and pointed to my blue bead. “As many of you know, I just recently joined the Loved Ones. I always felt like something was lacking in my life—there was this void in my heart I couldn’t fill no matter what, or who, I tried to fill it with.”

I lifted my arm graced with the bracelet. “Here is my story of Ahavah’s love: I was feeling deep grief because, as you know, my sweet cat of many years passed away. When I opened the Word, I read Psalm 34:18, ‘The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.’ I felt such overwhelming love in that moment, and I watched one of my grey beads transform into this blue. Now, I look to it as a reminder of that precious revelation of Ahavah’s tenderness toward me.” Heads nodded all around me and several eyes shone with tears as I took my seat.

Aspen stood and shared one of her Loved moments, the colors on her many bracelets shining as she gestured excitedly. I breathed a silent prayer of gratitude to Ahavah for constantly showing His care to His Loved Ones. What color will you show me next, Ahavah? May I always be looking for the many ways that You love. • Savannah Coleman

• Ahavah is a Hebrew word we find in the Bible, and it means love. In Deuteronomy 7:7-8, for example, God chose to save His people from the bondage of slavery in Egypt because of His ahavah love for them, not because they earned or deserved His love in any way. Have you received God’s gift of love through the sacrifice and resurrection of His Son Jesus for you (John 3:16-17)? Once we belong to Him, we can know that we are no longer condemned because, by the blood of Jesus, we are forgiven and set free from the bondage of sin and death (Romans 8:1-2). Whatever we go through in life, we can be confident that God is for us because He already gave the ultimate for us—Jesus (verses 31-32). If you want to know more about this good news, see our "Know Jesus" page.

• Although circumstances may be heartbreaking, and people may abandon us or let us down, we can be confident that nothing and no one will ever be able to separate us from the love of God through Jesus Christ (verse 39). Can you think of a time when you experienced God’s redeeming, unconditional love for you? Consider taking a moment to express your gratitude and praise to Jesus, and perhaps also share this story with others. As we ponder God’s immeasurable love, may it well up in our souls and overflow from our lips and in our actions (Psalm 34:1-3).

• God never stops showing love to His children. Not only does He listen to us—He delivers us, He provides for us, and He is close to us when our hearts are broken (Psalm 34:4, 6, 7, 9, 18). We are not promised a trouble-free life, but we are ultimately promised deliverance (verse 19). Jesus echoed this promise when He said, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). We can look forward to the day Jesus will return; then everything will be made new and whole, and all His people will dwell with Him forever. In the meantime, we can choose to meditate on all the many ways God daily shows His love to us. In today’s story, people wore bracelets that reminded them of the ways they had experienced God’s love in their lives. What is one way you could create a tangible reminder of God’s goodness to you?

...neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:39 (NIV)