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The Lord has appeared of old to me, saying:
“Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love;
Therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you.
Jeremiah 31:3

A new baby will be joining our family any time now.
We’re all ON CALL and ready to drive, babysit, pace the floor, and of course pray for the safe, and speedy delivery of a healthy baby.

Today I was thinking of God’s love for us, well, for me.
He loves you too, but I was mostly thinking of how He loves me—even though He knows absolutely everything about me. Always has. When I say always, I really mean always.

That thought got tangled up with the thoughts about the new baby and I remembered how God told Jeremiah that before He’d even formed him in the womb, He knew him. That’s how completely thoroughly, inside out, front to back, beginning to end, God knows us. We surprise others. We surprise ourselves, but we never surprise God.

God goes on to tell Jeremiah that before he was born He sanctified him. It means set aside or set apart. God says He also ordained Jeremiah. That’s a lot to have happen to you even before you’re born.

So that’s all great for Jeremiah.

But what about us?
And that brings me back to how much God loves me.

I mean us.
If you’re a Christian the Bible says God chose you in Christ before He laid the foundation of the world.

Chosen before He made anything in our world.

That’s how far back God’s love for us goes.
And it’s deeper than all of our sins.
Wider than all our weaknesses.
Higher than all of our failings.

He knows us and loves us still.
I just spent two days with five of my grandkids. I love them. I’ve loved them since before they were born. I know them, and believe me they’re not perfect. BUT, I still love them. I can’t help myself.

God said, I have loved you with an everlasting love.
He’s saying ‘I have loved you with a love that hasn’t diminished over time, lots and lots of time.’
And because of that love, He’s been at work drawing us to Him.
His lovingkindness has drawn us into His gravitational pull.

He knew the ‘who’ of each of us before we were created.
He knew what we’d look like and more importantly what we’d be like.
And He still wanted us.
He made plans for our lives and the things we’d do that would have an eternal meaning.
Those are the big plans, the ones we want to make sure and not miss out on.
But they’re not the WHY.

He created us for Himself.
To have a relationship with Him.
To know Him and share a life, an eternal life, with Him.
There’s no part of our lives He’s not interested in.
No part He doesn’t care about.
Are we perfect?
No. But God is an excellent parent.
Kind yet consistent.
Firm yet loving.
Thorough yet patient.

We’re family.
We’ve been loved for a long long time.
Known and loved.

We’re waiting to know this new baby.
The love has been around for almost nine months!