(our theme for November)

This is a powerful verse that is a call for gratitude and praise for the everlasting and unchanging love bestowed upon us by the Lord. It’s a reminder to all of us to acknowledge and appreciate all the many blessings that He has given us because he loves us.

There have been many times in my life when I felt unlovable. One of the earliest instances I can remember is when I was punished as a child for some form of misbehavior that I don’t even remember. I do remember my dad saying that they were only punishing me because they loved me. At that point I thought to myself “ Well, I could do without this kind of love! I don’t feel loved right now!” Later in adolescence, I felt unloved when it seemed all of my friends were “going steady” except me. And even later after I lost my husband, I felt that no one would ever love me again like he did. It took time and quite a bit of reflection to realize that I AM loveable and the Lord does love me, even with my imperfection. And because of His love, he has given us so much to be thankful for. I try not to take this for granted.

When I see the sunrise on a beautiful fall day, I thank the Lord. When I gaze into my grandchildren’s faces, I thank the Lord. When I arrive safely at home from a trip, I thank the Lord. I experience so many blessings everyday that often go unnoticed but in reflection I can say ‘ Thank you Lord! I knew that was you! Thank you for loving me.”

Heavenly Father, You have shown us Your love in so many ways. Help us to avoid the distractions of the day and give You thanks for all the goodness You have bestowed upon us. Thank you for Your love! Amen.

This devotion was written by Virginia Hardwick and read by Greta Smith.

Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life.

If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: podcasts@1stchurch.org.

First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.