Have you ever been chilled? I mean chilled to the bone. Maybe it was when you ran fever. You know the teeth chattering, bone aching, “I’m so cold I don’t know what to do with myself to get warm”. Maybe it was when you took a bath on a cool morning. All you wanted to do is get wrapped up in a blanket before you put on your clothes. You just needed warmth. You needed to take a minute and wrap up, stand next to a fire, and get warm. 

Let’s shift gears for a minute. Let’s talk spiritually. Have you had a time when you felt cold inside your soul? It may have been something that hurt you deeply…the loss of your spouse…the loss of children…living through violence or abuse…people you thought were close friends turned on you…your family ostracized you? Maybe it was a health diagnosis. You can’t believe the words you just heard from the doctor. You feel alone, vulnerable, empty, lost, incredibly afraid of the future. You are not sure where to turn or what to do next. Just writing this makes me feel cold. I’ve been there. Wondering if God saw what was happening to me. Wondering why I had to endure this pain, this cold. Have you been there? Do you remember? I want to be wrapped in something warm.

 Jude wrote a very short book in the Bible. I love the way the New English Translation starts his book. “¹ From Jude, a slave of Jesus Christ and brother of James, to those who are called, wrapped in the love of God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ. ² May mercy, peace, and love be lavished on you!^” Jude 1-2. Stop. Read it again. Wrapped in the love of God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ. Wait what? When I am called by God, He wraps me in His love. I am kept for Jesus. God’s love is not an ordinary love. When you are loved by God you need to know that He is generous to you.  He is committed to you. He keeps His promise to you. He cares for you deeply. You. How do you KNOW this? He showed it over and over: Ruth and Naomi, Moses, Abraham, Joseph, David, and the nation of Israel all were wrapped in God’s love.

Look at Exodus 34:6. “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, and abounding in loyal love and faithfulness”. God spoke these words to Moses when Moses was on Mt. Sinai chiseling out the 10 Commandments. He was telling Moses how much He loved His people. You remember, the nation of Israel that continually left God and tried to go out on their own. That group of people. Each time God loved them, brought them back to Him, and was generous with them. God always kept His promise. He always loved them. He was always generous in His forgiveness, compassion, and provisions. He never stopped caring for them. Yes, there were consequences for their sin, but there was always forgiveness. Yes, they endured hardship, but He always provided a way for them to get through it. His heart broke when they left Him, but HE NEVER LEFT THEM. He held out His arms and welcomed them back. His heart broke when they went through hardships, but HE NEVER LEFT THEM. He wrapped them in His love.

Our God is the same today. He wraps us in His love. It doesn’t mean we won’t go through hardship. It means He has provided a way for us to get through it. When Jesus Christ rescued us from the grip of satan, God was compassionate and gracious. When the Holy Spirit came to live in us, God showed His loyal love, His comfort and His faithfulness. This is what it looks like to be WRAPPED IN GOD’S LOVE. He has a plan for our lives. He wants what is best for us.

Psalm 136 says HIS LOYAL LOVE ENDURES. It tells the story of the Israelites and God’s love. Take comfort in God’s love for you as you read how God loved Israel. Remember He loves you this way too.

Psalm 136

¹Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
for his loyal love endures. 
² Give thanks to the God of gods,
for his loyal love endures.
³ Give thanks to the Lord of lords,
for his loyal love endures,
⁴ to the one who performs magnificent, amazing deeds all by himself,
for his loyal love endures,
⁵ to the one who used wisdom to make the heavens,
for his loyal love endures,
⁶ to the one who spread out the earth over the water,
for his loyal love endures,
⁷ to the one who made the great lights,
for his loyal love endures,
⁸ the sun to rule by day,
for his loyal love endures,
⁹ the moon and stars to rule by night,
for his loyal love endures,
¹⁰ to the one who struck down the firstborn of Egypt,
for his loyal love endures,
¹¹ and led Israel out from their midst,
for his loyal love endures,
¹² with a strong hand and an outstretched arm,
for his loyal love endures,
¹³ to the one who divided the Red Sea in two, 
for his loyal love endures,
¹⁴ and led Israel through its midst,
for his loyal love endures,
¹⁵ and tossed Pharaoh and his army into the Red Sea,
for his loyal love endures,
¹⁶ to the one who led his people through the wilderness,
for his loyal love endures,
¹⁷ to the one who struck down great kings,
for his loyal love endures,
¹⁸ and killed powerful kings,
for his loyal love endures,
¹⁹ Sihon, king of the Amorites,
for his loyal love endures,
²⁰ Og, king of Bashan,
for his loyal love endures,
²¹ and gave their land as an inheritance,
for his loyal love endures,
²² as an inheritance to Israel his servant,
for his loyal love endures,
²³ to the one who remembered us when we were down, 
for his loyal love endures,
²⁴ and snatched us away from our enemies,
for his loyal love endures,
²⁵ to the one who gives food to all living things 
for his loyal love endures.
²⁶ Give thanks to the God of heaven,
for his loyal love endures!

Be blessed – Cherie